Dear family in Christ Jesus,
Isn’t the Christmas season wonderful?! Sometimes it may not feel that way as you hustle and bustle to get all the cooking, the planning, the gift getting, and the gift wrapping done! It may not feel so wonderful when family is away or not getting along. It may not feel so wonderful no matter how many cheesy movies you watch on Netflix, TV, or from your old movie collection. All of those things can leave you feeling empty and exhausted.
However, this is why Christmas is still wonderful. Christmas is NOT the food, the events, the gifts. Christmas is NOT even about family or stories of holiday cheer. All of those can be wonderful blessings, however, they are not what the real Christmas is. Christmas is so much more. Christmas is a Savior being born for you. Christmas is about Jesus, God made flesh, coming to die for you that you might live. That is why the Christmas season is always wonderful, no matter how busy, different, lonely, or sad it may feel this year. A Savior has still been born for you. He is Christ the Lord. The real Christmas means you have peace with God, you have God with you, you have hope!
This Christmas season, take time to celebrate the real Christmas. There you will truly find reason to say, “This Christmas season is truly wonderful!” Or in the words of the angels, “Glory to God in the highest and peace to men on whom his favor rests!”
Make use of these wonderful opportunities at St. Paul to celebrate with your family and friends the real Christmas:
Christmas Eve Lessons and Carols Service - Sunday, Dec. 24 @ 9am
Christmas Eve Morning will be a lessons and carols service consisting primarily of prophesies that point to and describe the Messiah who would come into the world. These prophesies help to prepare our hearts to welcome the babe born in Bethlehem as our King and Lord.
Christmas Eve Children’s Service - Sunday, Dec. 24 @ 6:30pm
Christmas Eve Evening will feature the children of our congregation telling us the account of that first Christmas and what it means to us. This is one story that never gets old and must be told! “Today in the town of David, A Savior has been born to you, He is Christ the Lord!”
Christmas Day Communion Service - Monday, Dec. 25 @ 9am
Christmas Day will give us a chance to delve deeper into what it means that God became man, the Word became flesh! What makes the incarnation of Jesus so beautiful, mysterious, and especially meaningful to me and all people? Coupled with this service is the Lord’s Supper, where we partake in the mystery of the God-Man for the forgiveness of sins and the strengthening of our faith.
Along the way, we will sing many if not all of your favorite Christmas and Advent hymns! Young and old will be reminded of how our lives were forever changed that first Christmas morning. Come celebrate the real Christmas with us!
May God bless you and yours this Christmas,
In His service,
Pastor Titus Buelow
“Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” Luke 2:15