{"id":8231,"date":"2005-12-13T00:26:46","date_gmt":"2005-12-13T05:26:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.covchurch.org\/newswire\/?p=8231"},"modified":"2011-07-06T08:29:10","modified_gmt":"2011-07-06T13:29:10","slug":"4638","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.covchurch.org\/newswire\/2005\/12\/13\/4638\/","title":{"rendered":"Advent: Thanks for ‘Making the Trip’"},"content":{"rendered":"

By J. Paul Thompson<\/p>\n

MT. PROSPECT, IL (December 13, 2005)\u00a0 – Editor’s note: In preparation for\u00a0 the Christmas observance, Covenant Communications is sharing devotionals\u00a0 that originally appeared in local church newsletters. The following\u00a0 comes from pastor J. Paul Thompson of Northwest Covenant Church.<\/em><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Many people travel during December. While attending Wheaton College in\u00a0 Illinois, I traveled back and forth to Toronto, Ontario, a couple times\u00a0 during the school year. There was something special about traveling home\u00a0 for Christmas. There was always such a buzz at O’Hare Airport with so\u00a0 many people flying home for the holidays.<\/div>\n
The greatest distance anyone has ever traveled at Christmas was Jesus.\u00a0 Now I don’t want to get too theological over this point, discussing\u00a0 things like, “Where is heaven?” But the “gulf” that was bridged on this\u00a0 first Christmas was not just from Nazareth to Bethlehem (the distance\u00a0 Mary and Joseph traveled), but rather between the finite and the\u00a0 infinite. God, who created the entire universe, now entered into his\u00a0 creation. We cannot measure this distance. Even if we were able to build\u00a0 a bridge of infinite length, we would never be able to reach God. It is\u00a0 not a matter of distance – it is a totally different realm.<\/div>\n
A familiar Christmas hymn begins with these words: Thou didst leave\u00a0 Thy throne and Thy kingly crown when Thou camest to earth for me, but in\u00a0 Bethlehem’s home there was found no room for Thy holy nativity.<\/em><\/div>\n
Another hymn that speaks of bridging this great divide ends with this\u00a0 refrain: Out of the ivory palaces into a world of woe, only His\u00a0 great, eternal love made my Savior go.<\/em><\/div>\n
Whenever I would arrive home at Christmas, my parents would always say,\u00a0 “Thanks so much for traveling so far to be with us.” And I would always\u00a0 respond, “I wouldn’t have missed this for the world.” This Christmas\u00a0 don’t forget how great the love of God is that sent Jesus to earth so\u00a0 many years ago. Don’t forget to thank Him for “making the trip.” It was\u00a0 the greatest distance ever traveled. That’s how much God love you.<\/div>\n
(Editor’s note: to read earlier Advent messages, please see:<\/strong><\/div>\n