Pastor Martin's Message

For January 2010

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, what the Lord has made known to us." So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it has been told them." Luke 2:15-20

As this newsletter article is written, it is prior to Christmas Day and, under the Christmas tree at home, there is an assortment of Christmas presents that have come from family and friends waiting to be opened. I look forward to opening up these gifts Christmas Day, appreciating those who gave the gifts to me in celebration of our Savior's birth. I appreciate and will give thanks for the gifts that are found under the Christmas tree and elsewhere, but there have been two rather nice gifts that I have been given that I have opened throughout the past Advent Season that will bless me for a very long time. One of those gifts came from the ministry of Rob Bell in the videos we saw during our Advent Services: "Kickball," "Lump," and "Dust," and two of his books "Velvet Elvis" and "Drops Like Stars." Our Lord's timing is incredible, as we had placed Rob Bell's videos in our Advent Services, he would come to visit the Murat Theater sharing with us his new book "Drops Like Stars." I had the opportunity of meeting with him briefly, as he signed two of his books. Another gift that has been opened almost on a daily basis is the Advent Devotional that was put together by the members and friends of Bethany. This is an incredible gift that keeps on giving, as each person had to prayerfully consider what the Scripture text was saying to them and then share what they had received to everyone who followed the Advent Devotional Book. Each person had the opportunity of sharing their Christian faith and we were able to learn more about them in what they said.

,In the account of Jesus' birth in Bethlehem, we have the shepherds sharing with Mary and Joseph and all who were there what they had been told about the child. When they leave Jesus, they glorify and praise God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told to them. Like the shepherds, many of us were able to share what we have been told about our preparation of Advent that would lead to our glorifying and praising God on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day for our Savior's birth. Now that we have come to the Epiphany of our Lord and the New Year of 2010, we need to see how there are more opportunities for us to share our Christian faith and tell what we have been told about Jesus to those we know and especially to those we don't know. Maybe that could happen in a Lenten Devotional, which will need more people, as there are more days in the Lenten Season? Like the shepherds of that first Christmas night, we need to find more opportunities to share our Christian faith as we did this past Advent Season, so that more people will be blessed throughout the New Year with the good news that comes from our newborn Savior and Lord. May all of us have a very blessed 2010 filled with the many new opportunities we have of sharing who Jesus is as our Savior and Lord!

Pastor Martin