The last month of the year 2014 is coming soon .  Around Thanksgiving and Christmas it's the time to remind ourselves of the importance of family because of the fact that we will gather with our families during this season more than any other time of the year.  Why is family so important to us? 

Good relationships with people, especially with our families, give us confidence and courage in challenging times and comfort in difficult times, and they generally allow us to be ourselves in most situations.  To know our own roots and connections is so important.

When we read the Bible, many parts of the scripture repeatedly mention the family line of Jesus Christ.  The first chapter of Matthew has all the details of the family line starting from Abraham, passing through David, and ending at Joseph, who is the husband of Mary.   But this is the family line of Jesus in human world, and we know that Jesus is the son of God in another aspect.

When we celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas, we might need to take some time to check whether we enjoy this time of year as the children of God and followers of Jesus Christ.   We should ask ourselves if we recognize Jesus Christ as our savior who was born to serve and sacrifice Himself on the cross for all our sins.  Maybe this is the reason when we celebrate and enjoy, but we also need to reflect and meditate the meaning of Jesus' birth as well.

I  hope during Thanksgiving, Advent, and Christmas, we will all have a good time with our families, friends, and neighbors, and reassure our identities as the children of God.  Our Sanctuary Choir will sing Christmas Cantata, The Incarnation, written by K. Lee Scott, on December 14 during worship service.  Its text in the final page says: "Jesus is our brother now, and God is all our own!"   And we say, Amen!