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2015 Worship Guide
A LINCOLN DAILY NEWS.COM PUBLICATION
They were just three men dressed in bathrobes
and adorned in foil wrapped crowns, but they
looked like royalty to me. And when they
came down the aisle singing “We Three Kings”
it convinced this four-year-old that they were
indeed three Wise Men from the East. Like most
children at that age I was lost in all the wonder
and mystery of Christ. I was not concerned
how the gifts appeared under the tree and had
no clue that there was any hard work involved
in celebrating the Holy Day. For me, Christmas
was simply to be experienced and enjoyed.
Today is a different story. My innocence is gone
and I know all too well what it takes to celebrate
Christmas. I realize now that one of those Wise
Men was my own father and among all the other
things he had to do to help the congregation
celebrate Jesus’ birth, he was now filling in
for one who had become ill. As we all know,
Christmas can be fun and at the same time,
exhausting.
Then we add in the other problems of the world,
terrorism, the war overseas, the fragile economy,
people marching in the streets here and around
the world, demanding a better way of life and
the enduring of a presidential election. Suffering
and grief are common this Christmas and we
have more people looking for work and help
just to survive. Yet, for me, in spite of all the
problems, I still get lost in the wonder and
mystery of Christmas. It is, for me, the amazing
story of how God chose to come to earth, in
human form, to save us. And the wonder is
not found in all the pretty lights and beautiful
decorations, although I enjoy those too. And
it is not found in the packages under the tree
or in all that wonderful food that gets served
every holiday season. But, rather it is when our
hearts are gathered together in song and praise,
prayer and worship and the candles are lit and
we realize that God has come into our lives and
our souls. Singing “Silent Night” in German,
hearing the Gospel of Luke being read and
watching the kids struggle for their lines
St. John’s United Church of Christ, Lincoln
Still amazed by Christmas
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