Christmas Message from Pastor John & Kimberley

Dear Congregation,

When Norwegian Fridtjof Nansen, the 1922 Nobel Peace Prize winner and renown scientist, was working to measure the depth of the ocean in the far north he used a long measuring line, but found it too short, making a notation in his logbook, “Deeper than that.” He did this several times all with the same result. Finally, he tied all his lines together and let them down, thinking surely this time he would find the bottom. However, his last notation in his logbook, was like the first, “deeper than that.” He finally had to give up. He left without knowing the depth of the ocean at that point except that it was deeper than any he’d ever known.

The story of Christmas, the sending of God’s beloved son, is a story where any measurement we might use to capture the love God has for us would need the notation, “deeper than that.” On Sunday, December 22, I baptizied three people, Xiao Yan (Angela) Xu, her son Allen, and Faith Asistido’s son Zamir Hezekiah. When I was talking with Allen about his baptism, we were discussing how Christ’s death and resurrection covered all the sins of those whom God calls to himself. Allen’s reaction was, “That’s so many!” He was amazed. We should all be amazed at the wonder and depth of God’s love.

Christmas is a time when we celebrate an immeasurable love sent to us as a free gift. And with this gift, no matter the depth of our difficulties. which we experienced in the past, or will in the future, Christmas is the assurance that God’s love will be “Deeper than that!”

Merry Christmas,

Pastor John and Kimberley