Author: Lee Ames

LET US ADORE HIM Matthew 2:1-12
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As we gather for Christmas Eve, we turn our hearts to Bethlehem. The story of the Wise Men in search of the child-born King of the Jews has captured our imaginations and fostered many sermons. We know little about these men who travel a long distance following a star, hoping to pay homage to this king. What we do know is that they are tenacious in their search. We find that their journey stirs the entire city of Jerusalem, spurning jealousy in the reigning king and intrigue from his scribes.
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In our series Let Us Adore Him, we are researching the story of the incarnation and how individuals respond to the news of Jesus’ birth. The Wise Men are shown to be tenacious and diligent in their search. King Herod reveals the darkness of his heart by responding to the message of a king’s birth by trying to eliminate that king. The scribes may have the oddest responses in that they don’t respond at all. The scribes delivered the scriptural text confirming where the king was to be born but couldn’t be bothered to go 5 miles to Bethlehem to confirm the scripture. Ultimately, the greatest response is found when the Wise Men discover Jesus and Mary and pay him homage by delivering gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
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To close our series, we must consider our response to Jesus. This story reveals the real-life outflow that occurs when people are confronted with the news of Jesus. What is left for us is to respond. Hopefully, our response will not be fear, anger, or insecurity but rather obedience, adoration, and hope. We end our Christmas Eve service by lighting candles and singing Silent Night. When the song ends, we lift the candles high and hold them in silence. Our prayer this year is that as we lift our candles high, it will be an affirmation of the hope that we hold in our hearts not just for ourselves but for all the world to see.

LET US ADORE HIM Matthew 2:1-12
As we gather for Christmas Eve, we turn our hearts to Bethlehem. The story of the Wise Men in search of the child-born King of the Jews has captured our imaginations and fostered many sermons. We know little about these men who travel a long distance following a star, hoping to pay homage to this king. What we do know is that they are tenacious in their search. We find that their journey stirs the entire city of Jerusalem, spurning jealousy in the reigning king and intrigue from his scribes.

In our series Let Us Adore Him, we are researching the story of the incarnation and how individuals respond to the news of Jesus’ birth. The Wise Men are shown to be tenacious and diligent in their search. King Herod reveals the darkness of his heart by responding to the message of a king’s birth by trying to eliminate that king. The scribes may have the oddest responses in that they don’t respond at all. The scribes delivered the scriptural text confirming where the king was to be born but couldn’t be bothered to go 5 miles to Bethlehem to confirm the scripture. Ultimately, the greatest response is found when the Wise Men discover Jesus and Mary and pay him homage by delivering gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

To close our series, we must consider our response to Jesus. This story reveals the real-life outflow that occurs when people are confronted with the news of Jesus. What is left for us is to respond. Hopefully, our response will not be fear, anger, or insecurity but rather obedience, adoration, and hope. We end our Christmas Eve service by lighting candles and singing Silent Night. When the song ends, we lift the candles high and hold them in silence. Our prayer this year is that as we lift our candles high, it will be an affirmation of the hope that we hold in our hearts not just for ourselves but for all the world to see.

Luke 2:1-20
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The Christmas story has been shared for almost 2000 years. The sacrifice of Mary and Joseph, the birth of Jesus, and the bad decision-making of an innkeeper all work together to bring us the greatest birth narrative ever told. This week, in our focus on the Christmas story, one would imagine that if the Son of God was entering the world, great care would be taken to prepare a place for his birth. One would also assume that the whole world would be on point, waiting to receive this child. Neither of these two things happened. With no fanfare or great celebration, Jesus was born.
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In our time, we will explore the ancient registration that took Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem and consider the role of shepherds in this incarnation story. The events of this night changed the world forever, and studying the people engaged in its unfolding will help us discern our own connection to the greater story.