Our church is studying about “all things” this Christmas season, which comes from chapter 8 of Romans where Paul reminds us in verse 28 that God works all things together for good. Isn’t it great when some setback in your life teaches you a lesson that ultimately enriches your whole existence? 

If you attend Bay Area for any amount of time, you will pick up phrases and themes that stay with you. One phrase that is sealed in my mind is “no one walks alone.” This was the theme of a sermon series a number of years ago and it was memorable to me because at the time I was not able to receive it.

In September I spent time pondering what the Lord would want to say to us this Christmas season. My mind was on the reality that our world seems to be spinning out of control: hurricane Ida, wildfires in California, COVID variants, Afghanistan, terrorism, $28T in national debt, racial justice issues, an ever-widening political divide, environmental issues, inflation -the list goes on. Then add health issues like the rise of mental health, substance abuse, cancer and heart disease. The inevitable conclusion is that everything seems to be out of control.