Thankful for the Christmas Blessing of Immanuel, God With Us Now

St. John held Christmas Day worship again this year. Intentional Interim Pastor, Craig Schultz, carried the heavy load of leading worship for the candlelight services on Christmas Eve. I had the privilege of leading worship and preaching for the smaller, quieter Christmas Day service, as I had done for the last two years. When worship was finished and Kathy and I were leaving, I told her that, in addition to the birth of Jesus, the service had given me reason for thanks.

Christmas Day worship usually has a smaller worship attendance than Christmas Eve. Nevertheless, among those worshiping Christmas Day was Janelle Hankins. I reminded Kathy that last year Janelle was fighting for her life, on a respirator, in the hospital because of COVID. Janelle is working through a long recovery. Yet here she was in worship on Christmas Day, with daughter, Hannah. It brought joy to my heart!

In addition, Sara Guhl played piano for the service. Sara’s daughter, Ellen, has been ill and returned to Alaska to see a doctor. She had been waiting to find out from doctors the cause of her illness. Our congregational prayer chain has been praying for Ellen for months. Thankfully, two days earlier Ellen received a diagnosis from her doctor. Her condition was identified, and there is treatment which should give her a long healthy life. God is Good!

In addition, present in Christmas Day worship was Kristin Kopperud Stinn. St. John prayed for Kristin for years because of heart trouble she has suffered from birth. In 2005 we started praying in a different way as Kristin left Palmer to await a heart transplant. Three and a half years later, in April of 2009, God answered our prayers, and Kristin received her new heart. Then, here Kristin was in worship on Christmas Day 2022 with her husband, Kevin. Praise the Lord!

As we left worship my heart overflowed, because of the good news of Christmas, AND because God is active in our lives today in the midst of a troubled world.

I believe Christians often forget one of the great gifts of Christmas. We look at the past and the birth of God’s Son, and we celebrate the holy family, we celebrate the angels and the shepherds and the magi. We look forward to eternal life in heaven when “There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." (Revelation 21:4)

But, I believe we often miss the gifts of God in our present lives. God inspired Matthew to teach us about the events of Christmas, “22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 ‘The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’--which means, ‘God with us.’" (Matthew 1:22-23) On Christmas Day I saw the gifts of Immanuel. I saw God With Us, in the faces of Janelle Hankins, and Sara Guhl, and Kristin Kopperud Stinn.

I praise God that Jesus is Immanuel, and that God is with us right now, in our lives today!