Jesus’ birth
Luke 2:1-20 [CEB]
In those days Caesar Augustus declared that everyone throughout the empire should be enrolled in the tax lists. 2This first enrollment occurred when Quirinius governed Syria. 3Everyone went to their own cities to be enrolled. 4 Since Joseph belonged to David’s house and family line, he went up from the city of Nazareth in Galilee to David’s city, called Bethlehem, in Judea. 5He went to be enrolled together with Mary, who was promised to him in marriage and who was pregnant. 6While they were there, the time came for Mary to have her baby. 7She gave birth to her firstborn child, a son, wrapped him snugly, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the guestroom.
8Nearby shepherds were living in the fields, guarding their sheep at night. 9The Lord’s angel stood before them, the Lord’s glory shone around them, and they were terrified.
10The angel said, “Don’t be afraid! Look! I bring good news to you—wonderful, joyous news for all people. 11Your savior is born today in David’s city. He is Christ the Lord. 12This is a sign for you: you will find a newborn baby wrapped snugly and lying in a manger.” 13Suddenly a great assembly of the heavenly forces was with the angel praising God. They said, 14“Glory to God in heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors.”
15When the angels returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go right now to Bethlehem and see what’s happened. Let’s confirm what the Lord has revealed to us.” 16They went quickly and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. 17When they saw this, they reported what they had been told about this child. 18Everyone who heard it was amazed at what the shepherds told them. 19Mary committed these things to memory and considered them carefully. 20The shepherds returned home, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. Everything happened just as they had been told.
Christmas Greetings All,
I hope you enjoyed our Advent Season celebrating your blessings, finding many things for which to be grateful, and anticipating the coming of the Christ Child. I certainly did! Even now I continue to be thankful for the beautiful Advent and Christmas carols I enjoy beginning the day after Thanksgiving.
Today, there’s a song in the air! Love has come down and God’s promised King has been born! The first song I heard streamed online this morning was “Away in a Manger,” one of my all-time favorite carols. I remember first singing it when I was a young child in our church Christmas program. All the old familiar carols call to mind Christmas celebrations of the past and the anticipation of Christmases yet to come. There is something about singing cherished carols in praise of God’s love expressed to us in the coming of a tiny babe. Emmanuel: God with us.
We know him as Jesus who came to earth to live as one of us, fully human and fully Divine. He is the one who would take our sins upon himself all the way to the cross, die our death, and rise again on the third day to new life. Because he overcame the power of sin and death forever, we may also have eternal life once we accept him as our Savior. This is indeed something to sing about with songs of praise and thanksgiving for what God has done for us and in anticipation of his coming again at the end of time.
For now, we live expectantly waiting for his return by celebrating his first coming into our world. We continue the traditions of the Church and of our lives: singing carols, reading beloved Bible passages of his promised coming and birth, and worshiping with our sisters and brothers throughout the world. In so doing, we prepare our hearts and commit ourselves to receive the Savior of the world anew.
As I close, “Away in a Manger” continues to play in my head, and I do my best to sing along. I am smiling knowing that we are not alone. God is with us. May we welcome the coming of our Lord!
Grace and peace to you and yours at Christmas and throughout this Christmas season.
Rev. Annette Carper
8Nearby shepherds were living in the fields, guarding their sheep at night. 9The Lord’s angel stood before them, the Lord’s glory shone around them, and they were terrified.
10The angel said, “Don’t be afraid! Look! I bring good news to you—wonderful, joyous news for all people. 11Your savior is born today in David’s city. He is Christ the Lord. 12This is a sign for you: you will find a newborn baby wrapped snugly and lying in a manger.” 13Suddenly a great assembly of the heavenly forces was with the angel praising God. They said, 14“Glory to God in heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors.”
15When the angels returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go right now to Bethlehem and see what’s happened. Let’s confirm what the Lord has revealed to us.” 16They went quickly and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. 17When they saw this, they reported what they had been told about this child. 18Everyone who heard it was amazed at what the shepherds told them. 19Mary committed these things to memory and considered them carefully. 20The shepherds returned home, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. Everything happened just as they had been told.
Christmas Greetings All,
I hope you enjoyed our Advent Season celebrating your blessings, finding many things for which to be grateful, and anticipating the coming of the Christ Child. I certainly did! Even now I continue to be thankful for the beautiful Advent and Christmas carols I enjoy beginning the day after Thanksgiving.
Today, there’s a song in the air! Love has come down and God’s promised King has been born! The first song I heard streamed online this morning was “Away in a Manger,” one of my all-time favorite carols. I remember first singing it when I was a young child in our church Christmas program. All the old familiar carols call to mind Christmas celebrations of the past and the anticipation of Christmases yet to come. There is something about singing cherished carols in praise of God’s love expressed to us in the coming of a tiny babe. Emmanuel: God with us.
We know him as Jesus who came to earth to live as one of us, fully human and fully Divine. He is the one who would take our sins upon himself all the way to the cross, die our death, and rise again on the third day to new life. Because he overcame the power of sin and death forever, we may also have eternal life once we accept him as our Savior. This is indeed something to sing about with songs of praise and thanksgiving for what God has done for us and in anticipation of his coming again at the end of time.
For now, we live expectantly waiting for his return by celebrating his first coming into our world. We continue the traditions of the Church and of our lives: singing carols, reading beloved Bible passages of his promised coming and birth, and worshiping with our sisters and brothers throughout the world. In so doing, we prepare our hearts and commit ourselves to receive the Savior of the world anew.
As I close, “Away in a Manger” continues to play in my head, and I do my best to sing along. I am smiling knowing that we are not alone. God is with us. May we welcome the coming of our Lord!
Grace and peace to you and yours at Christmas and throughout this Christmas season.
Rev. Annette Carper
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