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Dear MRC Family,

Christmas blessings to you

I pray you had a joy-filled Christmas Day

We read it every year at Christmas, the story of the shepherds living in the fields watching their sheep —
Now in that same region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for see, I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”

And we read it so casually and calmly, as if a multitude of angels singing and praising God and the glorious light of God shining everywhere is commonplace. Put yourself in the place of the shepherds. What must this experience have been like for them? What did these heavenly beings look like? What does a multitude of the heavenly host all singing at once sound like? Hint: a multitude of the heavenly host in the Bible is 100 million angels, or an uncountable number, a myriad (See Daniel 7.9, 10 and Revelation 5.11)  

So come and imagine that night with me this First Sunday after Christmas at 10:30AM. We may not be a multitude but there will be much singing as we are having a Christmas Carol sing-a-long. You are invited to call out your favorite carol from the hymnal and we will praise God together. I am preaching from Luke 2.8-20 and my sermon is a narrative one, imagining what that night was like for the shepherds, particularly one and the title is Not a Boring Night — One Shepherd Boy’s Story. After worship, come down to the Lower Auditorium for coffee and conversation with your church family. 

Beloved, we are expecting a winter storm in our area, starting tonight and into tomorrow morning, with snow and ice. If you don’t have to go out, please don’t. Stay warm and safe at home, let the snow removal people do their job, and I’ll see you on Sunday.

Keep following and bothering Jesus. You ARE Love

 

With gratitude for the privilege of being your pastor and the holy call of loving you,

Pastor Trish

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