| "The best Christmas Program ever!" Those are the words I heard several times after worship this past weekend, from both long time members of Our Savior and visitors. As one of our long time members said, "We've always had great Christmas programs with our children, but this was the best!" And having "baby Jesus" (1 month old, Janson William Smith) asleep in the manger, a true picture of peace on earth, for the rest of the service following the children's telling of the Christmas story (especially as people came forward and walked past him for communion) made it all the more meaningful. A full length video of the program is available for viewing on our website! Use the link at the bottom of this e-mail! I'm thinking that part of the reason this was such a special service is that we gathered just a couple days after that horrendous, unthinkable evil that was unleashed in that elementary school in Connecticut last Friday. We truly needed to hear a Word of hope, of comfort, of peace. We needed to hear a Word that is stronger than the forces of darkness and death. And for our children to share that Word with us in the telling of the Christmas story, made it all the more meaningful and powerful. Listen to the words of our communion liturgy during these days of Advent and how especially meaningful they were this past weekend, "Holy God, the Beginning and the End, our Salvation and our Hope, we praise you for creating a world of order and beauty. When we brought on chaos, cruelty and despair...your Son Jesus came to bring us your love and to heal all the suffering world." All we can say is, "Come, Lord Jesus." And so we came together, and continue to come together, to worship, to gather around that Word made flesh who came to dwell among us and bring us God's Light and Truth and Love. At this time of the year, as Christians of all denominations and traditions gather around this Christ Child, may He find a home in our hearts and lives and communities and disperse the darkness that would do it's best to swallow us up. Come, Lord Jesus, as we continue to work and pray for those families in Connecticut, for solutions to unleashed evil, and mental illness, to guns getting into the hands of people like that, and more. "What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it." John 1:4-5 See you in church. Pastor Jack Diehl + Online Video of the Sunday School Program  |
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