Sun. Dec. 16, 2012 (Connie Siedler)

Connie Siedler focused on the gifts of Christmas, noting that the fragrant soaps, candy, and toys will eventually all be gone, regifted or returned. Advent is a season when God reminds us that his gift of Jesus has a lasting quality; a gift with no expiry date. Connie identified several gifts from God: the life Jesus brings us, the light shining in the darkness, Jesus as our brother, and the gift of grace and truth. Grace is a gift we don’t deserve, she said. In the Advent season we need to reflect on what we have and to give gifts that endure. In the response time it was noted that some of us listened to CBC en route to church and heard former PGIMF attendee Aiden Enns promote a “buy nothing Christmas” in response the rampant consumerism of the season. The stress of trying buy the “right” gift is a major frustration. The gifts we should be giving are gifts that last: love, joy, gratitude, our time and…. [HN]

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