Winter’s dreary days drag a gray blanket over the cold world. Spirits plunge along with thermometers’ mercury. Bare branches, brown grass, and pale skin long for the sultry stroke of sunshine. Instead, the chill of February rain makes winter blues fade to black.

Then four mystical, marvelous, miraculous words declare: “Pitchers and catchers report!”

The magical incantation causes Old Man Winter to vanish into thin air. Suddenly, the light pierces the clouds with golden streams of promise. Morning temperatures receive an early wakeup call from spring. Branches bud, lawns green, and the sun shines.

Winter does not officially end until March 21. However, an early harbinger of warmer days arrives with the advent of baseball’s Spring Training.

The American and National League teams practice in the sunny climes of Florida and Arizona in preparation for Opening Day. Pitchers and catchers arrive first to warm up their arms after the off-season hiatus.

John Fogarty, former lead singer of Creedence Clearwater Revival, wrote a baseball anthem entitled Centerfield.  The rock beat declares:

Well, beat the drum and hold the phone—the sun came out today!

We’re born again, there’s new grass on the field.

A-rounding third and headed for home, it’s a brown-eyed handsome man;

Anyone can understand the way I feel.

Then the chorus expresses a sentiment that any child of the game intuitively understands:

Oh, put me in coach, I’m ready to play today.

Put me in coach, I’m ready to play today.

Look at me, I can be, centerfield!

The calendar says its mid-February, but I smell worn leather, cut grass, and hotdogs. The Boys of Summer are back, and spring cannot be far behind!

Author’s note: I wrote this blog several weeks ago when I assumed that owners and players would act like adults and reach an agreement. I obviously overestimated the parties’ abilities to negotiate in good faith. I hope that the words “Play ball” echo in the air soon.

Northside Church quit passing offering plates during the pandemic. Studies later revealed that COVID-19 spreads mainly through airborne particles; but the virus can survive on surfaces for hours. Therefore, the worship team delayed the reinstitution of the venerable offering plate.  

Congregants learned to give in other ways. The church emphasized online donations, automatic bank transfers, and electronic checks. People used their omnipresent phones for text giving. We placed lock boxes in the lobbies for those who brought donations to church. Members gave generously in a wide variety of ways, and Northside finished the past two years with financial surpluses.  

This winter we plan to reintroduce passing offering plates in worship. Most people will continue to give digitally, and we encourage the practice. The physical act of collecting an offering transcends the financial. The practice reminds believers that our tithes and offerings serve as tokens of discipleship.

Northside encourages children to attend worship with their families and church family. Boys and girls LOVE the offering and beg their parents for cash. They relish the opportunity to drop coins and bills into the plates. The students grasp the plate firmly and pass it reluctantly. They are learning what it means to be stewards of God’s riches.

Christians have discovered new ways to give, and offering plates may seem passé. However, worship ritual shapes personal faith. The church recognizes the giver’s need to give and the church’s need to receive. God’s children of all ages learn how to love the Lord with heart, soul, mind, strength, AND money.

Ronnie Lichens and I attended Wadsworth Elementary together. He played baseball for the dreaded White Sox, and I belonged to the Red Sox. Despite our on-field rivalry, we became good friends.

Ronnie introduced me to the world of coin collecting. He displayed his collection in blue folders with precut slots. Reference books cataloged the value of the different coins. He talked about dates, engravings, mint stamps, double casts, wheatie pennies, and Indian head nickels.

I began my own collection, starting small and building slowly. I bought Whitman trifold folders with slots marked for the appropriate coins. Ordinary change became filled with extraordinary possibilities.

Like most boyhood enthusiasms, my new hobby lasted about a year before other pursuits garnered my attention. The half-finished coin collection got shoved into the back of drawers and closets.

Today I still possess a handful of the older coins preserved in plastic tubes. I have no clue about their monetary worth. The memories, on the other hand, remain invaluable. The notion that something possessed worth beyond its face value appealed to me. Even as a child, I intuitively sensed this discovery held some greater, universal truth.

Only later would my theological understanding of God mature to a point that I understood this important lesson. We view others through human eyes, and oftentimes we sinfully dismiss people as empty of worth and value. God views each of us through the eyes of love. The Lord deems us worth the greatest price of all: God’s Son.

Others may judge us by our looks, intelligence, talents, or assets. The world assigns a price tag to our value. In our Heavenly Father’s eyes, however, we are a rare and matchless find.

We are priceless.

Northside Church’s yearlong theme for 2022 is entitled Route 66. The journey will explore the authority and relevance of Scripture in our lives.

Beginning on Monday, January 31, the congregation is invited to read the New Testament together. It takes about 5 minutes to read 1 chapter in the Bible. By reading 1 chapter a day, 6 days a week, we can complete the entire New Testament by Thanksgiving week!

You don’t have to be a member of the congregation to join us on the journey. A printed brochure with the reading plan is available at the church. The details are posted on the church website at http://www.northsideumc.org. Those signed up for our Northside Weekday Devotionals will receive the daily readings by email.

Many English translations of the Bible exist, and I encourage believers to find a version that makes sense to them. I personally prefer The New International Version that I use in preaching and teaching. The Common English Bible debuted in 2011, and it provides a contemporary, accessible translation.

In addition to printed Bibles, consider adding a digital version to your electronic devices. This enables Christians to access the Scriptures everywhere. I recommend the youversion app, which offers a number of free translations of the Bible. It will even read passages out loud!

Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 3:16-17: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of Godmay be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Let us take a life-changing trip down Route 66!

Bishop Joel McDavid ordained me as an elder in the North Georgia Annual Conference on June 11, 1984. A photograph captured the Class of ’84 standing on the front steps of Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church. Twenty-seven men and women of diverse ages and ethnicities comprised the group.

This year I discovered the black and white picture in my files. Other than an afro hairstyle and bushy mustache, 2022 Bill Burch strongly resembles the 1984 version. Of course, I occasionally lie to myself.

Twenty-seven pastors began the journey of ordained ministry together. I scanned the faces and read the names of the clergy. I recall most of the people, but some memories have faded like a sepia photograph.

I’m uncertain what happened to a handful of my colleagues. Most retired over the past years. A few tragically died along the way. To the best of my knowledge, only two of us remain in active ministry thirty-eight years later.

The caption under the photograph reads:

“Under the providence of Almighty God and in recognition of His Eternal Glory, I, a bishop of The United Methodist Church, and several elders, have, by the imposition of our hands and by prayer set these apart for the work of an Elder, to read the Holy Scriptures in the Church of God, to preach the word of God, and to administer the Holy Sacraments in the congregation, so long as they continue to be faithful servants of Jesus Christ and adhere to and teach the Gospel of our Lord and the doctrine of the Church.”

Here’s to the Class of ’84 along with my fellow clergy both present and absent.

Paul encouraged the church in Romans 12:12, “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” The verse has inspired my soul during the holidays and into the New Year.

“Rejoice in hope.” Paul reveals a vital connection between the attributes of joy and hope. Christians rejoice in the present because of our hope for the future. The Holy Spirit exhorts my soul with a two-word refrain, “Choose joy!” Christians possess an eternal perspective that enables us to claim Frederick Buechner’s reminder, “Resurrection means that the worst thing is never the last thing.”

“Be patient in tribulation.” A meme on a clergy site declared, ‘Being a pastor is easy. It’s like riding a bike. Except the bike is on fire. You are on fire. And the committee for fire suppression needs a quorum!” Everyone faces troubles and trials. Patience recognizes that this too shall pass.  In the interim, we listen for God’s voice in the midst of the storm and in the aftermath of the stillness.

“Be constant in prayer.” Constancy means spending specific times and all times in God’s presence. Devotional discipline sets aside daily times and places for divine appointments. However, sanctified spirits experience the Holy Spirit’s presence in every time and place.

Join me in committing Romans 12:12 to memory. Recite the verse as a devotional aid. Repeat the words as a breath prayer. Claim the passage every moment of the day and night.  

Joy. Hope. Patience. Tribulation. Constancy. Prayer. Here, we find God, and God finds us.

Join us for worship at Northside Church as we celebrate Christ’s coming into the world!

The Christmas Experience returns for a second year on Thursday, December 23. Children of all ages will enjoy a family-focused experience with animals, cookies, hot cocoa/coffee, carolers, a Nativity Scene, Holy Communion and worship.

We will offer six in-person Christmas Eve Services on Friday, December 24, including:

• Traditional Services (Sanctuary)                              12:00, 2:00, 4:00, & 6:00
• Contemporary Services (Faith & Arts Center)           3:00 & 5:00

You can join us both onsite and online. The 12:00, 3:00, and 6:00 services will be live-streamed. Also, the recordings will be archived for those who want to watch them later on the church’s website.

Registration is required for both the Christmas Experience and the Christmas Eve Services at  www.NorthsideUMC.org/Christmas. In order to safeguard everyone’s health, seating is limited, and some services may be sold out.

During this holiest of seasons, “O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord!”

The Church of the Nativity marks the traditional site of Jesus’ birth. When Emperor Constantine of Rome became a Christian in the 4^th century, his mother, Helena, visited the Holy Land. She commissioned a number of basilicas (churches) to be built over sacred sites, including the Church of the Nativity.

“O little town of Bethlehem” is not so little anymore. The population of 25,000 hosts 2 million tourists annually. Figures of celestial beings, stars, and shepherds fill the small city a few miles south of Jerusalem.

Commerce rules at Manger Square where merchants prey on religious pilgrims. Tourists can purchase postcards, scarves, crosses, mangers, angels, camels, and more. Forests of carved olive wood figures fill the stores’ shelves. If a herald angel appeared today, no one would hear the natal news above the din of engines, horns, and crowds.

The basilica’s low entrance causes congregations to duck. Church officials lowered the entrance to prevent people from riding horses, camels, and donkeys into the building. The trivia tickled my sense of humor; but it felt fitting to humbly bow while entering the ancient sanctuary.

The Church of the Nativity precariously balances sacred and secular, grandeur and gaudy, touching and tacky. Crimson glass-blown balls hang from the ceilings and cloying incense perfumes the air. In an odd anachronism, energy-saving, curly florescent bulbs provide modern light from ancient fixtures.

Forget Christmas card, manger scenes complete with barn and stable—Jesus’ birth probably occurred in a cave. A stairwell descends to a small grotto guarded by a priest. A 14-point silver star beneath an altar marks the traditional site of Jesus’ birth.

I have visited the Church of the Nativity several times and always felt underwhelmed. The ornate setting of the nativity feels like a visual oxymoron—the humble scene of Jesus’ birth overlaid with gilded with glitter and glitz.   

I prefer the Shepherd’s Fields south of town. A peaceful garden overlooks the green slopes ascending to Bethlehem. In the foreground, shepherds tend their flocks as their ancestors did millennia ago. The simple scene reflects the Biblical story of Jesus’ birth much more than the bustling business of Bethlehem.

For those with ears to hear, the angelic message still echoes over the plains. “Good news . . . great joy . . . for all people . . . born to us today . . . a Savior . . . Christ . . . the Lord.”

Like the shepherds, may we say to one another, “Let us go see this thing which the Lord has done.”

People debate the official start of the holiday season. Retailers introduce ads in the early fall. Traditionalists wait until the Friday after Thanksgiving. Religious precisionists insist December 25^th introduces the Twelve Days of Christmas.

Growing up in Georgia, I knew that the holidays began on Thanksgiving night at 7:28 p.m. when Rich’s lighted the Great Tree in downtown Atlanta.

Rich’s glowed bright with magic and imagination in December. The multistory emporium doubled as Santa’s southern workshop. The storefront windows and department store counters contained childhood’s dreams. A native grown pine crowned the building with basketball-sized ornaments and brightly colored lights.

Each December my family made our annual holiday pilgrimage to Rich’s. My sister and I craned our necks to be the first to spot the Great Tree. After parking in a covered deck, we crossed the seven-story bridge spanning Forsyth Street.

The Rich’s bakery produced delectable treats. The glass shelves groaned under the weight of glazed donuts, frosted cookies, pralines, fruitcakes, pecan pies, chocolate drops, candied apples, toffee, and caramel.

My mother loved the fruit bars. My father and sister stuck to the chocolate eclairs. I preferred the rainbow selection of candy fruit slices.

Santa Claus resided on the top floor of the department store. Bolstered by a sugar high, we joined a long line meandering through the carpet department. After a two-hour wait, the final turn revealed the BIG MAN himself, clothed in red velvet and ivory fur. Naughty and nice children spent one minute rapidly reciting their Christmas wishes. A bright flash and exchange of cash preserved photographic memories.

Another line filed past Santa’s live reindeer. Nameplates identified the eight creatures who pulled the flying sleigh. Then we ascended to the roof where the Pink Pig ruled in all of its mechanical glory.

The elevated train sported hot pink cars named Priscilla and Percival with porcine faces and curly tails. It originally hung from the ceiling over the Toy Department before rumbling and rattling around Rich’s roof. Even small children felt cramped in the cage-like compartments.

For children of my era, the ride felt magical. A polar express to the North Pole could not have been any more enchanting. The next day at school I proudly wore my “I Rode the Pink Pig!” sticker as a pink badge of courage.

The years have passed with Christmases come and gone. After the demolition of the downtown store, the Great Tree relocated to Lenox Square in 2000.

The original Pink Pig moved to the Festival of Trees at the Atlanta World Congress. Then it retired to a sty of honor at the Atlanta History Center. In 2003, Macy’s reinvented the ride at its Lenox Square location. This fall the store announced Priscilla’s latest retirement from the Atlanta cityscape.

I fondly recall childhood’s holiday memories. Today our family enjoys its own Christmas traditions. We are “making memories” for our children and grandchild that will always remain a part of their lives. If they remember the past with the same sense of wonder and warmth that their father enjoys, then I’ll be tickled pink.

I watch the morning news while getting ready for work. Despite years of loyal viewership, WSB never solicits my opinions. IM always HO, they need to hear the following comments.

I just woke up and possess little tolerance for silliness and banter. Deliver the news, not zany antics and caffeinated comments.

The five-day forecast provides all the weather info I need. Post the graphic for 20 seconds, and I’m good to go. Don’t breathlessly tease important details to be delivered ten minutes later.

Meteorologists who take credit or blame for the weather possess a God-complex. Don’t assign adjectives to climate. Never judge a day by its weather.

The traffic reporter issuing a forecast for afternoon road congestion is absurd. First, s/he doesn’t know. Second, it’s Atlanta–traffic will be heavy!

Abstain from saying “Good morning” to each member of the news crew during every segment. We assume you exchanged greetings upon arrival. 

Refrain from bragging about your news coverage. Viewers can figure it out for themselves.

Avoid overused words and phrases like “actually,” “literally,” “exclusive,” “breaking news,” and “ongoing story.” Make sure nouns and verbs agree. Learn how to use comparatives, superlatives, and absolutes.

Use “police officers” or “law enforcement personnel” instead of “cops.” They deserve our respect.

Don’t air video preceded with the words, “This is difficult to watch.”

This is Bill Burch reporting live from my Word Press blog site.