Christmas Week Clarity

It's Incarnation Week - my first here at Sixth Street. We have one more Sunday to go and we'll close out 2009. Hope to blog some thoughts about Christmas this week. I'm at my Mom's house today so this is the Road Show edition of the blog.

• The crowd was a little better than I anticipated Sunday morning. The weeks of Christmas are usually hard on attendance with people travelling to see family. I knew of several families that were going to be out, but I was surprised that the crowd was still a good size.
• I thought the music really accented the theme of Emmanuel Sunday morning. It was a great mix of a couple of Christmas carols with some new songs like Glory to God Forever and Mighty to Save. It was a reminder that the Incarnation message is a message of salvation come and God's glory revealed.
• Alison and I have really felt welcomed by all the Christmas parties we have been invited to. The food has been awesome and the fellowship even better. Seems like everyone loves to play Dirty Santa but me. It's a personal thing. I know every time I get something really good, I am probably not going to keep it. However, it's fun to see everyone laughing and enjoying themselves. We need much more of that in the world today.
• Remember to pray for Myles Palmer. He came home Monday to some pain in his chest and found out he has a collapsed lung. The doctors inserted a chest tube in him Tuesday morning and said he would be there at least 3 days. Looks like it might be a Christmas in the hospital for Myles, Matt, Mel, and Melinda. Keep them in your prayers.
• I was really struck with the enormity of my message this past Sunday. I spent most of last week thinking and meditating on the implications of "Emmanuel: God with us". I think most of the world misses out not just on the meaning of Christmas but also of salvation because they do not understand the Incarnation. If you really believe that the baby in the manger is not just a human, but also the very incarnate Son of God, then everything changes. If God came not just because he wanted to be a human, but because he had to bring an answer to our sin virus and change the course of human destiny, then everything changes. This Christmas, don't just focus on the baby in the manger, but also on the meaning of "God with us".
• Don't forget out Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. We've collected just under $7000 towards our goal of $10,000. Be a part of supporting our missionaries around the globe. If each family at Sixth Street makes one small sacrifice for missions, we'll hit our target.
• I'll be in town most of the next couple of weeks. I am travelling to my Mom's this week, but will be back Wednesday night. Alison and I will be at her families for a couple of days beginning next Tuesday. The office will be closed on December 23-25 and Dec 31-Jan 1. If you need anything or have an emergency during this time, please give me a call.