“Don’t regift.”

It is one of those unwritten rules of Christmas etiquette. If someone takes the time to pick out a present just for you, you probably shouldn’t wrap it again and pass it along to someone else.

Unless, of course, we’re talking about the greatest Christmas gift ever given.

Christianity is built upon regifting.

God gave us the gift of his Son. We did not earn this gift. We did not purchase it. We simply received it. And from the very beginning, followers of Jesus understood that a gift this wonderful was never meant to stay wrapped up and hidden away.

It was meant to be shared.

For 150 years, the people of St. John’s have received gifts from those who came before us: gifts of faith, sacrifice, generosity, and love. We worship in a church built by others. We sing hymns taught by others. We tell stories of Jesus that were first shared with us by others.

Now it is our turn to regift.

This Sunday, July 12, we celebrate Christmas in July. During our 9:30 AM worship, we will sing the carols, hear the familiar words of Scripture, and celebrate again the greatest gift ever given: Jesus Christ. We also invite you to bring an unwrapped toy as we partner with Toys for Tots to share a little Christmas joy with children in need.

The child who receives your gift may never know your name. They may never know our congregation. But they will know someone cared. And maybe that’s the best kind of regifting after all.

Blessings,

Pastor Marc