December 2014
My Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
You might have heard about the little girl who was having trouble going to sleep one night. Her mother reassured her that Jesus was with her, right there in her heart. In protest, the little girl answered, “but I want Jesus with skin on.”
That little girl articulates in a simple way the joy, mystery and gift of what we church folk call the Incarnation, “God with skin on.” Because God loved the world so much and wanted the rift between him and creation to be healed, God emptied himself. God became vulnerable, first as an infant in a seemingly inconsequential place, and then as one who exchanged all of our brokenness for his righteousness.
There are many implications arising from “God with skin on.” One result is that God recognizes our ongoing need for tangible reminder of his presence among us. The waters of baptism not only provide us with the assurance that we belong to God in a special way, our daily encounters with water tell us again and again that we start anew each and every day. Similarly, the bread and wine of Communion through which we are fed Jesus’ body and blood declare that we are forgiven for our sins and strengthen us for the journey of faith.
Perhaps one of the greatest mysteries is that the church is also “God with skin on.” As the Body of Christ, we are God’s incarnate presence in the world. The “Basket Cases” that we’ve been hearing in worship remind us of the ways that God is working in, with and through us to serve a world that needs to know in concrete ways that God loves it and has not abandoned it. It has been a real joy to hear stories of how God is making a difference in peoples’ lives through our various ministries.
At this time of year, when we celebrate God’s amazing gift to us in Jesus Christ, we are encouraged and motivated to respond with gifts of our own. I would be remiss as your pastor if I didn’t ask that you prayerfully consider making an additional gift to Grace before the end of the year. We are dangerously close to being unable to fully fund God’s mission and ministries for this year, which would severely hamper mission for the coming year. A gift of $100 or more above your regular giving would go a long way toward our efforts to “finish well and start strong.” Of course, we will be grateful for a gift of any size. Thank you!
Yet, it is not only important to be generous; it is also important to gather together to hear again the stories about how God’s love broke into our world and continues to do so. So, please join us on Sundays and Wednesdays as we light the Advent wreath, declaring that the darkness will not overcome the Light of the World. Come and see how our young people stand witness to God’s love in our Christmas program on Wednesday evening, December 17. Bring your family and friends to our Christmas Eve Candle Lighting service so that they, too, can experience “God with skin on,” Emanuel.
Peace,
Pastor Olson
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