A Lincoln Daily News.com Publication
        
        
          
            2014 Worship Guide
          
        
        
          29
        
        
          Jefferson Street Christian Church
        
        
          Announcements
        
        
          Announcements are interesting things.  Some
        
        
          announcements come unexpected while others are
        
        
          anticipated.  Some announcements are important and
        
        
          others are unimportant.  Some are funny, some are sad,
        
        
          As I was pondering this subject (so
        
        
          close to advent) it amazed me just how
        
        
          announcements have impacted my life.  I
        
        
          remember being in grade school waiting
        
        
          for Jimmy (I thought he was my best
        
        
          friend) to announce that he wanted me
        
        
          on his team.  I was upset because the
        
        
          announcement came much later than
        
        
          expected.
        
        
          I recall the joyous announcement of my
        
        
          fiance saying, “I love you.”  I remember
        
        
          the exuberant announcements of,
        
        
          
            “It’s a
          
        
        
          
            girl;” “It’s a boy!”
          
        
        
          Announcements also elicit memories of
        
        
          pain.
        
        
          
            “Dad has cancer!”  “Dawn was
          
        
        
          
            killed in a car accident!”
          
        
        
          During this Christmas season I’m also
        
        
          reminded of another announcement.
        
        
          An announcement that an angel made
        
        
          to a virgin named Mary.  The angel
        
        
          said, “
        
        
          
            ...Mary, you have found favor
          
        
        
          
            with God.  You will be with child and
          
        
        
          
            give birth to a son, and you are to give
          
        
        
          
            him the name Jesus”
          
        
        
          (Luke 1:30-31).
        
        
          That announcement was the greatest
        
        
          announcement ever made.
        
        
          The announcement that God was coming
        
        
          in the flesh.  It was an announcement of
        
        
          hope, love, peace, reconciliation, and
        
        
          redemption.  An announcement that
        
        
          makes all the other announcements in life,
        
        
          whether good or bad, painful or joyous,
        
        
          seem insignificant.
        
        
          How?  Because God’s announcement of
        
        
          Jesus provides answers to all the other
        
        
          announcements that leave us asking,
        
        
          
            “Why?”
          
        
        
          This holiday season will be one with
        
        
          plenty announcements...hopefully only
        
        
          Continued
        
        
          →
        
        
          some are large and some are small.  Announcements come in all different
        
        
          shapes and sizes.  But one thing is for certain, everyone has been touched by
        
        
          an announcement at least once in their life.