Christmas Eve Sermon

Luke 2:1-20 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) The Birth of Jesus 2 In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 All went to their own towns to be registered. 4 Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. 5 He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. The Shepherds and the Angels 8 In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11 to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah,[a] the Lord. 12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host,[b] praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”[c] 15 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, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. 17 When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

From Ordinary to Extraordinary

Luke 1:26-38 1:26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 1:27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 1:28 And he came to her and said, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you." 1:29 But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 1:30 The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 1:31 And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. 1:32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. 1:33 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." 1:34 Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?" 1:35 The angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. 1:36 And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. 1:37 For nothing will be impossible with God." 1:38 Then Mary said, "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her.

Rejoice Always!

1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 5:16 Rejoice always, 5:17 pray without ceasing, 5:18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 5:19 Do not quench the Spirit. 5:20 Do not despise the words of prophets, 5:21 but test everything; hold fast to what is good; 5:22 abstain from every form of evil. 5:23 May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 5:24 The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this.

God's Radar

• Isaiah 40:1-11  • 
 
• Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13  • 
 
• 2 Peter 3:8-15a   • 
 
• Mark 1:1-8

Watching and Waiting

Sheep & Goats

Perception vs. Reality

The Wise Bridesmaids

• Amos 5:18-24   Psalm 70  • 
 
• 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18  • 
• Matthew 25:1-13

The Eternal Life of Saints

* Much debt is owed to C.S. Lewis for the two images used in this sermon.

• Revelation 7:9-17 and Psalm 34:1-10, 22  • 
 
• 1 John 3:1-3  • 
 
• Matthew 5:1-12
• 
  

The Mission of the Church

More Than Mere Guests

 
• Isaiah 25:1-9 and Psalm 23  • 
 
• Philippians 4:1-9  • 
• Matthew 22:1-14

There's More than One Way to Crack an Egg

The Third Son

The Unfair Wage

To Err is Human, To Forgive is Divine

The Office of the Keys

Dying & Rising with Christ

Blessed Are You

Lord, Have Mercy

Walking on Water

It Depends On Whose Hands It's In

The Kingdom of Heaven is Like ...

The Wheat & The Weeds

The Parable of the Sower

Free in Christ

Leap of Faith

Who's On First?

• Genesis 1:1-2:4a and Psalm 8  • 
 
• 2 Corinthians 13:11-13  • 
 
• Matthew 28:16-20

in Synch With the Father

Jesus Prays for Us

Because He Loves Us

The life of a Christian is the continual response to the love the Father first shares with us.

Because he loves us, we love him and seek to obey his commandments.

The Way Home

Jesus assures us in our gospel lesson this morning that he is our Way home.

Meet Our Partners

Candy Mueller, 

Trinity Lutheran Church

This week we meet Candy Mueller from Trinity Lutheran Church. I hope you enjoy this opportunity to get to know her better.

Candy & Don Mueller

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What’s your favorite food?  
Chicken fried steak

And how about a favorite drink? 
Cherry diet coke from Sonic

Do you have a favorite movie? 
The Gods Must be Crazy

What about a favorite color?  
Blue

What is your favorite song or hymn?  
Take My Hand Precious Lord (Elvis Presley’s version)

After the Mountain Top

These two disciples on their way to Emmaus are coming down off a mountain top experience. A week ago, they'd come up the mountain with Jesus.

They’d pinned all their hopes on Jesus, and then they’d watched as both he and their hopes were pinned to the cross.

Meet Our Partners

Goldie Friedrich, 

Trinity Lutheran Church

This week we meet Goldie Friedrich from Trinity Lutheran Church. I hope you enjoy this opportunity to get to know her better.

Goldie Friedrich

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What’s your favorite food?
Brats & hot dogs

Mmm ... good German food!  And your favorite drink?
Diet Coke

Do you have a favorite movie?
Love Story and The African Queen

Christ Finds Us

Like Mary Magdalene on that first Easter morning, many of us have been frustrated because no matter how much we search for Jesus we cannot find him.

The Resurrection story reminds us that it is not we who find Christ, but rather it is Christ who finds us.

Just like he came to find Mary as she stood weeping in the garden that first Easter morning.
And just like he came to find the disciples as they cowered in fear behind the locked door.

Our Resurrected Lord comes to find us.

• Acts 10:34-43  • 
 
• Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24  • 
 
• Colossians 3:1-4   • 
• John 20:1-18

For You

As we contemplate the gruesome and senseless death of our Lord tonight.  We might well ask ourselves: Why?

Why did Christ suffer like this? Why did God let himself be beaten, mocked, and murdered?

And the answer of course is, he did it for you.

• Isaiah 52:13-53:12  • 
 
• Psalm 22  • 
 
• Hebrews 10:16-25 or Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9  • 
 
• John 18:1-19:42

It is I

When he took the bread and gave thanks and broke it and gave it to His disciples, he said, “It is I given for you”.

And then when he took the cup and gave it for them to drink, he again said, “It is I given for the forgiveness of your sins.”

And with these simple statements, Jesus took what is ours and gave us what is his.

• Exodus 12:1-4, (5-10), 11-14  • 
 
• Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19  • 
 
• 1 Corinthians 11:23-26  • 
 
• John 13:1-17, 31b-35

Meet Our Partners

Kermet & Nancy Sheppard, 

Peace Lutheran Church

This week we meet Kermet & Nancy Sheppard from Peace Lutheran Church. I hope you enjoy this opportunity to get to know them better.

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What’s your favorite food? 
Nancy: Hamburgers 
Kermet: Steak

And favorite drink? 
Nancy: Unsweetened tea 
Kermet: Anything cold

What kind of movies do you like? 
Nancy: Any old black and white 
Kermet: Any Western

Do you have a favorite color? 
Nancy: Blue 
Kermet: Red

And what about a favorite song or hymn? 
Nancy: Jesus Loves Me 
Kermet: The Old Rugged Cross

Do you have any favorite sports teams? 

Dying & Rising with Christ

In baptism, Christ pulls us into his own death and resurrection and teaches us how to die and rise again. As his disciples he encourages us to practice this pattern of dying and rising.

Each time we humble ourselves and confess our sins and receive Christ’s forgiveness, we die and rise again. We humbly put to death our old, sinful self so that the new life of Christ might rise in us.

• Isaiah 50:4-9a  • 
 
• Psalm 31:9-16  • 
 
• Philippians 2:5-11  • 
 
• Matthew 26:14-27:66

Meet Our Partners

Clarence & Evelyn Petrowsky, 

Grace Lutheran Church

This week we meet Clarence and Evelyn Petrowsky from Grace Lutheran Church. I hope you enjoy this opportunity to get to know them better.

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What’s your favorite food? 
Evelyn: Ice cream 
Clarence: All kinds; Evelyn is a great cook! Perhaps fried potatoes!

And your favorite drink? 
Evelyn: Coffee
Clarence: Coffee

Do you have a favorite movie? 
Evelyn: It's a Wonderful Life with James Stewart and Donna Reed
Clarence: Fiddler on the Roof

What about your favorite color? 
Evelyn: All bright colors - blue, green & red
Clarence: Blue

Lazarus Was Dead

Lazarus was dead: to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that.
His sisters knew he was dead. The people who'd buried him 4 days ago knew he was dead.

There is no doubt that Lazarus was dead. This must be distinctly understood or nothing wonderful can come of the story in today's Gospel.

• Ezekiel 37:1-14  • 
 
• Psalm 130  • 
 
• Romans 8:6-11  • 
 
• John 11:1-45

Meet Our Partners

Bishop Michael Girlinghouse, 

Arkansas-Oklahoma Synod

We have a special guest this week, Bishop Michael Girlinghouse, of the Arkansas-Oklahoma Synod. In anticipation of his joining us for our Joint Worship Celebration this Sunday, Bishop Mike was gracious enough to take some time to help us get to know him better. Enjoy!

Bishop Michael Girlinghouse

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Thanks for agreeing to be part of Meet Our Partners. We always get started with some easy questions, such as what’s your favorite food?  
What ever is on the table in front of me?  I especially like deep dish Chicago Style Pizza and also Chili.

And your favorite drink?  
Again, depends on the context.  I like decaf Chicory Coffee... or a nice glass of Cabernet.

How about a favorite movie?  
Has to be the original Star Wars.

Missed Opportunities

In our gospel lesson this morning, Jesus’ disciples miss an incredible opportunity to share the gospel with a bunch of people who desperately wanted to hear it.

Thankfully, the Samaritan woman didn’t miss her opportunity. She told everyone about Jesus and John tells us that many people in that city came to believe in Jesus Because of her testimony.

• Exodus 17:1-7  • 
 
• Psalm 95  • 
 
• Romans 5:1-11  • 
 
• John 4:5-42

Faith in the Promises of God

Each time we worship, we demonstrate our faith in the promises God made for us in our baptism.

The promise of his unconditional love and the forgiveness of sins and the resurrection to everlasting lasting.

Meet Our Partners

Lance & Danyal Walters, 

Trinity Lutheran Church

This week we meet Lance & Danyal Walters from Trinity Lutheran Church. I hope you enjoy this opportunity to get to know them better.

Devyn, Danyal, Lance, Delicity Walters

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What’s your favorite food? 
Danyal: Steak and fried squash  
Lance: Mexican food

And your favorite drink? 
Danyal: Sweet tea
Lance: Sweet tea

Do you have a favorite movie? 
Danyal: All time favorite movies are Dirty Dancing and Little Mermaid
Lance: he nightmare before Christmas (I'm still a kid at heart)

Easier Said Than Done

If there’s one thing that’s easy said than done, it’s the old adage: “Good things come to those who wait."

Patience may be a virtue, but it’s certainly not an easy one to acquire or maintain.

Our lessons this morning show us two very different responses to the temptations and impatience. Adam and Eve chose one way, Jesus chose the other.

• Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7  • 
 
• Psalm 32  • 
 
• Romans 5:12-19  • 
 
• Matthew 4:1-11

Repentant Snowflakes

While every snow is beautifully unique, the one thing that all snowflakes have in common is that they're dirty at the core.

Snowflakes start as tiny dust particles in the clouds which collect moisture. And as the moisture freezes into crystals which then fall sparkling white to the ground. But that tiny bit of dirt remains at the center of each snowflake.

And so there’s a similarity between us and snowflakes.  Because while each one of us is uniquely and wonderfully made by God in his own image, at our core we are stained with the dirt of sin.

And this Ash Wednesday, each one of us will be marked with a visible reminder of that inner stain in the black ashes we'll wear on our forehead.

Meet Our Partners

Dennis & Barbara Messmer, 

Grace Lutheran Church

This week we meet Dennis & Barbara Messmer from Grace Lutheran Church. I hope you enjoy this opportunity to get to know them better.

Dennis & Barbara

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What’s your favorite food?
Barbara - roast beef 
Dennis - kimchi

And your favorite drink?
Barbara – lemon juice 
Dennis – coffee

What about a favorite movie?
Barbara --Saving Mr. Banks 

A Successful Mission Project

Great Job Everyone!

The collection of oral hygiene kits proved to be a successful first mission project for our faith partnership.  

Trinity's catechism students helped assemble packets

Thanks to the combined efforts of your congregations and the SWOSU Lutheran Campus Ministry we assembled nearly 150 complete oral hygiene kits to be distributed in Panama this Spring. 

In addition to the complete kits there were enough left-over supplies and monetary donations to complete at least a couple dozen additional kits. 

Considering the average cost of the items per packet, this is quite a sizable contribution! You all deserve a lot of credit!

The Star Witness

Our Gospel lesson this morning tells of the time the star witness appeared to answer the question, “Who is Jesus?”

God the Father once and for all proivides the definitive answer: “This is my Son, the beloved, with whom I am well-pleased.”