December 26, 2024 – Boxing Day

“Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty firmament! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his surpassing greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with clanging cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! Let everything that breathes praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!” Psalm 150

Over and over, the Bible invites us to praise G-d, not because G-d needs our praise — but because this is all we can give to G-d: Prayer, Praise and Thanksgiving. The book of the Bible we call the “Psalms” is a book of praise for G-d and provides us many examples of how to praise G-d. During worship, we often sing praises to G-d in song. But praising G-d is not something that necessarily comes naturally to many. I have found that when I put something in G-d’s hands, I am more readily able to praise G-d for whatever the outcome might be.

This is the purpose of Psalm 150 — it reminds us to praise the Lord.

The day after Christmas is known as “Boxing Day” in many countries. The Oxford English Dictionary notes the earliest recognition of this day in Britain in the 1830s, defining it as “the first weekday after Christmas day, observed as a holiday on which postmen, errand boys, and servants of various kinds expect to receive a Christmas box” This custom is linked to an older British tradition where the servants of the wealthy were allowed to visit their families on the day after Christmas since they would have to serve their masters on Christmas Day. The employers would give each servant a box to take home containing gifts, bonuses, and sometimes leftover food.

On this second day of Christmas, let us praise the Lord for all the gifts we have been given – and pray to find ways to share our abundance of gifts with those in need.

Dear Lord,

Thank you for the opportunity to praise you. Thank you for showing us reasons why and ways to praise you. Thank you for helping us understand that our works can be a way to praise you too. Guide us each day in how best to give you thanks and praise, and to share our blessings with others. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Pastor Dave

December 24, 2024 – Christmas Eve

Silent Night, Holy Night, All is calm, All is bright, Round yon virgin Mother and child, Holy infant so tender and mild,

Sleep in heavenly peace, Sleep in heavenly peace!

On this date, December 24, 1818 the Christmas carol “Silent Night” written by composer Franz Xaver Gruber was first sung at St. Nicholas parish church in Oberndorf , Austria.   A young priest, Father Joseph Mohr, had come to Oberndorf the year before.  He had already written the lyrics of the song “Stille Nacht” in 1816.  Before Christmas Eve, Mohr brought the words to Gruber and asked him to compose a melody and guitar accompaniment for the church service. Both performed the carol during the mass on the night of December 24.

On Christmas Eve, as the services are concluding, the congregation will light small hand-held candles and the lights are lowered in the Nave. The congregation begins to sing Silent Night as I read the beginning of the Gospel of St. John. It is a stunning moment – it is a liminal moment — a time everyone should experience because, in my mind it is a moment when time seems to stop and G-d’s Kairos time takes over. The entire Nave seems to be filled and surrounded by the Holy Spirit. If you have never experienced this moment, I encourage you to find a Lutheran Church near you, for I am sure most congregations have a similar moment during their Christmas Eve services.  After all, Christmas is about the coming of Christ almost 2000 years ago – a moment in time that changed the world – though the world did not yet know it.  And Christmas is about reliving that moment on the 25th of December, but not leaving Christ until Easter comes along.

The challenge for you and me is to experience the presence of the Holy Spirit every day – and any effort we put forth each day, to spend time remembering the love of G-d found in Jesus, is a good start.

Pastor Dave

December 25, 2024 — Christmas Day

“In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.” Luke 2:1-7

“In Luke’s nativity scene, he knows something about wanting to order chaotic lives… In fact, his story begins just there, naming upfront the rulers of this world who were responsible for maintaining — and enforcing! — the Pax Romana. Moreover, Luke sets his story amid a census, the act of ordering — that is, registering, counting, and taxing everyone — par excellence. Why does Luke tell his story this way? Even more, why does God do it this way? I actually think it — this whole story — is an indictment of the order, an accusation against things as they are. Do you know what I mean? Let me try to say it another way: I think that by playing out this redemptive story on the fringe of things, just where you’d least expect God to be, God is telling us that the way things usually are just isn’t good enough. It’s almost like God is whispering to us something that deep down we know already but are afraid to admit, even to ourselves: these lives we’ve so carefully created, this world we work so hard to manage, are beautiful, precious, and wonderful … but also vulnerable, fragile, and ultimately insufficient. God came to turn over the tables, to create a whole new system, to resurrect and redeem us rather than merely rehabilitate us.” (Something More, David Lose, working preacher website, December 18, 2011)

I know that Christmas can be a tough time for people, a dark time of dealing with loss, separation, and loneliness where those experiencing such dark nights of the soul just can’t wait for this time to pass.  My friends, every day, all of our days, all of our moments in time are a gift from G-d.  How we spend that time is our choice.  I challenge you this Christmas, to take some time to examine your relationship with Jesus, and to ponder, like Mary, how you will cherish the time you have, and how you will use your time in the New Year ahead.  Will you squander it, take it for granted, misuse it, waste it, ignore it?  Or, also like Mary, will you treasure it and make the most of it.  Allow the light of Christ to envelope you, and your homes, every day, because in the midst of great darkness, G-d’s light comes to embrace humanity – and the darkness, no matter what it is, will never be able to overcome that light.  We then can prove the ancient prophet correct, for you see, by relying on G-d’s strength, we can be a people who live by the strength of G-d rather than relying on their own strength.  And we can live in confidence and trust in G-d that we can accomplish much while fearing little, we can become vessels through which G-d can minister to the world – all because of a child born in a manger…this is how we can live in and live out the Spirit of Christmas throughout the whole year.

Pastor Dave