December 2005

“For Unto Us A Child Is Born ... And It's Miraculous.”

Where were you when you heard that a special child in your life was born? Whether it was your own child, grandchild, a niece or nephew or a child of a friend, you can almost always remember where you were when you heard the news. Many can place themselves at a certain location and time because the event was filled with excitement and anticipation. Some of you were in the hospital next to your spouse with all the eventful sights and sounds. But no matter the time and place, one thing that is true, every birth is a miracle from God. It is mind boggling to consider the many events that must come together for successful child development and birth.

It is interesting that in spite of the miraculous nature of birth we find people in our society who think it's not a big deal. There are many reasons why we think this way, but I'm guessing that modern medicine with all its advances has put many of us at ease. When we hear that someone is expecting a child we seldom think about the seriousness of birth. It was just a few generations ago when the excitement of expecting a child was tempered with the knowledge that many did not live through it. I have to confess that I had fallen back to the thinking that birth was not a big deal. It's been years (a little over fifteen to be exact) since I walked with my wife, Sue through the birth process. Sometimes time has a way of minimizing the intensity of the past moment. Well, family events now have changed me forever and the miracle of birth is forever embedded in my mind.

As most of you know our oldest daughter Shannon has been expectiong our first grandchild. From the first day when we heard the news we have been exciting and looking forward to the birthday. Two weeks ago the excitement turned from anticipation to anxiety and great concern. We received a call from Trevor, Shannon's husband, that she was having serious problems and that the baby would be born within a few hours to protect Shannon's life. We moved into actoion and within the next 2 hours we were on the road to Nashville, Tennessee. With still two months left before the due date and Shannon's health worsening by the hour, the doctors decided to deliver the baby by an emergency C-section. We were on I-94 on the way out of Minneapolis when we received the call on our cell phone that the baby boy had been born. Shannon could now get the treatment she needed to combat her health issues. The baby was strong enough a 3lbs 4oz and thankfully Shannon had pulled through. The next few miles were a blur. I apologize to anyone witnessing any arractic driving behavior. We prayed, we praised and we felt blessed. Our 16 hour trip to Nashville was slow, because of a blizzard, but we finally arrived safe. We were able to spend a week with Shannon and Trevor at the hospital sharing wonderful moments with them and our new grandson, Benjamin in NICU. I will never again take child birth or family for granted.

In the many hours that have passed since Benjamin's birth, I have had time to think about how it relateds to the Birth of Christ. How often have I taken the birth of Christ for granted? Have gone through a time in which we barely noticed the season of Advent begin or worse yet, dreaded the upcoming season. This Christmas I would encourage you to take time to prepare yourself for the coming of the Christ Child. Take time to understand the love that was expressed when God sent his son Jesus Christ to earth for us. Mary had to prepare for the delivery and even a hard trip close to her due date. A stable delivery could not have been easy either, but that is how God's son, Jesus Christ, entered the world. If you asked the shepherds, they could have told you where the hillside.They could tell the miraculous story of the Angels coming and then hurrying to the stable where the Messiah had been born. The Wisemen, being great scientists, would be able to open their journals and read to you exactly where they were when they first saw the star that lead them to the Christ child. You see the event completely changed their lives. The Shepherds and the Wisemen were never the same.

Read the words of the Good News of th Angle in Luke 2:

But the Angel reassured them. "Don't be afraid!" He said. "I bring you good news of great joy for everyone! The savior - yes the Messiah, the Lord - has been born tonight in Bethlehem, the city of David! And this is how you will recognize him: You will find a baby lying in a manger, wrapped snugly in strips of cloth!
Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others - the armies of heaven - praising God: "Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth to all whom God favors."

This Christmas I pray that you will again recapture the miracle and wonder of the birth of the Christ child. That you will never be the same because you, once again, met your Savior and Lord. The birth that brought you salvation and eternal life.

So in your preparation, be intentional about the things that you do to help yourself and your family center on the Christ child. Here are some ideas that I hope you will talk about in your home and put into your celebration this month.

• Plan to give time and simple gifts to others.
• Visit a nursing home or those shut in.
• Give a mystery gift to another family, never letting them know who it came from.
• Invite a family over for a meal, dessert or night of games.
• Bring a friend, neighbor, co-worker to a School or Church Christmas concert or program.
• Deliver Christmas cookies to people you don't even know.
• Go Caroling with friends and family.
• Begin or continue family worship traditions:
  • Attend the Christmas services as a family
  • Conduct Weekly Family Advent Worship
  • Invite an unchurched family in your neighborhood to attend a Christmas Service with you.

May God Bless you this Miraculous Christmas,


Pastor Craig