Bert Wilson

Every December, we hear the same familiar phrase repeated in conversations, commercials, and holiday cards: “Christmas is about spending time with family.”  Family gatherings are indeed precious, and I would never diminish their importance. But as a pastor, I believe that statement, while well-intentioned, misses the heart of the season. Family time is not the meaning of Christmas; it is a blessing that flows from it. The Christmas season invites us to recognize the many gifts God has placed...

I was working up firewood the other day — splitting rounds that had been cut and stacked awhile — when the thought hit me that sharing the Gospel isn’t all that different. Firewood doesn’t start out ready to warm a home. It comes in heavy, rough sections that look fine on the outside but aren’t much use until you put in some work. The same can be said for people. Most folks I meet already carry plenty of weight — past hurts, doubts, pride, fear — and while they may look solid on the outside,...

I turned 64 this fall, and I have kept 44 Advents as a pastor. Every year the season returns like an old, unflinching friend who refuses to let me lie to myself about the state of my soul. Advent is not a gentle ramp into Christmas. It is four weeks of deliberate darkness, a sanctuary built for telling the truth when every other voice in the culture is urging us to hurry up and feel merry. The nights grow longer, the year’s failures settle in the corners, and the church—stubborn old ark that...