Featured Image courtesy of Full of Eyes
December 25, 2016
Immanuel Lutheran Church—Bremen, KS || AUDIO
“Unto us Child is born, unto us a Son is given.” INI + AMEN. Continue reading
Tag Archives: Christmas
Christmas Dawn (Lk 2:15–20)
December 25, 2016
Bethlehem Lutheran Church—Bremen, KS || AUDIO
“Unto us Child is born, unto us a Son is given.” INI + AMEN. Continue reading
Circumcision and Name of Jesus (Lk 2:21)
December 31, 2015
Bethlehem Lutheran Church—Bremen, KS || AUDIO
January 1, 2016
Immanuel Lutheran Church—Bremen, KS || AUDIO
INI + AMEN.
All things are new. It’s time for a new beginning. The old is passing away. The new is here. The old year is dead and gone. Baby New Year isn’t lost, but has been born with a whole 366 days of new possibilities, new ways to make yourself into a better person or, at least, close to the person you’d like to be. The world knows how to set you up for these new opportunities. Well, the world wants YOU to set yourself up for these new opportunities. Look at yourself, judge yourself, think about where you fall short of your own expectations, and then come up with some resolutions of what you want to do to make yourself smarter (read more books), more attractive (join a gym), more loving (volunteer). Resolutions are always self-focused. But year in year out their’s the trumpet call for resolutions. It’s like a yearly game we play because—let’s be honest—no matter what the resolution is we’ll be over and done with it by the end of January, maybe a little longer if we really stick to it. Continue reading
Christmas 1C (Lk 2:22–40)
December 27, 2015
Immanuel Lutheran Church—Bremen, KS || AUDIO
Bethlehem Lutheran Church—Bremen, KS || AUDIO
INI + AMEN.
Today’s the First Sunday after Christmas, but it’s also the Second Day of Christmas. The world would have us move on from Christmas, turn our focus to New Year’s. We’ll build up to Christmas, with advertising, sales, and parties. But once it’s December 26th, might as well take the tree down, get the 2016 decorations out and prepare to stay up until the ball drops at midnight. That’s the world, but the Church is different. From December 25 through January 6, the Church rejoices and meditates on her Lord and Savior’s birth. That’s a whole twelve days of rejoicing and meditating! Continue reading
Christmas Day (Jn 1:1–14)
December 25, 2015
Immanuel Lutheran Church—Bremen, KS || AUDIO
Bethlehem Lutheran Church—Bremen, KS || AUDIO
INI + AMEN.
The old carol “Now Sing We Now Rejoice” is included in Lutheran Service Book. The original carol was a mixture of Latin and German. Now, the only reason I’m saying this is because the original first stanza fits wondrously with our text from John chapter 1. “In dulci jubilo” (In sweet rejoicing) Now sing with hearts aglow! Our heart’s consolation, lies in praesepio” (in the Manger) “and He shines like the sun Matris in gremio” (in the mother’s lap) “Alpha es et O, Alpha es et O!” (You are the Alpha and the Omega.) That’s our joy this Christmas morning. What other sweet rejoicing can there be besides the fact that the Alpha and the Omega lies in a manger and shines brightly sitting in His mother’s lap FOR US. As John tells us, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” This Word is the true light—“God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God.” (NC) This is Jesus, the eternal, “only-begotten Son of the Father, full of a grace and truth.” This Jesus comes as “a light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of [His] people Israel.” (Nunc Dimittis) This Jesus is the Truth and Light sent from above, and
JESUS, THE TRUE LIGHT, SHINES AMONG US. Continue reading
Christmas Eve (Mt 1:18–25)
December 24, 2015
Immanuel Lutheran Church—Bremen, KS || AUDIO
Bethlehem Lutheran Church—Bremen, KS || AUDIO
INI + AMEN.
(1. We’ve all experienced people not keeping their word.)
Here we are at another Christmas Eve. We’re celebrating the birth of the Lord God Himself. He’s been born to save us, and so Alleluias, Hosannas, and Glorias fill our songs! But for some, there’s something putting a damper on their Christmas joy. There’s many reasons for this, but there’s one that’s highlighted by the Christmas story in general and in our text from Matthew 1 specifically. It doesn’t just affect us during the holiday season either. We experience it all times of the year. From the gifts you were promised and didn’t get, to the visits that didn’t happen as planned or expected, to even the honey-do list that’s more of a honey-didn’t list. We’ve all experienced people not keeping their word. Continue reading
