The following was in the Pastor’s Newsletter from the Trinity Wesleyan Church, Central, SC on December 10, 2008. Senior Pastor, Don Milstead, is the author.

It happened this past Sunday night.  You will recall that my message was on the subject, “Christmas has a Name and a Face.”  The main point being that if we’re looking for Jesus, He may show up in an unlikely place and perhaps not even dressed in a way that would make Him easily recognized.  Anyway, I stressed to you that He will come and we had better be on the lookout for him.

     To illustrate the point, I told you about a street lady who happened to drop in on a church one evening.  It seems this poor lady was traveling from Michigan to Florida on her bicycle to find some warmer weather.  Her bicycle chain broke and she made her way to the church for help.  Well, that church was very busy with “church matters” and all but ignored this desperate lady.  Finally, someone reluctantly offered to help her probably just to get her out of the way so that they could continue on with “church business.” Her presence made them all feel very uncomfortable. It seems this encounter illustrated how the mission of the church has been sidetracked for lesser issues than caring for the needy.

     I stressed again how Jesus would be coming to us this Christmas in various forms and fashions.  Those of you who were present Sunday evening know full well what happened next just as the service was dismissed.  Perhaps it was an “angel unaware” or perhaps it was Jesus Himself, but in off the street walked a bag lady named Sarah! (Not her real name.)  I have since heard that some people thought I staged this visit just to make my point clearer.  Nothing could be further from the truth!  I had never laid eyes on this lady until Sunday night.

     I talked with Sarah in the church foyer and found out that she had been on the road for two years having come from Texas.  Her children and her husband were all dead and it was apparent she really didn’t want to talk about them.  She was looking for a ride to Liberty to visit the Employment Office.  However, this was Sunday night and the office didn’t reopen until Monday morning.  I asked Sarah where she intended to spend the night.  She answered, “On the street.”  Upon hearing that, I made arrangements for her to spend the night at the Clemson Motel at church expense.  Bud and Gayle Sexton went by Monday morning and took her to Liberty.  Thank you!

     While I was talking to her in the church foyer, some of you came up to me and handed me some money for Sarah.  Thank you!  But may I ask, what did you do?  Did you speak to her?  Did you extend your hand and a warm smile to Sarah? Did she make you feel a bit uncomfortable?  Could it be that many missed a “Jesus encounter” Sunday night?  Could it be that Christmas walked right into the foyer of our church in the person of a bag lady and we missed it or ignored it?  Did some people look at Sarah and think, “Oh, well, we’ll let the pastor handle this one.”  Did some of our people leave the church saying to themselves, “That was a really nice sermon, especially the part about that woman on her bicycle,” and then forget the point of the message even by the time they reached the foyer and came face to face with this bag lady?

      I took Sarah to the motel and talked to her about Jesus and Christmas.  She said she never celebrated Christmas.  Wonder why?  She said she had a Bible and read it occasionally.  I gave her something to read about how to come to Christ by faith.  We embraced (to my surprise she didn’t smell bad) and then I left. Christmas does have a name and a face. This time it was a tired, weather-beaten bag lady named Sarah.  Who will it be next?  More importantly, will we be ready to embrace him or her whenever they appear?  Two thousand years ago many missed Jesus because He didn’t fit into their pre-conceived Messiah mold.  I pray none of us will repeat that tragic mistake! 

     I won’t soon forget last Sunday night at Trinity Wesleyan when a bag lady gave us a sobering reminder of what’s really important at Christmas and all year long. Merry Christmas, Sarah!

                                                                                                  -Pastor Don