 That was the theme to the Children’s Pageant last Sunday, “Someone Has a Birthday” by Cathy Skogen-Soldner in her book, “Christmas Pageants, just add Children.” We had angels announce, holding up individual letters, “BABY BORN” and then they flipped the letters over to invite, “COME & SEE”. You can watch here, it starts at the 16:00 mark.
Christmas is one of the best times of year when people are open to hearing Good News of Great Joy. That is what the angels did inviting the shepherds to the manger, announcing, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!” (Luke 2:14) It is what the shepherds did after they went and saw the sign, “a child wrapped in bands of cloth lying in the manger, the Savior, Messiah, the Lord. They returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.” (Luke 2:20) So you are invited to play the role of an angel or a shepherd this Christmas inviting others to come and see. We have three opportunities to worship in person: Christmas Eve Worship at 2:00, 4:00, and 10:00 PM Plus we will live stream the 2:00 and 4:00 PM worships, which means they will be recorded for you to enjoy at your choosing. youtube.com/stlukesbloomington Christmas is a unique time of year when people are open to an invitation. “In a recent poll of 1,000 Americans, LifeWay Research found six out of 10 Americans typically attend church at Christmastime. But among those who don’t attend church at Christmastime, a majority (57 percent) say they would likely attend if someone they knew invited them.” “Regular churchgoers may assume the rest of America has already made up their mind not to attend church,” said Scott McConnell, vice president of LifeWay Research. “In reality, many would welcome going to a Christmas service with someone they know.” Who will you invite? We also want to be prepared when people do arrive. There are a number of opportunities to serve on Christmas Eve… 2:00 PM: Prayground Attendent and an Usher 4:00 PM: Sound Tech, Welcome Desk, Greeter, Prayground Attendent 10:00 PM: Lector, Welcome Desk, Greeter, Communion Assistants, Ushers We opened with the children pageant. It closed with this invitation. Some of us give presents at Christmas. Some of us do a little extra work to help someone out at Christmas. Some of us sing songs and ring bells at Christmas. Whatever you do, we’re all doing something special to celebrate that Jesus has a birthday. And that’s what Christmas is all about… Celebrating the birthday of God’s gift to all of us – Jesus! Just as the children sung, let us do likewise with our family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and others, “We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!”
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |