The Christmas Story In Verse

The Christmas Story In Verse by Ralph E. Dinger

In the days of Augustus, who was Caesar that year,

A decree was sent out to towns far and near,

That all over the world the people must go

To the place of their fathers their faces to show.

So Joseph, the carpenter, from Nazareth town,

Located in Galilee (of little renown),

Took Mary, the Virgin, so meek and so mild,

Who now was quite burdened with Heavenly Child,

And went to Judea—to Bethlehem town

To tell who he was and write his name down.

While they were in Bethlehem, something took place

That showed all most clearly the extent of God’s grace.

Mary, the Virgin, gave birth to a Son—

Her firstborn—the promised Messiah had come!

On that blessed night, in fields near the town,

To certain poor shepherds and angel came down.

A light shown around, making night seem like day.

The shepherds were frightened, and filled with dismay.

But the angel spoke kindly, “Fear not, for behold,

I bring you good tidings that have long been foretold.”

“In Bethlehem town, which is not far away,

Your Savior from sin was born on this day.

By this sign you will know that you’ve found the Christ—Child,

He lies in a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes mild.”

Then all of a sudden, a host dressed in white,

Appeared out of heaven—What a glorious sight!

They joined in this song:”To God highest glory,

And peace among men who have faith in this story.”

When the angels were gone into heaven again,

The shepherds said “Brethren, we cannot remain.”

They hurried to Bethlehem in search of the Child,

And found Him with Joseph and Mary so mild,

On straw, in a manger, in swaddling clothes bound,

As the angel had promised, so they had found.

And when they had witnessed the blessed event,

The shepherds proclaimed it wherever they went.

The told all they knew of the wonderful Child,

The angels, And Joseph, and Mary so mild.

The people who heard what the shepherds did say,

Wondered and marveled at the news of that day.

But Mary, the mother, kept all in her heart,

Thanking the Father for her special part.

The shepherds returned to their fields that same night,

Praising their God for the wonderful sight.

And now that we’ve heard of that blessed event,

We know that the Father our Savior has sent.

Trusting in Him our sins are forgiven,

And we, by God’s grade, now live in heaven.

Good news such as this we’re eager to spread,

About God’s dear Son, born in rude manger bed.

So tell all your neighbors, those far and those near,

That Jesus, the Savior from sin, now is here!

Ralph E. Dinger

December 26, 1965

Shout and Be Glad!

Zechariah 2:10“Shout and be glad, O Daughter of Zion. For I am coming, and I will live among you,” declares the LORD.

One of my favorite Christmas time movies is “Christmas Vacation.”  There are some very special scenes that will always get a laugh out of me.  And one scene that I, and anyone who has had a large group of family members come visit for the holidays, can relate to is the scene where the doorbell rings announcing the arrival of the relatives.  It rings once at the normal doorbell tone.  And then again, at a slightly lower and more ominous sounding tone.  And then again, lowering in tone.  Even more ominous than before  Finally the door is opened and there are the relatives, arguing away about some trivial thing like where to park the cars.  I find it to be a very funny scene.  The underlying dread the Griswold family characters have for the impending arrival of the relatives is fully realized. 

How differently we await Christmas Day when we celebrate the birth of our Savior than the Griswold’s await their family’s arrival.  We await with joy.  We celebrate in a number of different ways.  As we have seen in our Advent services over the years at Grace.  We learned how Christmas is prepared for and celebrated in Sweden and Germany.  We heard of the legend of St Lucia, and of Tomte the Christmas gnome.  I still chuckle over the little Ole and the kidnapping of Jesus’ Mother joke.  These are the warm memories that were shared with our congregation.  This is how they prepare and celebrate with shouts of joy. 

The arrival of the Savior is so different than when relatives come to visit.  It is certainly not something for us to dread.  And I wonder if we make it an occasion to dread with our own traditions.  We heap so many expectations upon ourselves.  Think about all the planning of activities, shopping for gifts, decorating the inside and outside of our houses, wrapping gifts, writing and mailing Christmas cards, attending so many social functions.  The list gets bigger and bigger every year.  Need I go on?  Our busy-ness can literally suck the life out of our holiday spirit.  It can kill our joy!   We shout, but only with frustration.  And yet, that is not what the Advent season is all about.  We are beginning the new year for the church.  We are eagerly awaiting that most precious of days, the day we celebrate the birthday of Jesus!  This is the time when our worship can become filled with joy and anticipation.  It can be a time of great reflection.  It can, and should be a time of intense gratitude for the gift we were given in that manager in Bethlehem.  The Son of God, born of a virgin.  The King of the Jews who was born in a lowly manger.  The Savior of all mankind placed in swaddling clothes.  And yet, we dread this time of year.  Maybe it is time to take a fresh look at what we are going about and doing in preparation for Christmas.  Truly it is to be a time of celebration, reflection and shouts of joy.  After all it is not every day that we celebrate the arrival of the most precious of infants.  Happy Birthday Jesus!

PRAYER:  Lord God, heavenly Father, create in us a glad heart.  Move us with your spirit to welcome the wonder of this season.  Help us to sort out the wheat from the chaff in our lives as we approach the celebration of Christmas.  Help us O God to remember to shout with joy.  This we ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.

We Rejoice In The Hope Of The Glory Of God

Romans 5: 1-2 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

Have you ever hoped to gain access to something, but were not able to?  It may be something like the most awesome concert of the decade, the opening night of a blockbuster movie.  Or it could have been the hot night spot in town.  Okay maybe in some town other than Pocatello, Idaho.  You may have stood in line for hours only to find that it was already sold out, or were not able to allowed inside the door.  I’ll bet you were more than a little disappointed.   

We live in a society where having access to something exclusive is considered important.  It gives us a desired status in our community.  It elevates us above those who merely hope to get inside.  In these situations there is always some standard that has to be met to be admitted.  The people in charge of some of these settings raise the bar pretty high in order to exclude those who in their view are “undesirables”.   Unless you are a bona fide “celebrity”, do not even show up at the door.  

  

When you contrast that with the Romans 5 passage above, how different a life in Christ can be to life in the fast lane.  A life in Christ is not about belonging to an exclusive club.  God does not want us standing in line in some vain hope of gaining access to His Glory.  Rather, he wants us to gain access.  What’s more, He promises us access.  He gives us a ticket for entry by giving us the faith we need.  He does not hold out these tickets for only a select few.  His desire is for all of us to be there with Him.  So, our life in Christ is a life of hope based upon the promise of God.  It just does not get any better than that. Yes, friends of the Savior, a life in Christ means you are part of an inclusive club.  And after all, isn’t that a better club to belong to?

PRAYER:  Father in heaven, we are truly blessed by Your enduring love.  We are humbled by Your grace.  We stand in awe of the magnitude of Your love for us.  Help us as we reach out in love to others who are lost.  Guide our efforts so that Your glory may be seen in our humble efforts.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.

Let’s Go To Bethlehem And See

Luke 2:15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

How many times have you heard the words “seeing is believing?” I cannot count the number of times I have heard this phrase. And I like to see the evidence. Show me the money as the saying goes. A photo is good, and video is better. If I do not see something, there can be an element of doubt which will creep in and nag at me.

The problem with being a Christian is we must have faith in something we can only read about, pray about, but have not witnessed with our own eyes. Left to ourselves, we would continue to have doubt. And where doubt creeps in, faith can struggle and/or be lost. So how do we keep the faith? We have faith which is given to us freely by God the Father. His Holy Spirit fills us to overflowing. And it seems that we do whatever we can to drain that faith out from ourselves. Okay, that covers us, but what about others we know? Do you suppose they have the same thing going on in their lives? My guess is that we are not alone. So, what can we do about this problem? I have this idea that I want to share with you. It is simple, yet it also requires a leap of faith. I want you to do just as the Shepherds did. Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened. I would love to do that in a literal sense but that is not practical for all of us. What we can do to carry out this suggestion is to invite someone you know to go with you to Christmas Eve service at you house of worship. I do not mean as a blanket invitation. I mean as a focused, directed, personal one-on-one invitation. If each and every one of us were to take that leap of faith and ask someone in our lives to go to church with us, just think of what could happen. We offer an opportunity for others to hear the word of God with a friend at their side. We offer God the opportunity to use us to reach out in love to others. And we remove a huge barrier that keeps many from going to worship services. We take away the fear of being alone in a strange place. We give them the comfort of our friendship and companionship at a time when they may need it most. We open doors to a life that may have been closed or forgotten. We let the Holy Spirit have an opportunity to fill their hearts. A general appeal usually falls on deaf ears. But a personal one-on-one invitation can move mountains. Let us all take the time to share our Christmas Eve with someone. “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

PRAYER: Father in Heaven we are asking for Your blessings on our efforts to reach out in love to others this season. We are asking for You to guide us to those who need to hear Your good news. Let our efforts to reach out be pleasing in Your sight. For in all that we do, may all praise, glory, and honor be to You O Lord our rock and our salvation. These things we ask in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen

Glory To God In The Highest

Luke 2:14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

Have you seen the video on You Tube of the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel’s Messiah being performed in various locations like shopping centers or the food court at a mall? It is just amazing to see this song start out in a public setting with a single singer and then people join in from various locations with the spot where it is being performed. Normally we think of this music as performed only in concert halls or a more formal setting than a mall food court. But what a marvel it is to see and hear. This is an awesome piece of music that sings glorious praise to God regardless of the setting in which it is performed. Check it out.

There are elements of the Christmas season that cause stress for many people. It could be the stressed brought on by the many activities that pop up and demand your attention and attendance. And there can be a financial strain for some people during this season with trying to buy the right gift(s) for everyone on their list. Are you to be counted among those suffering from Christmas season stress? Take heart dear friends. Relief is available. All you have to remember is where to find it and who it comes from. I am one of those that stresses during the Christmas season. My reason for stress is I end up with too many things on my plate. Meetings, social gatherings, working with charitable organizations on projects, and more all add up to stress for me. It is difficult for me to just say no when someone asks for help during the Christmas season. And I suspect I am not alone. Where can I find help? Well, Luke 2:14 is a good indicator. We, as the angels tell us to, give glory to God in the highest. He is our rock, our salvation, and our source of sustenance with our daily bread. And he is our source of peace. If have found myself searching for peace, and in doing so it seems peace has gone off on vacation to Tahiti and left me here in Pocatello. But look at Philippians 4: 4-7 “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
We find several things in these verses for us to remember. 1.) Rejoice in the Lord. And never cease in rejoicing. 2.) Make sure you are reasonable with everyone, and at all times. 3.) God is with us and knowing that, we should not be anxious about anything. So being reasonable with others should be a walk in the park. 4.) Pray often and give all your worries, and your thanksgiving, up to God in prayer. 5.) And God’s peace, not mortal man’s frail peace, will be with us. These are five simple things to remember when you (and I) become stressed during the Christmas season. After all, why would we want to have stress in our lives when at Christmas we are celebrating the birth of the Prince of Peace?

PRAYER: God of love and God of peace we seek You in times of struggle. We turn to You in search of that peace that surpasses all understanding. We look to You for the living waters that flow only from You. Shelter us, dear Lord from the chaos of the world, and the chaos we can create in our own lives. Help us to stay firmly anchored in Your love today and every day of our lives. We ask this in the name of the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ. Amen

This Will Be A Sign To You

Luke 2:12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Have you noticed the proliferation of electronic road signs around the state. The signs are a very nice addition for the safety of travelers on our interstate highways. They can give advance warning of bad road conditions, road closures, delays in travel, etc. They work great. The only limitation on the effectiveness of the signage is the end user. You actually have to pay attention and read the information the sign is providing.

If we look at Luke 2:12 in isolation, rather than in context, it would give us the impression that this is a birth announcement of an event taking place in very humble surroundings. If you are looking for clues like while geocaching (Geocaching is an outdoor sporting activity in which the participants use a GPS or other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers, called "geocaches" or "caches") it might be how someone would describe the location of a clue. But if we look at this verse in context with the surrounding verses we know that in the town of David (Bethlehem) a Savior is born, and he is Christ the Lord. The sign by which they are to know the validity of what is being told to them is “a baby wrapped in cloths lying in a manger.” That magnitude of this is almost incomprehensible. But it raises a big point. The prevailing opinion at that time was the “Christ” would be royal in nature. And here is evidence to the contrary. Humble rather than royal. This is something for us to take to heart. Not all that is of God is magnificent in nature or appearance. Some of the most important things are very simple and humble in nature. So if you hold the opinion that the word of God is preached best from ornate cathedral-like buildings, hang on. The reality check is in the mail. God will use any place or any of us for His purpose. His son lived a simple life with nothing we would call the trappings of wealth. There is an important point here for us to grasp. The Son of God was born into humble surroundings, lived a humble life, preached humility, and suffered the humiliation of the death on the cross before his resurrection. This all transpired so that all men could have forgiveness of sins, reconciliation with the Father, and eternal life. A king in flowing robes did not provide this. Rather a baby wrapped in cloths lying in a manger did this. Let us try to remember that from humble beginnings great things come. From our own humble efforts in ministry, great things can be accomplished. To God be the glory in all that we do.

PRAYER: Father, Abba, we struggle at times with the simple things in life. We look for the great as the only means of achieving great things. Help us dear Lord to see with Your eyes. Help us to get past the bounds of earthly perception and view the truth. Guide us such that in our infirmity we can be led to that which You would have us see and do. This we ask in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen

A Savior Has Been Born To You

Luke 2:11-18 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.

Christmas is the time of year when we give and receive many gifts. There seems to be the proverbial ugly Christmas sweater that shows up in a nicely wrapped box with a pretty ribbon. One of my favorite gift giving activities are the office Christmas parties where we do white elephant gift exchange. I remember a few years back finding a store in Salt Lake City that actually sold white elephant figurines. BONUS!

Do you always need a Savior? It is a question that everyone who walks the face of the earth needs to ask of themselves. It is a fundamental question to ask. It is a question that has two answers (yes or no)? It is a question which has no room for yes-but, or no-but answers. It is a very simple yes or no answer and it’s not complicated. You either think you always need a Savior or you don’t always need a Savior. The present I want to unwrap here today in this devotional is the profound wisdom of the Father in giving us a Savior. The promise from long ago, captured in Isaiah and other places in the Old Testament had to be fulfilled. The location was clearly described – Bethlehem. The circumstances of his birth – born of a virgin, left no room for doubt. And then there was the announcement by the Angel Gabriel followed up by the anthem of the heavenly host sealed the deal so-to-speak. Chris the Lord was born. The best of all possible gifts was lying in a manger wrapped in cloths. And since the gift was delivered many have opened the wrapping of the gift and found just what they needed. They found a Savior. And as with many gifts received it was not long before they grew tired of the gift and set it aside only to pick it up again when the need was felt. Brothers and Sisters in Christ, the gift of the Savior is not a gift to be taken lightly. Nor is it a gift we can pick up and embrace at our leisure. The gift of a Savior comes from God our Father. He gave His only begotten Son to be born, live among us, die, and be resurrected for all mankind. Jesus, our Savior is what we need at all times. To think otherwise is dangerous. We know we, of our efforts, cannot achieve righteousness. We know that we are sinful by nature and prone to making mistakes that can separate us from the Father if we do not constantly embrace the Savior. We must endeavor to always keep in our hearts that constant reminder of our need for Jesus. He is not some sweater to be put in a box only to be pulled out and worn at Christmas. We need Christ every second, every minute, every day, and every year of our lives. My prayer is that you will wear Christ always. And that ugly Christmas sweater, please save it for special occasions!

PRAYER: Lord God Heavenly Father. You have given us the greatest gift of all. Born in the humble surroundings of a manger in the town of Bethlehem is where we found Your Son. From such a simple beginning many great and wonderful things have happened. But foremost is the affirmation that Your love for us knows no bounds. And for that, Dear Father, we are forever thankful. Help us to hold in our hearts that constant reminder that we need as Savior, and that You have given us the gift of a Savior to embrace. All praise, glory, and thanksgiving be to the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. One God now and forever. Amen.

Swaddling in a Manger - By Lexie Wilson

Luke 2:12 “This will be a sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
As a high school student, I have developed contempt toward research. Teachers will assign research projects and it requires a lot of effort to search for the correct information, paraphrase it, and cite it correctly. That is why I have chosen to begin this devotion with a bit of research.
In some translations of the bible, the cloths that Jesus was wrapped in are referred to as swaddling clothes. The purpose of swaddling clothes is to minimize the baby’s movement with taut wrappings. They were believed to improve posture later in life, but more recent studies have shown that they more often aide the child in sleeping peacefully. Now, this may sound like a bunch of gibberish that is interesting, but doesn’t necessarily apply to your busy life. But let’s take a second look. Christ was put on this earth to show us how to live our lives and to be an eternal sacrifice for our sins. We are designed in God’s image, so we are also designed to follow His example, even from the day he was born. We can compare the swaddling of a baby to the care that God gives us as we grow and mature as children of God. As our Savior lay in the manger that night in Bethlehem, he was completely still. Exodus 14:14 tells us “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Sometimes when our lives become overscheduled and frantic, we lose sight of what is truly important. Sometimes it is absolutely necessary to let go of everything we hold onto in this life and simply stand still. And in that utter stillness, we can let God stand in front of us, and fight away all of our stress and worries. In that stillness, we can take a step closer to God in all of His glory and majesty, just as swaddling clothes are wrapped so close to a child’s skin. Even more so, we can look to the effects of swaddling as it benefits the sleeping habits of infants. Medically, stillness is associated with a good night’s rest. Spiritually, stillness is associated with peace. As we are swaddled by God’s love for us, we are filled with His peace and forgiveness. And to think that Christ was sending us this message on the night of His birth!
Let me present you with another metaphor of sorts. Christ was placed in a manger. That’s a pretty humble way to enter the earth, wouldn’t you think? This is His example to us to be humble in every action, but to do so out of love. You have probably pieced that together on your own, but what about this: a manger is a feeding trough. As in, hay is put in it for all the smelly livestock to eat out of. It is their dinner table, so to speak. When baby Jesus was put in the manger, he became our spiritual feed. Now you’re probably thinking, “What is she saying? Are we supposed to go home and eat our nativity scenes?” NO! Don’t eat your nativity—they aren’t very appetizing and baby Jesus will need his head for next year. Here’s the point: The Lord’s Prayer (spoken by Jesus later in His life on earth) says “Give us this day our daily bread.” Meaning, we need something to chew on to keep our faith growing. So, when Jesus was in that manger, he became our bread, our sustenance, our life. He spoke the New Testament and gave us words to live by. He died on that cross so that we could live with Him someday. And with Christ in our hearts and minds (and stomachs!) we are unstoppable, ever-shining, children of God.

So the angels were right in telling the shepherds to find the new-born Messiah. They were also right in telling us to find the omniscient, omnipresent, and eternal Messiah today.

PRAYER: Father God, we thank you for the birth of Your son, Jesus. For his actions, even from that first night in Bethlehem, guide us daily. Your angels spoke truth to the shepherds, now may they bring truth to all of us. This gift of Christ is incomparable, and we thank you for Him. Lord, let us be still in these crazy lives we lead. Let us open our hearts and minds to you as you fight for us this Christmas season. May we follow in your footsteps every day, and lead by the example of Christ; showing compassion for all with a humble heart and a giving soul. Let your will be done and your Kingdom come to all. Let us shine like the star of Bethlehem and lead your people home. In His holy and almighty name, Amen.

Spiritual Peace

Luke 2:8-14 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 of great joy that will be for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.  This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”  Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,  “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

Have you ever had someone promise to do something for you?  I mean something really big?  And then after what seemed like an eternity, they came through for you.  The promise was fulfilled and a tremendous sense of relief swept over you.  My most recent experience was the Grace Lutheran Christmas Food Basket deliveries.  It was somewhat overwhelming.  People stepped up to take care of a seemingly daunting task of organizing the food drive.   From collecting the names, collecting the food, sorting the food, filling the baskets, all the way through delivering the boxes of food.  Probably the most dramatic example of God’s promise of His grace being sufficient is the manner in which the boxes of food were picked up after our 11:00 service last year on the Sunday before Christmas.  The boxes just disappeared.  People lined up and pitched in.  Some people even asked how many they could take, because just delivering one set of boxes was not enough.  Talk about a promise being fulfilled.  Praise God; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for pouring his love into the hearts of the Grace Lutheran congregation until it overflowed in love!  33 deliveries had to be made to fulfill our commitment.  And it just happened.  People did what was the right thing.  And this was accomplished not out of obligation.  Our salvation does not rest on accomplishing a list of works.  Ours has been bought and paid for.  These boxes were delivered out of love.  In most cases it was out of love for people that those who stepped up to make the deliveries did not even know where the part of our community where the boxes were to be delivered to.  Let alone who they were to be delivered to.  Thank God for turn-by-turn GPS systems!  We had so much food that we had several boxes full left over that went to the Faith Lutheran Food Bank.  Brothers and Sisters in the Risen Son, once more His love came down.

The love of the Father for us is such that over 2000 years ago, he sent his Son to earth.  He fulfilled his promise to send us a savior.  He sent us our deliverer.  He told us we would be set free, and He fulfilled His promise.  We were set free from death in sin.  We were reconciled once more with the Father.  We who had distanced ourselves in the Garden of Eden were fully restored to righteousness through that baby born in a manger.  The same baby the Angels told the shepherds would be found “in cloths and lying in a manger.”  And so peace, a spiritual peace, was given to the shepherds.  His promise was fulfilled.  A spiritual peace first lost in Eden by Adam and Eve was restored.  It is a peace that has been restored to all who have faith in Jesus Christ.  And when you stack up the promises fulfilled in our lives, including those made by us and those given to us by friends and family, they cannot even come close to what we have been given in Christ.  There is a sense of relief for all believers that surpasses anything we can experience on earth when an earthly promise is fulfilled.  Friends of the Savior, share the Good News this Christmas season.  Let that same spiritual peace flow out from you to all who are in need.  Share the peace given to the shepherds long ago.

PRAYER:  Father, Abba, Your children have been truly blessed by You.  Your love for us is such that Your Son came down to earth.  Your Love came down to us.  And that love saved us in a way , and at a time, when we needed it most.  That love granted us the spiritual peace we so desperately need.  You have restored us to You O God.  And for that blessing we thank You in the name of one who delivered us.  Christ Jesus. Amen

That Will Be For All People.

Luke 2:9&10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.”

If you were to ask me what kind of people do we embrace as members at Grace Lutheran Pocatello? Well, my answer would have to be SINNERS.  We embrace sinners.  We do not handle perfect people very well.  But give us a sinner, and watch us bond with that person.  You see, a sinner is just like the rest of us at Grace.  We are broken, sinful by nature, and in desperate need of a savior.  Fortunately we know of just the savior we all need (Jesus).  Perfect people do not need a savior.  At least they do not think they need one.  But like the rest of us (Christians) who already know better, they will eventually come to the realization that they really do need a savior.  My prayer is they will come to the realization before it is too late.

Have you ever, in your entire life, run into a Christian who does not believe that what they have isn’t for everyone?  By that I mean that the grace which has been poured out on them by God is not for everyone.  It seems silly to me, but I suppose that could be the case for some folks.  What some folks have as Christians can’t be shared with others is an oxymoron (or just plain moronic.)  It flies in the face of everything that we are taught as Christians. My favorite (if you haven’t guessed by now) is the Great Commission found in Matthew 28 beginning at verse 16.  I love this part of the bible. It is simple, clear, and direct.  “Go and make disciples of all nations” leaves no room for interpretation in my black and white brain.  We are not told make disciples of some people that are a group we like. We are not given a list of people to exclude. No brothers and sisters in Christ we have an inclusive mission.  So when we look at who should be included it boils down to everyone.  We are to reach out to all.  We are to embrace all.  And we are to share the love of God with all.  Does that mean we have to have every single possible ministry at our church?  It does not. But what it does mean is we need to be knowledgeable, and in fellowship with others so that as the body of Christ here on earth, we can meet the needs of all.  Knowing what we do best, knowing our core competencies if you will, is important.  By the same token, knowing what we are not good at is also just as important.  A church needs to prayerfully consider what to do and what not to do in ministry.  This is important so that the efforts can bear fruit and not die on the vine.  The same holds true for us as individuals.  We need to know what we are good at. We need to know what our spiritual gifts are and how they can be used to the greatest advantage.  We are all servants of God.  Not just now in Advent, but throughout the whole year.  We each have a group of people in our lives who do not know the love of God or that they need a savior.  This is our target audience. This is the group we need to focus on. We need to reach out to the many in the best way we know how. And if what they need to help them is not in our box of tools we call ministries, we need to be smart enough to say we do not have it, but we will help them find it.  We do this because we care. We do this because Jesus died on the cross for all people, and not just for a select few.  Let the words of the angel ring in our hearts all year long that the great joy will be for all people.

PRAYER:   Father our prayer today is simple. Show us Your ways O Lord. Teach us Your will O God. We ask this in the name of Your Son, our Good News, Jesus Christ. Amen