This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
It’s a story about a baby boy. I had a baby boy once. He’s 14 now and pushing 6’2”, but he really was a baby once.
He was born in December of 2002, and in March of the following year we went to war with Iraq…again.
Right after the war began, if you
remember, a maintenance company was ambushed. It was the 507th Maintenance Company, and 6 soldiers were taken captive.
I remember rocking my baby boy and listening to the news and thinking, “Those [Read more…]
(Preached Sunday, December 18, 2016)
It’s a story told so simply, with such spare attention to detail and yet so explicit in its narration, that we could, if not prepared, easily miss the point.
Jesus Christ was born. God’s Son. The Son of Man. The Prince of Peace. Love came down. Hope exploded over a hungry earth. God handed us salvation in a manger, and said, “Here. Take it. It’s yours.”
Shuffling through papers this morning, I found a little gem. This was my prayer for graduates at our Otero Junior College graduation in 2013:
God of grace, it is our joy to gather this morning to honor these graduates, whom You have gifted with sufficient wisdom, energy, imagination, and dedication to reach this place of achievement. They have taught us at least as much–if not more–than we could ever teach them.
Today, we honor them and celebrate with them; tomorrow they begin a new journey in their lives. Some know exactly where they are going; some are still wondering, “What’s next?” Wherever the road takes them, grant them strength to travel it, forgiveness when they stumble, perseverance to continue when they grow weary, and the joy of knowing that You walk with them at their side, always.
Thank You, God, for this glorious day, for we pray it in the name of our Savior. Amen.
