The Pastor’s Piece for December 2024

“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’” Luke 2:8-14

Well, here we are! It’s good to be back in Marquette County during December! I love December for a variety of reasons, but mostly because of Christmas. I love the Christmas season for a lot of reasons…all of which are related to us receiving the greatest gift ever-that of our Savior’s birth. Someone once said that “the best gift is one that brings us together.” If you are like Amy and I you are knee deep in the gift acquisition process. You are making a list, checking it twice, and trying to figure out who has been naughty or nice! So that you can enjoy giving your loved ones and friends a gift that truly represents the heart of this season for you-one that will bring you closer together with them. Thinking of all this giving and receiving reminds of the time that three women started boasting about their sons. “What a Christmas I had last year,” exclaimed the first lady. My son, that wonderful boy, threw me a big party in a fancy restaurant. He even paid for plane tickets so my friends could join us. “That’s very nice, said the second lady but listen to this, “last winter, my son gave me an all-expenses paid cruise to the Greek Islands…first class even!” “That’s nothing,” interrupted the third, “for five years now, my son has been paying a psychiatrist $150 an hour, three times a week. And the whole time he talks about nothing except me!” Gifts come in all shapes and sizes and they carry various meanings for different people. Names are one of the most important gifts we receive in our lives. Some are blessed to be born and receive their names during the Christmas season! Parents-to-be spend some significant time selecting just the right names for their unborn children. There are dozens of “Baby Name” books and Internet sites to help with the selection. Moms and dads can scan through thousands of names to find the perfect one for their son or daughter. Some families carry on longstanding traditions of naming the firstborn after the father, mother or grandparents; others name a child after a favorite aunt or uncle. Whether they name the child in honor of a beloved relative or after a famous person, they do so in the hope that the child will come to embody the best qualities of his or her namesake. In the above verses from Luke’s gospel, the text describes the revealing of the baby Jesus as the promised Messiah. To call a person “Messiah” was equivalent to declaring that the era of the fulfillment of God’s promises was at hand. The name “Jesus” is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew name Joshua which literally means, “The Lord saves.” So just as Joshua embodied this name as he led God’s people into the promised land of Canaan, Jesus will embrace his name as he initiates a new era of salvation with the power of his resurrection that involves the free gift of salvation given to us through him to cleanse us from our sins and empower us to live fully as God’s people each day.   Jesus’ name would have resonated deeply with the folks of his day.  Those reading or hearing Luke’s text would have come away with raised expectations and a re-established hope of a new and dramatic action of God for the future of the world. This is the same hope we have today in our faith communities of Bethany-Negaunee and Emanuel-Skandia and in our individual families and larger community! And so, we approach Christmas through the lens of Advent-anticipating the coming of Jesus the Messiah (or Christ) as we gather together in worship and in ministry activities. During this wonderful season of giving and receiving, it is my prayer and hope that each of you experience deeper than ever before the wonderful gifts of Christmas this year as we consider what it means to come together as a community of faith sent out for the sake of the world! Merry Christmas! See you in church! +LLL