Making Room

Part of every Christmas Pageant involves the story of the inhospitality that confronted Joseph and Mary on their journey to Bethlehem inferred by these few words from Luke’s Gospel “because there was no room for them in the inn.”

No one likes the feeling of being unwelcome and it is particularly damaging when Christians send that message to others. This Christmas Eve we want to make sure that Good Shepherd sends a welcoming message to all who choose to celebrate Jesus’ birth with us. To that end we hope that warm Christmas greetings will abound all around and we ask you not to save seats but to arrive together as a family if you want to sit together.

We all have a part to play in creating a special experience for our children, our families and our guests on Christmas Eve at Good Shepherd. It can be tempting to resent the presence of visitors on a night where our church barely accommodates those of our own congregation, not to mention guests. But it would be a betrayal of our high calling to share with others the good will and welcoming love that God has for all of us if we are here to be anything less than warmly welcoming ourselves.

Some other reminders:

• The 4:00 pm celebration is the best attended service of the day. We can cozily accommodate nearly 500 people in the Church and Parish House together and usually have a congregation of 400 or 420. If it is important to you to be in the church then you should come early. The church will open at 3:30 pm. 
• The 6:00 pm service is also an overflow celebration and again we can accommodate everyone who wishes to worship with us at this hour. The Junior Choir leads this service which welcomes a congregation of around 400 worshippers. 
• The 10:00 pm service is the last of the night and special in its own way. The Good Shepherd Choir leads this service. There is more wiggle room at this later service which recently has welcomed 250 or so. Parking is available at Reid and Woodlawn for the services at 4:00 pm and 10:00 pm but not at the 6:00 pm service. 
• Parking is also available all night at the Appleby Library which can be entered through our own parking lot. 

Come and hear again the wonderful story of Jesus’ birth and of the good news he brings to all people. Our heartfelt worship of the newborn King be filled with joy and wonder and God give us all his grace in a new year.

- Robert +