All Because He Came

Worship was terrific on Sunday. The auditorium looks so festive, and people are coming to the services dressed in Christmas reds and greens. It all adds to the Christmas spirit. Sunday we had three specials that added to our worship, David LeShay sang a solo entitled “Search Me Oh God.” Our ladies’ ensemble, “Hearts of Praise,” under the direction of Lynn Bowman, sang “Be Born in Me.” Thank you to everyone who made Sunday a special day. If you weren’t here, you can watch it on our website.

I had asked Lynn Bowman to sing the song “Noel” to close our service. The song contains words describing some of the events God performed at the birth of Jesus. It is an invitation to behold the working of God on our behalf. There is a line in the song that says,“Noel, Noel, come and see what God has done!” That is what I want to talk about. Last Sunday, I spoke about the incarnation, how God brought light into dark places in the birth of Jesus. This Sunday, I plan to talk about how God brought life into dead places.

Another outstanding Christmas concert has gone into the books. I am always amazed at how many people it takes to present a program like “All Because He Came.” Each concert sold out, so we offered the program to a packed house. Once I start naming people who make all of this happen, I will for sure leave someone out, and I don’t want to do that. So, let me thank Mike, Amy Thomas, and all their “helpers”. If you were unable to attend, you can watch the program on our website.

Connie and I are happy to be back from our River Cruise down the Rhine, stopping to visit various Christmas markets along the way. I admit, I have never seen anything like that. It was like a Christmas-themed garage sale on steroids. It was amazing. We made some new friends that we hope will remain friends in the years ahead.

I want to talk about my impressions of Christmas in Europe, but I will plan to do that in next week’s column. I’m looking forward to seeing you on Sunday.