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2016 Worship Guide
December 7, 2016
A Lincoln Daily News Publication
Page 21
I
have a simple Christmas Proclamation
for you this holiday season: We
have a God who is present with us in
our pain, and we have a God who can
do something about our pain. What a
fantastic promise!
As Chaplain at The Christian Village I
interact with a lot of men and women
who are experiencing pain. What is it
like for our residents to live with the
pain of arthritis every single day? How
do the family members of our residents
cope with that deeper pain that forms
when they see their mom or dad getting
older and weaker and more dependent on
others?
When one of our residents passes
away, how many realize that our staff
are experiencing real pain as they are
confronted with the reality of death and
that this person they provided care to,
and cared for, is gone from their sight?
Pain is part of our reality whether we live
in a retirement community or anywhere
else. As long as we experience change,
we will experience loss and grief and
pain… that’s just reality.
But once again I want to remind you of
that joyful reality that I mentioned just a
few sentences ago: We have a God who
is present with us in our pain, and we
have a God who can do something about
our pain.
Through the incarnation of the Son of
God at Christmas, God is WITH US…
He is present with us through the good
times and the bad times and the in-
between times. This baby born of Mary,
laughs with us and cries with us, and
embraces us and weeps with us, and will
not run away from us, but will be and is
present with us through it all.
Jesus, the gift
of God incarnate
Chaplain & Director of Volunteer Services
The Christian Village Ryan Jay Edgecombe
Pastor Broadwell Christian Church
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