December 23rd at 6:00 pm or December 24th at 2:00, 4:00 or 6:00 pm.
Each December, I try to read through the Bible passages detailing the Christmas story with a fresh set of eyes. (My past blog post with a suggested Christmas reading plan can be found here:http://b4worshipblog.blogspot.com/2014/12/peace-on-earth-in-my-heart.html) This December, I have been impacted by the similarities I see between the world we live in today and the world we read about in Scripture when Jesus came long ago. All around me, I see hope and despair about society, government, and circumstances at high levels today, just as they were when the Romans ruled. I see people today who feel like God has gone “silent”. A quick glance of my social media feeds reveals groups of people who are hopeful America will be restored as a “Christian” nation and social issues will be resolved through political means. To me, this sounds a lot like the misguided hopes of many 1st-century Israelites who hoped to see the Messiah come as a military leader to take back their homeland from the Romans.
I’m not suggesting that we live in denial about what’s going on in the world … but I am convinced of this simple truth: it doesn’t matter which era of human history we live in. It will always be tempting to get caught up in current events, and even when we think we’re seeking God, it’s possible to look to Him for wrong, even self-focused, answers. The people in the original Christmas story who were most profoundly impacted were those who simply came as they were, in all of their messiness, and worshiped Jesus. Jesus might lead us on a journey we don’t expect, but He will be faithful to complete the good work He has started in each of us. I’m trying each day this December to de-clutter my heart and mind, and worship Jesus as my Savior and Lord, and let Him direct things from there.
- Brent
Christmas is around the corner and I am excited to celebrate with friends and my church family. One of the things I get to do this year is be part of our incredible youth Christmas service. On the 20th of December, students will be sharing the story of Jesus being the light of the world, and describing how He not only came into this world but also comes and is a part of our every day lives. John 1:9 says, “ The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.” Unfortunately, there are people around us that, even though this season should be full with lots of laughter, joy, and peace, they still only see darkness and do not have any hope.
When Jesus came to earth, He brought the light to our lives and He did not do this just for us to keep that light within ourselves, but to share that light with others. Matthew 5:14 states, “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.” On the 20th of December, our hope is to be able to let people know that here is hope in the name of Jesus. We do not have to live in darkness anymore. I believe that when we invite Jesus into the secret and dark places of our heart, he will bring healing, restoration, peace, and fullness of joy. Whatever was in our life that was dark and dirty, Jesus will make it new and beautiful. We are not perfect but we are looking to be holy, just as Jesus was holy.
- Israel
During the Christmas season, I love that there always seems to be an overwhelming sense of joy and excitement that permeates through life and conversations. As we are now just a few days out from our first Christmas Eve service, however, I am very aware of a heaviness that seems to be clouding this Christmas season. The amount of prayer requests that we receive in the month of December is staggering, ranging from physical illnesses, to relationship turmoil. When we reflect on the true meaning of christmas, our first thought is recognizing that Christ came to this world to save a broken people. This is completely undeserved and worth celebrating year round. In the midst of living in a world of chaos, he came to bring us hope, abundant life and a purpose.
Some of my favorite songs that we sing are songs with declarative nature. We declare that God came to be our savior, healer, hope, peace, light, strength and so many other words that describe the majesty of who Jesus is. As we continue celebrating the Christmas season, i pray that we would be a people who choose to put our trust and faith in a God who longs to see his children walk in freedom and joy!
-Ryan
This Christmas, I pray that those who gather together at Beaverton Foursquare will feel the hope and comfort of the our sweet and wonderful savior, Jesus Christ—the Light of the World. The Light that came into a dark world to guide us and encourage us. The Light that shows us a hope for a future. The Light that brings warmth and peace in times of great trouble.
My heart keeps resting on the names that Jesus was given in Isaiah's prophecy: Wonderful, Counselor, Almighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Normally, I would be most affected by anything with the word "peace" in it because I've struggled over many years of healing to allow peace to rule in my heart over the fears that naturally take hold. But this week, this season approaching our Christmas services, I have loved thinking about how wonderful he is. How wonderful it is to live life with Jesus guiding me. I am so thankful that, as we seek him, he reveals himself to us in such intimate and personal ways. He meets us where we are and understands our hearts. I am still filled with wonder at the knowledge that Jesus came into the world as a helpless baby to become the most wondrous light amidst darkness. During the Christmas season, we celebrate that Jesus is "the light [that] shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it" (John 1:5).
-Jamie
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