2019 Worship Guide

Page 6 2019 Worship Guide LINCOLN DAILY NEWS Wednesday, December 4, 2019 H aving recently attended a Junior High basketball game here in town I found the game somewhat unsatisfying. Then it hit me, what the issue was. Basketball is a non-contact sport played like a contact sport. Personally speaking basketball might be more satisfying if played and officiated like hockey. Football seems to have a similar fence sitting dilemma. Football is a violent, aggressive, sport that apparently, due to perceived public opinion, sort of wants to be a less combative sport. That dual stance can make watching a game with its fouls and non-fouls and game stoppages an unsatisfying experience. Let football be what football is a rough and tumble sport with rules for rough and tumble. I can’t even begin with professional soccer, yikes! Beloved sports having trouble deciding what to be, reminded me of Christmas, yes Christmas. Christmas should be just what Christmas is; The Nativity of our Lord, the immortal taking on mortality, heaven breaking into earth. Christmas is the incarnation, God the Son the second person of the Trinity come to take on human flesh and blood, bear the sin of the world, fulfilling the whole will and law of God for us in our place. Christmas is God Himself repairing our sundered relation with Him precisely because we could not do it ourselves. Presents, family gatherings, food and festivities are certainly all fine on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. If they come first in the soul and worship comes second, well then, Christmas too will become wholly unsatisfying. In the Book of Revelation chapter three, Jesus warns the Church in Laodicea to commit fully, be hot or cold but not lukewarm. St. Paul in Second Corinthians states that he was not fence sitting regarding his visit to their congregation stating there is not “Yes, yes.” And “No, no.” There is only “Yes in Christ.” What can we take away from this? Christmas proclaims the fact that redemption has come into the world and we celebrate with thankfulness the mighty Lincoln Zion Lutheran Church Pastor Mark Thompson Let Christmas be what it should be CONTINUE