When the fullness of time had come,
God sent his Son, born of a woman,
born under the law, in order to redeem
those who were under the law,
so that we might receive adoption as children
So, you are no longer a slave but a child,
and if a child then also an heir, through God. Galatians 4:4-5,7
Dear Friends of Christ the Lord,
How are you going to get ready for Christmas? That question may bring a wave of excited anticipation or a tidal wave of dread. Some dread the Christmas season because it is a marathon of frantic preparation work and/or it dredges up memories of Christmas’s past that left wounds. For others "It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" as sung by Andy Williams. So…
How can preparations for Christmas be joyful this year? Perhaps we should start with this prayer: “Lord, what can I do this year, so my preparations are centered on You? As you have given me hope, grant me the joy of giving hope to others on their life journeys.”
How did God get ready for Christmas? That is a wondrous epic given to us in the Bible. It is an adventure packed with prophets, kings, women, and men, young and old, poverty and riches, birth and rebirth, filled with shocking twists and turns. Above all, God is the Director of this greatest story ever told. This old, old story is a Christmas gift from God for you and me as we search for hope and peace in this world.
Thank God we don’t need to save the world! That is God’s work, and this is the story of how God is doing it. Our God is very, very different from us. Yet, we are God’s beloved children, created in the image of our heavenly Father. Our identity as children of God is a gift to cherish in every season.
Our Lord Is Making All Things New! New life is God’s gift for CTL church and God’s gift for you, too.
O, Come, O, Come, Immanuel!
Pastor Scott Peterson
Interim Pastor
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