The Joy of Publicly Proclaiming the Incarnation

It’s Christmas Eve, 2011, and I’m enjoying watching my city kids play on Grandpa’s 2 acres in the country outside of Eugene.

This is the first year in a long time that we took off for Christmas vacation and didn’t have church responsibilities to distribute before we left. This year there was no Christmas Eve service to plan, no Christmas series to promote, and no Christmas sermons to preach. About four months ago, I accepted an assignment as a Supervisor over about 140 churches. Though I do a lot of preaching in those churches, Christmas, I was wisely told by a former Supervisor, is time for the pastor to preach to his congregation; it’s family time. So, as perhaps it should be, I didn’t have any Christmas preaching duties.

This was, in fact, the first time in about 23 years that I didn’t preach in front of a congregation or youth group about the incarnation.

It was always my favorite time of year; don’t get me wrong, I love Easter and I love the service and sermon that aligns with that special resurrection day! But Christmas is a whole season of celebration that accompanies weeks of anticipation (Advent) along with multiple Sunday’s of proclamation of the gospel message that started with “God in the flesh”.

Jesus came to earth! God pitched His tent among us! The darkness could not overcome it! The cradle led to a cross!

I celebrate with all the churches who are declaring this message loud and clear this weekend. I’m praying for the churches I oversee that God would touch some lost person’s heart in a fresh way at their Christmas Eve or Christmas service. I am excited to hear about the results of the Holy Spirit’s work as pastors proclaim the coming of the Prince of Peace.

But for me, this Christmas is intensely personal, and not also public. It means a lot of introspection, joy, and even some sadness and loss regrading a passionate pastoral expression I’ve manifested for over a couple of decades. Now, I get an opportunity to figure out how to manifest that passion a different way.

But if you are a pastor this year who gets to tell a group—no matter how large or small—about the coming of Jesus and His plan for humanity, I want to encourage you, and tell you that your job tonight is the best one in the world!

Merry Christmas!