Are we missing the manger?

Advent is here, and our church is kicking off a new series called A Nativity Story. And yes—we’re bringing along a few fun characters each week until Christmas Eve (which, by the way, is on Wednesday, December 24th at 7 p.m. One service. Whole family. It’s going to be beautiful. Don’t miss it!).

But this week, something unexpected happened in our little Nativity video:
Gabriel the angel was… discouraged.

And honestly? I get it.

Gabriel remembers the glory days—skies splitting open, shepherds falling on their faces, wisemen chasing a star across continents. Back then, people noticed God.

But now?
Everyone in the house is scrolling, shopping, rushing, planning, wrapping, posting, and checking their phones like it’s an Olympic sport. (The average person checks 144 times a day, if you're counting… Gabriel sure is.)

In frustration he sighs, “They couldn’t hear an announcement from God even if I destroyed their Wi-Fi router.”
Relatable?

But then Mary steps in—calm, wise, steady Mary—and she says something that stops everything:

“Jesus doesn’t need a spotlight.
He only needs a manger.”

That line has been echoing in my heart all week.

Because God does sometimes thunder—like angels filling the night sky for shepherds who smelled like… well… shepherds.

But God also whispers—like He did to Elijah, speaking not in the wind, earthquake, or fire, but in a gentle, barely-there whisper that required leaning in to hear it.

And—this one is hard for us—
God waits.
God is not slow, God is patient. God doesn’t give up on distracted people or rushed hearts. God waits for us to look up.

And finally, God dwells.
The Word became flesh and moved into the neighbourhood—not into a palace or cathedral but into the simplest, most ordinary place possible: a manger.

The manger is the great equalizer—no VIP section, no prerequisites, no perfect life required.
If God is comfortable entering the world through a barn, God is comfortable entering your Monday morning, your messy kitchen, your imperfect faith.

Here’s the question Advent presses gently into our hurried hearts:

Are we missing the manger because we’re waiting for the spotlight?

Maybe God will thunder for you this season.
Maybe God will whisper.
Maybe He’ll invite you to wait.
Maybe He’ll meet you in the most ordinary moment of your day.

But God will meet you.

Because God is Emmanuel—God with us.
With us in the noise.
With us in the quiet.
With us in the joy.
With us in the ache.
With us in every breath between now and Christmas morning.

So this Advent, slow down just long enough to look toward the manger.
He doesn’t need a stage—just a little space in your heart.

God with us. Always.

As we wait

The Christmas season seems to begin earlier and earlier every year, doesn’t it? It’s not unusual now to see Halloween costumes and Christmas trees side by side in the same store! But of course, that’s the retail world.

In the Christian calendar, November 30 marks the first Sunday of Advent in 2025. Advent is a season of preparation—a very different kind of preparation than what the stores offer. The word advent comes from the Latin adventus, meaning “coming” or “arrival.” It is a time set apart for us to focus on the coming of Jesus, our Messiah and King.

It’s so easy to get swept up in the busyness of the season, especially with the pressure of Black Friday deals. I feel it too! Even though the sales seem to run for weeks, I still feel that tug of not wanting to miss out. And in all of that, I sometimes wonder if we ever get a chance to slow down long enough to prepare our hearts—to truly make room for our Saviour. That, after all, is the whole purpose of Advent.

I know how hard it can be to carve out quiet space in this season… and even when we do, we’re not always sure where to begin. So if you can find just a little time, let me offer a resource to help you along the way.

This Sunday, as we begin our new Advent sermon series, A Nativity Story, we will also be providing a Family Devotional for you to pick up at the church. It includes reflections on the sermons, discussion questions, and simple activities for both the young and the young at heart. My prayer is that these reflections will help you pause, pray, and draw closer to Christ in fresh and meaningful ways this Advent.

Please join us this Sunday as we begin A Nativity Story, a journey that will carry us right through to Christmas Eve.
Our Christmas Eve Service will be held on December 24th at 7 p.m. We would love for you to be there.

May Christ become even more precious to you during this beautiful season.

When you've lost your spark ( and how to get it back)

Ever feel like your spiritual spark has fizzled a bit? Like you used to be on fire for God, hearing His voice, sensing His presence everywhere—and now, well… not so much?

You’re not alone. Life gets noisy. The world feels a little topsy-turvy (okay, a lot), and somewhere between the bad news, busy schedules, and endless scrolling, we can lose that deep-down enthusiasm that once made our faith feel alive.

There’s a word I love—enthusiasm.
It comes from the Greek en theos, which literally means “in God.”
That’s where true enthusiasm comes from—not from caffeine, not from good vibes, not even from motivational quotes—but from being in God.

When David ran into battle against Goliath, it wasn’t because he was overconfident—it was because he was en theos.Filled with God. He trusted God daily, walked with God daily, and worshiped God daily.

And that’s the key word—daily.

But somewhere along the line, David lost that spark. He got comfortable. Distracted. Complacent. Sound familiar? (Been there, done that, have the “I skipped my quiet time” mug to prove it.)

The good news? David found his way back. He prayed, “Restore to me the joy of your salvation.” (Psalm 51:12)

That’s the prayer I whisper when I realize my heart has drifted—“Lord, restore my joy. Bring back my spark.”

So how do we get that spiritual enthusiasm back?
We go back to doing what we did at first.
We walk with God daily.
We trust Him daily.
We worship Him daily.

It’s not about mustering up fake excitement—it’s about letting God refill what life has drained.

And here’s the beautiful part: when your heart is “in God,” even ordinary moments—washing dishes, working, caring for others—become sacred.

So maybe today, instead of waiting to feel enthusiastic, we choose to be enthusiastic… in God.
Because the joy of the Lord really is our strength—and that’s something the world can’t take away.