Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to you and yours!  My hope for you is that the true joy of Christmas fill your hearts and your homes.

From Eugene Peterson's transliteration of the Bible "The Message" - Luke 2

 About that time Caesar Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the Empire. This was the first census when Quirinius was governor of Syria. Everyone had to travel to his own ancestral hometown to be accounted for. So Joseph went from the Galilean town of Nazareth up to Bethlehem in Judah, David’s town, for the census. As a descendant of David, he had to go there. He went with Mary, his fiancée, who was pregnant.

While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. She gave birth to a son, her firstborn. She wrapped him in a blanket and laid him in a manger, because there was no room in the hostel.

There were sheepherders camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. 

Suddenly, God’s angel stood among them and God’s glory blazed around them. They were terrified. The angel said, “Don’t be afraid. I’m here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David’s town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you’re to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger.”

At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God’s praises:

Glory to God in the heavenly heights,

As the angel choir withdrew into heaven, the sheepherders talked it over. “Let’s get over to Bethlehem as fast as we can and see for ourselves what God has revealed to us.” They left, running, and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. Seeing was believing. They told everyone they met what the angels had said about this child. All who heard the sheepherders were impressed.

Mary kept all these things to herself, holding them dear, deep within herself. The sheepherders returned and let loose, glorifying and praising God for everything they had heard and seen. It turned out exactly the way they’d been told!

This season of preparation for the coming of the Christ child has been filled with wonderful programs and activities here at Epiphany. I am thankful for all the volunteers and staff who have worked so hard in putting these events together and carrying them through. A couple of these events I have captured in pictures and put them in slideshows. I hope you enjoy these as much I enjoyed putting them together. Consider these a special Christmas gift for you.

No Room in the Inn - Nativity Set Display



Wise Guys and Starry Skies - Children's Christmas Musical




AND one final video I came across just before worship on Christmas Eve - I am pretty sure you will enjoy this!




Merry Christmas!

Peace,

Pastor Charlie

Christmas Is Coming!

This week, I share with you a poem -
“Twas the Night Before Christmas” 
re-written by Pastor Herb Brokering.  

‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the earth,

every creature was stirring for a new baby birth.

The people were looking straight up and then down,

to the left and the right, in the country and town.

Some faces were watching far out in the sky

believing God’s Son would be coming by.

The Wise men were searching the heavens with care,

hunting signs of God’s love in the stars up there.

The Bethlehem children were snug in their beds;

they had dreams of olives and figs in their heads.

Shepherds were tired, weary and beat –

Their sheep had just “baaaed” their last sleepy bleat.

When up in the air there rose such a clatter,

they looked up and saw angels and said, “What is the matter?”

Up on their feet they stood straight and tall

to see hundreds of angels and hear angels call.

It sounded like glory and looked bright as can be,

it was hard to believe and so hard to see.

When what to wondering eyes should appear;

glory, glory around them so loud and so near.

It happened so sudden, it happened so quick!

Was it real? Was it true or was it a trick?!

More rapid than eagles, the shepherds came,

they found Mary and Joseph, and whispered His name.

It was Jesus, Jehovah, Messiah, the Son,

Emmanuel, the Lord – He is the one

And each one to their knees they fell down to the ground;

how good to receive the one they had found.

So up to the hillsides their running feet flew,

with their eyes full of Jesus and their hearts now like new!

Faraway, Wise men stood on a roof

searching the stars for Biblical proof.

“There, there!” each one shouted, “Out in the East!”

and mounted with speed their two-humped beasts.

They were filled with questions from head to toe,

asking” Where is the new king, we truly must know.

And three kinds of gifts they piled on camel’s back;

gold, frankincense, and myrrh in a sweet smelling pack.

Their eyes how they twinkled, big and red like a cherry

when down in the hay was a child beside Mary.

The king’s silent faces were stiff for awhile;

then, slowly their cheeks turned into a smile.

They saw God had given His Son to the earth;

they took up God’s gift and put theirs down on the earth.

They had nothing to do and nothing to say.

It was truly God’s world and this was God’s day!

The king with the gold had a little round tummy.

The Frankincense king smelled yummy, yum, yummy.

The presence of myrrh was in a small can.

Mary would put it on Jesus when he was a man.

The child blinked and turned his head and the kings,

they knew they had nothing to dread.

They spoke not a word, they headed for home, so

thankful to God that he surely had come.

Christ on earth; old things we like new –

Now people could see what God can do.

When people laugh or cry, get born or die,

 God’s glory is near and Jesus will come by.

It is the night before Christmas from the ground to the sky

and Jesus our brother will always come by.

So we know and you know that God is in sight.

Good morning to all and to all a good night!

Snow

The first significant snowfall of the year came last Friday, as predicted. The coming storm was incentive for me to take care of an item on my "to do" list that kept being moved to later - getting the snow blower fixed! Our snow blower has served me well over the past few years, and I had the habit in our former neighborhood of using the machine on not just our sidewalk and drive, but the neighbors as well. There is a sense of accomplishment when you are clearing the snow. And maybe a bit of my "state up north" roots come into play - I enjoy being out in the snow.

Well, the old snow blower has blown its last snow - time for a new machine. I sent a message to my wife that the old machine was finished, and that a new snow blower was what we needed. She knew I wouldn't wait long to get a new one!  It is now in the garage, and worked well in clearing off the drive!

I am not the only one in the house that appreciates the snow. Our Golden Retriever Maggie LOVES the snow, and would spend all day playing in it, chasing snowballs through it, or laying on it for hours on end.

She will get frustrated with us when we won't come out and play with her. I put together a time lapse of the snow on our porch on Friday - eight hours of snow in 2 minutes. In the video you will see Maggie out and about a few times during the day!

The snow is beautiful, especially with the Christmas decorations. The lights shimmering off the snow and the decorations covering the displays add a wonderful dimension to the season. And I know there are many students and teachers who rejoiced at the news of the first snow day of the year!

Now I am well aware that not everyone enjoys the snow. I am aware that many really didn't care for the snow that caused their cars to go in unintended directions. There were a lot of fender-benders on Friday, making the beauty of the snow very difficult to appreciate. The snow caused many to change plans or cancel activities. And there are those who have inadequate shelter or no shelter at all, and the cold and wet weather makes things that much more difficult and unbearable.

Whether you like it or not, snow happens (at least here in the climate in which we live). We can watch the weather, check the radar, pray for snow or no snow, do a snow day ritual (our kids used to have a ritual for hopefully guaranteeing a snow day - pajamas inside out and backwards, an ice cube on the porch, and a snow day dance), and many other things. God only knows what affect these might have on the weather. And yet, it comes.

There is a wonderful balance God has given us - the warmth of summer, the dry days and wet rains, the beauty of the seasons. And there are times of severe weather and times of drought. There are times of extreme heat and bitter cold. Whether we like it or not! But God is good. The creation will lay dormant for the coming months, and will once again bring forth new life in the spring. Of this we can be assured. So if you don't care for the snow - know that it will not last forever. I know that I will not make those who hate the snow lovers of the white stuff by my words. But may we find beauty in the creation God has given us.

Anyone need their driveway cleared? 

Peace,

Pastor Charlie

Did You See the End of that Game?

This past Saturday was the day of the annual match-up between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Michigan Wolverines. My Dad attended Michigan before being drafted to serve in the Navy in World War II. Even though he only attended for one year, he was a devout fan of the team up north! His passion for the game has been passed on to me, and I look forward to the rivalry every year. However, the way the Wolverines have been playing this year, as well as the way the Buckeyes have been playing this year, I held out little hope for my boys.


www.annarbor.com

Well, it was quite a game, wasn't it? And even though Michigan did not win the game (and many of you have been kind enough to remind me of that important fact), I was thankful that it wasn't a lopsided game, and it lived up to the hype of being one of the great rivalries of all time. When I came to church on Saturday Night for worship, I had several conversations before and after about the game, and many were willing to share their opinion on whether the Michigan coach made the right call at the end to go for the win instead of a tie. It was a great game.

As I prepared to head home from church that night, my son called and asked me if I had just seen the end of the Alabama/Auburn game. Even though I had just gotten a scoring update on my phone (yes, I am fairly - some would say overly connected to my phone for information), I had not heard any of the details. My son filled me in on the unlikely ending of a very exciting game. When I got home, Lisa and I watched the highlights of the game. What a finish to that game - Alabama was ahead until the final minute of the game, and ended up loosing in the last second on a wild play.  It was a great game!  When I got to church on Sunday, I had many more conversations about BOTH games, and talk about who will play for the National Championship. Most of these conversations began with the question, "Did you see the games?"

I am going to make a bit of a stretch here, so stay with me if you will. I see some correlation between the conversations and the Christmas story we will hear in the coming days. The shepherds are in their fields, doing their job. They become witnesses of some incredible things - one angel, then an army of angels announcing the birth of the Messiah, and then the baby in a manger who is the one foretold by the heavenly host. These shepherds are witnesses to something incredible. They are then transformed into evangelists who go out and share the good news of what they have heard and seen.

From Luke 2 - selected verses (Revised Standard Version): 
And the angel said to them, “Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord....

When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. 

en.wikipedia.org

And when they saw it they made known the saying which had been told them concerning this child; and all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them...  And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

When we see something incredible, wonderful, exciting or life-changing, it is hard to keep it to ourselves. We want to share the good news. We want others to experience what we have experienced. I can understand why those who watched the football games wanting to share with others. I can also understand why the shepherds were so willing to share what they had heard and seen.

The question is I have for you is how do you share the blessings of God, which at times can be incredible, wonderful, exciting or life-changing? What have you heard and seen? May we find opportunity to share the news with others, so they, too may come to know this One who comes to save us - Christ the Lord.

Peace,
Pastor Charlie