Community Updates from Dr. Bob: 12/20/2023
There are times God speaks to us, and the birth of Jesus may have been one of the most extraordinary of those times. He comes humbly, quietly, yet bringing a great light. He comes changing everything, bringing the divine into the human world. The birth of Jesus in Bethlehem is the ultimate inbreaking of the holy and the sacred into the ordinary and the mundane. An animal stable… can you imagine a more ordinary and earthy setting? And yet here is where we welcome the God of the universe. It’s almost like God set it up this way on purpose, to show us the contrast and bring the far ends together.
How can we today experience the inbreaking of God into our world? How can we experience the light of his presence shining into the darkness of our experience? The birth of Jesus—bringing the divine to us—is how God gets through to us. He comes to where we are, and he breaks into our ordinary worlds with amazing good news.
Take time today to listen for that good news in your life. What is God saying to you? How are you experiencing him?
Reflect on the words of the well-known Christmas Carol, O Holy Night:
O holy night, the stars are brightly shining
It is the night of our dear Savior’s birth
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth
A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!
Fall on your knees! O hear the angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born!
O night, O holy night, O night divine!
Join us for Christmas Eve services – and bring someone with you!
May the true meaning of Christmas be in your hearts and lives throughout the coming year!
