That Crazy Christmas
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ME
ME
Thanksgiving 2006
Plans were wrecked
Best Holiday yet
WE
WE
Have you ever made plans for something and all of the sudden everything falls apart?
Usually bad, but can you think of a time when something didn’t go as planned, but instead it went better?
Dr’s visit, meeting with the boss, family vacation...
The best made plans don’t come from human hands.
The best made plans don’t come from human hands.
9 We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.
8 “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.
There is no better way to see this than in the Christmas story
GOD
GOD
1 At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire.
2 (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.)
3 All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census.
4 And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee.
5 He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child.
6 And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born.
7 She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.
8 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep.
9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified,
10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.
11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!
12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”
Distance from Nazareth to Bethlehem was 90 miles
Mary was due to have the baby at any time
Rode on a donkey for 90 miles
Joseph didn’t call ahead and make reservations
No place to stay
Stay in a cave where the animals were hung out
Joseph didn’t bring the right supplies
He didn’t bring the pack and play
Jesus was born in a feeding trough
They didn’t even pack baby clothes
They did not plan on Mary going into labor on the way
YOU
YOU
Sometimes, it is what WE can’t see, that makes for a better plan.
Sometimes, it is what WE can’t see, that makes for a better plan.
2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel whose origins are in the distant past, will come from you on my behalf.
God wanted no one to doubt that Jesus was the Messiah
“A blind man can make art if what is in his mind can be passed to another in a tangible form.” Sol LeWitt
Life as a tapestry but we only see the back
Sometimes, the smallest inconveniences make the greatest memories.
Sometimes, the smallest inconveniences make the greatest memories.
The Christmas story would not be as exciting if Jesus was born in at the hospital.
2000 years later we are still telling this story
In the greatest chaos, came the greatest peace
US
US
Who is directing your steps?
Are you okay with God changing your plans?
The greatest peace comes when we let God direct our steps.
The greatest peace comes when we let God direct our steps.
Prayer & Reflection
Prayer & Reflection
Communion
Communion
23 For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord himself. On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread
24 and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
25 In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this in remembrance of me as often as you drink it.”
26 For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again.
Silent Night Video
Silent Night Video