Newton Presbyterian Manor
Christmas Devotional By Greg Schmidt
DECEMBER 2022
Pastor Appreciation Breakfast On Thursday, October 27, residents enjoyed an opportunity to invite their local and area pastor(s) to join them in our first Pastor Appreciation Breakfast! The event was held in the main dining room as a part of Clergy Appreciation Month. Participants were residents who had personally invited their pastors to come to the event. In all, 11 pastors joined more than 40 residents for breakfast! A devotional was shared by Chaplain Greg and a “Prayer of Blessing” offered by the residents to their pastor(s). Individual congregations were honored by placing a placard with the church’s name on a table and having the pastor and their parishioners sit together to fellowship with one another throughout the hour-long event. Chaplain Greg and his wife, Marguerite, provided a basket of treats that went along with a story about ministry that was shared with participating pastors. Heart & Soul Hospice offered a special gift bag and Chaplain Greg, the Chaplain of Heart & Soul Hospice, offered informational insights as to the nature of our Hospice, as a part of the continuum of care offered to residents at Newton Presbyterian Manor. It was announced that the NPM Spiritual Life Committee purchased Gideon Bibles that would be placed in local/area hotels and motels in honor of the 52 pastors who serve our residents and their congregations in Newton, surrounding communities and in other states! Sarah Juhl and her entire dining team were honored for their delicious contributions to the breakfast! u
When my three boys were little, we looked forward to participating in our church’s Christmas Eve program and then racing home to open presents! We lived only a block from the church, so as soon as the “Amen!” was offered, the boys would sprint to Greg Schmidt the house rather than mess around waiting for their pastor-father and gracious mother to say, “Merry Christmas!” to all the parishioners who had attended the service and drive the car home. As if they hadn’t already shaken them a thousand times trying to guess what was inside of them, the boys couldn’t wait to rip away the beautifully and carefully wrapped packages containing what my wife and I hoped would be exactly what they wanted. We seldom missed the target. It wasn’t until the oldest two were in their early 20s that we began hearing, “Um, did you keep the receipt?” and we knew it wasn’t quite what they were hoping for. But that’s a story for another article! I wonder sometimes if God contemplated the excitement that would be generated with one special gift? Or did He, like us, get concerned with whether the gift would be accepted? Cherished? Used? The present and presence of Jesus continues to shock me. Why would He leave the perfect throne room of heaven to identify with the grit and grime of my world? Why would He allow his mind and character to be soiled with our self-serving, perverted way of thinking or to be forced to communicate with our ridiculous and often confusing ways of thinking and talking?
Pastors’ appreciation breakfast
Chaplain – continued on page 3
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