“Immanuel, God with us,” is without question one of the most beautiful, life altering, hope inspiring phrases in the entire world of words. It was an Old Testament prophecy foretelling of Jesus (Isaiah 7:14), a fulfilled reality testified to in the New Testament (Matthew 1:20-23), and it has been our church's theme the entire month of December. It is also one of my favorite names of Jesus.
The first Candlelight Service at Council Road was in 1970, when I was six years old. Fred Wilhoite, our first pastor, was a kind, older gentleman, and I remember children like me were naturally drawn to him. The tradition of children climbing onto the stage for the Christmas story didn’t start until years later. About 12 years ago, Norman had a wonderful idea to begin writing and publishing our own children’s books for that service, with each child getting to take one home.
When I think back to New Year’s Eve 2019, it feels like another lifetime. Had you shown me a picture of people shopping while wearing masks and face shields, I might have assumed it was a scene from a sci-fi movie. Mention spending months in quarantine, worshipping via Live Stream, navigating Zoom meetings and Easter at home, and I might have assumed the world was coming to an end.
Did you know that some scholars have located over 700 different titles and names in the Bible for God's one and only Son? Of course these names weren’t all recorded on Jesus’ official birth certificate. His childhood friends didn’t ask if the “Prince of Peace” could come out to play. His siblings didn’t call Him “Faithful and True”. And I’m confident His coworkers never yelled, “King of Kings and Lord of Lords” when trying to get His attention or saw that title written on His business card.
With Christmas quickly approaching, it’s the perfect time to stop for a minute and examine our hearts for the days ahead. It’s a tricky time of year. It’s extremely busy and our attention can easily become divided between celebrating Jesus’ birth and getting caught up in the Santa-centered and celebratory rush of gift exchanges, holiday parties and family traditions.
Growing up in Uganda, Christmas was always a big deal. I was constantly surrounded by both close and extended family during this time. We would swap stories from the year, go to church together and eat lots of good food. However, I never realized the importance and value of being surrounded by family during the Christmas season until I moved to this country for college.
