It is 110 degrees in Las Vegas, and it’s time
to get your Christmas sweaters out! This
week we are celebrating Christmas in July
at Community Lutheran! It may seem a bit
cheesy… (And it probably is!) However, it
has been fun to dust off some of the Christmas decorations, and I think there
may be some real value in considering how this old story affects us today…
Listen to the words of the Angel:
“Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of
great joy for all the people…
-Luke 2:10
This familiar line from Luke chapter 2 is
forever etched on my heart. I grew up in
the church, and whenever this chapter of the Bible was read I felt a certain amount
of joy and anticipation. Even in the
middle of July, just one line can stir something inside of me.
It is also important to remember that the
first Christmas arrived when people least expected it. The Roman Empire controlled everything. The people of Israel were oppressed and hope
was fading. The baby, the manager, and
the shepherds all represented the bottom rung of society. Yet that is exactly when hope arrived!
Today you may feel far from the magic of
Christmas. Sometimes we don’t feel like
we have received any good news. Just
this week, I heard some very unexpected news of sickness and death. There are days when it is hard for the Good
News to overcome the bad. However, the
Christmas story isn’t just for a season.
It doesn’t last just one day. It
arrives every day, in the good and bad. Today I hope you can take a little time and
look for Christ. I pray that you would
be able to find a little hope in a world that dwells on the hopeless. May you see that God is with you!
Merry Christmas!
Pastor Brian
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