Friends,

Words, words, words. There's no shortage of them as a new year begins. All the news agencies have been recycling words from their past articles, in the obligatory "top stories of 2015" lists.

How swiftly the words of those news items enter our consciousness, then recede into dim memory! Those stories seemed so important at the time. Already, though, in the end-of-the-year lists we can see each of those events becoming just another thing that happened a while back.

It's true of so many of our words. Here today, gone tomorrow. Words are flimsy, weak, ephemeral.

Seldom do our words appear so insubstantial as those times when someone we love is afflicted by tragedy. So often on such occasions, we want to speak something comforting or profound, but can't think of anything helpful to say. There are no words.

Not so of the words God speaks - especially THE Word, whose coming John celebrates at the beginning of his Gospel: Jesus Christ.

In John's prologue, God speaks a word into nothingness, and a universe comes to be. Later on, God speaks a word into a world grown weary with sin, and salvation in Jesus Christ becomes a reality.

Often, the most effective word we can speak to a friend or family member experiencing hard times is the same word God spoke into the void: Jesus Christ. I don't mean just mouthing those two words, like some sort of magical incantation. I mean finding a way to be Christ to that person, by doing something needful.

In Christian theology, we have a term that speaks to that way of living: incarnational. It means "in the flesh." When we incarnate Christ to someone else, we become vessels of the Holy Spirit, a way God reaches the one who is hurting.

Come along to worship this Sunday, break bread with your fellow believers in the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, and let's think on how to live incarnationally in this new year!

CHURCH ORGANIZATION LEADERS: Information for the Annual Reports is due by Friday, January 8, 2016. One paragraph highlighting events in the past year is sufficient length for most reports. Also, if your organization maintains a separate treasury or bank account, these reports must include a financial reporting. Reports can be emailed directly to Kim Gaydos at mail@pointpresbyterian.org. Call or email the Church office if you would like a digital version of the 2014 report. Reports will be ready for the congregation on Sunday, January 17, 2016.

NO COMMUNION BREAKFAST THIS SUNDAY - We will be having a congregational breakfast next Sunday.  We hope to see you then.  

Angels We Have Heard on High 

At the Family Christmas Eve Service!