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2025 Worship Guide LINCOLN DAILY NEWS December 2025 Page 3 Table of Contents 04| Let’s Talk About Time Adam Quine First Presbyterian Church - Lincoln 08| Don’t Rush Past the Biggest Gift Dave Griffith, Synod Authorized Minister Immanuel Lutheran Church, Lincoln 10| A Light to the World Pastor Ken Kline St. John United Church of Christ 12| If Christ Had Not Been Born Michael V. Mallick JeffStreet Christian Church 16| The Reason for the Season Ray Pebble First Baptist Church 18| The Coming King Ron Otto Lincoln Christian Church 20| Goodwill Toward Men Ryan Edgecombe Broadwell Christian Church Central Presbyterian Church - Petersburg
Page 4 2025 Worship Guide LINCOLN DAILY NEWS December 2025 Continued -- Let’s talk about time. What is “time?” One dictionary defines time as the indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future regarded as a whole. Rust Cohle in the TV show “True Detective” says, “Time is a flat circle,” meaning that time is cyclical and repetitive. Recently, I had a parishioner say, “Time is a construct. What matters about time is what you do with it.” Talking about time, it’s about time for stores and your holiday playlist to play that song with the line, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year.” Have you thought about the ways we, as a community, mark our collective transitions during this season? We’ve got the annual Downtown Holiday Tree lighting on the Friday after Thanksgiving, the Christmas Parade, and charitable opportunities like Toys for Tots and canned good collections, all of which help us mark time together. All of these contribute to the holy-days we celebrate as a diverse community! Did you notice I used ‘holy-days’ instead of ‘holidays’? The reason is that, although Christianity is the dominant religion in Lincoln and Logan County, this season is when many of us observe rituals, traditions, and celebrations to mark the passing of time. In November, our Hindu neighbors celebrated Diwali, a five-day festival of lights that celebrates good triumphing over evil and light over darkness. Let’s talk about For Christians, the new year begins with Advent, a season of preparing for the Christ’s arrival, ending with Christmas, where candles are lit each week. Our Jewish friends celebrate Hanukkah, a festival that commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple. They light candles on a menorah, adding one each night to honor the miracle of the oil—lasting eight days when it was expected to last only one. Whether you’re observing Advent, Kwanzaa, Boxing Day, or Bodhi Day, these festivals are a vital opportunity to reflect on sacred stories, connect with spiritual traditions, and strengthen community bonds through a diverse tapestry of human experiences. As a Christian from the Presbyterian tradition, I cherish this season. Advent provides a moment to reflect on the hope, peace, joy, and love that shape our lives. It also calls us to let these aspects of our faith guide us in reaffirming God’s affirmation of creation— his declaration of our inherent, unshakable goodness. During Advent, prophets like Isaiah, Mary, Elizabeth, and Zechariah challenge, convert, and comfort us as we wait for Christ’s return. However, this waiting is not a time for idleness. Between this Advent and the next, we have work to do—both in the world and within ourselves. Like the Israelites, we live in a world in need of transformation. This is an opportunity to rebuild, renew, forge new relationships, and strengthen existing ones. TIME
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Page 6 2025 Worship Guide LINCOLN DAILY NEWS December 2025 Then, right on time, so to speak, for Christians, Advent marks the arrival of Christmas. It’s the period, remember, twelve days long, when we celebrate the second Incarnation of the Divine in Jesus of Nazareth. Perhaps you recall that timeless scene in Chuck Brown’s Christmas special when Linus reminds us of the true meaning of the season by quoting Luke 2, “But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for see, I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.” The time known as Christmastime reminds us that God is, and will always be, because God has always been, with us. For those of us within the Christian tradition, this season is truly special as we honor the majesty and mystery of God manifested in the infant Jesus. Jesus embodies this divine presence as both fully human and beyond human nature—a child of God. All this divine grandeur was secretly embodied in a life form small enough to fit within the loving embrace of a woman’s body. It’s the time we receive the gift that all of life is steeped in new life – and that everything, and I mean everything, belongs. So, let’s talk about time. And then, take the time to celebrate the new world becoming right in front of us! Let us enter this deep time of darkness and light – embracing the love we have right now. After all, time is what we do with it! Adam Quine First Presbyterian Church - Lincoln
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Page 8 2025 Worship Guide LINCOLN DAILY NEWS December 2025 It was Christmas morning, and two young children were in their rooms, anxiously awaiting the “ok” to come out and see all of the presents that their parents had got them for Christmas. The parents had just done a “preview look” in the living room to make sure everything was ready. That year, the presents were rather large-sized gifts, so the parents had already assembled them and put them along the sides of the living room since they were too big to be placed under the tree. Seeing that everything looked ready, the parents gave the “ok” and the two young children sprinted out of their rooms, ran down the hallway of the house, through the dining room and kitchen, through the doorway to the living room and right up next to the Christmas tree where they stopped...and, looking in disbelief, asked “where are the presents?!” They stood there for a few moments before they realized there were big gifts at the sides of the room that they had rushed right by! Once they realized there were actually some big presents they hadn’t noticed as they rushed to the Christmas tree, the joy and excitement of Christmas morning came alive as the young children began playing with their new toys. True story, shared with you by one of the parents...me. I hope this Christmas brings all of us so much joy! May we feel like those young children at heart, anxiously awaiting the “ok” to enjoy the season, and joyfully “running down the hallways” with smiles on our faces. May our gatherings be filled with love and laughter with family and friends. May our travels be safe. May the Christmas tree be surrounded with special gifts to appreciate and enjoy, but may we not rush by so quickly that we don’t notice the biggest gift of all...Jesus Christ, our Lord and our Savior. Merry Christmas! Dave Griffith, Synod Authorized Minister Immanuel Lutheran Church, Lincoln Don’t rush past the biggest gift
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Page 10 2025 Worship Guide LINCOLN DAILY NEWS December 2025 As Thanksgiving season becomes the Advent and Christmas seasons, St. John UCC is considering our calling and future afresh. The Angels and the Advent Wreath announce to Mary and to our church community the miracle of God: “The angel said to her, ‘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. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High…” (Luke 1:30-32). At the conclusion of the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus gives his disciples and to us His Great Commission: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20). The Beginning and the End of the Gospel of Jesus Christ meet in this Holy Season of Advent and Christmas 2025, and St. John UCC, our members and friends remember and experience again this miracle of redemption! Mary and Joseph at the incarnation, and the Twelve Disciples receiving the Great Commission at the resurrection bring us the New Future that God intends for us even today. We will light the candles of Hope, Peace, Joy and Love each Sunday on our way to Baby Christ’s Holy Night and manger. A LIGHT TO THE WORLD THE MISSION The mission of both OUR CHURCH and the CHURCH UNIVERSAL is to work now for the restoration and redemption of our Christian Community and family. This mission is launched annually and dramatically in the Christmas Eve Service Nativity and Birth of Jesus Christ, the very incarnation of God’s Love in the Star of Bethlehem. Music and faith will join in our Candlelight Service on Christmas Eve at 11:00 p.m. Come Home to your church this Advent and Christmas Seasons! Join us on each Sunday at St. John United Church of Christ for the Birth of Jesus Christ our Lord! Pastor Ken Kline St. John United Church of Christ
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Page 12 2025 Worship Guide LINCOLN DAILY NEWS December 2025 If Christ had not been born One of my favorite Christmas movies (perhaps yours too) is Frank Capra’s “It’s a Wonderful Life.” In this warmhearted classic, starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed, it tells the story of George Baily. A man who has put the needs of others above his own needs most all of his life. It’s a Wonderful Life did a fantastic job of illustrating the truth that the life of one individual really can make an incredible difference in the world. Every life born (and unborn) is significant and important. Think of the difference Christmas Day has made. Jesus’ influence on the world is immeasurable – in fact – no other individual life has had the impact on mankind that Jesus’ has had. The great leader and emperor Napoleon once said, “Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and myself founded empires; but upon what did we rest the creation of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ alone founded his empire upon love; and at this hour millions of men would die for him. I search in vain in history to find one similar to Jesus Christ, or anything which can approach the gospel…nations pass away, thrones crumble, but the Church remains” (1). Caesar Augustus was a Roman emperor on the day Jesus was born. Augustus (the grandnephew of Julius Caesar) ruled from 34 B.C. to 14 A.D. The reason we ultimately know him (and these facts about him) is all because of Jesus’ birth. Even our calendar is affected by the arrival of Jesus’ birth. We date everything B.C. and A.D. (Before Christ) and (Ann-o Dom-e-knee) which means, “the year of our Lord.” If Jesus were taken out of history many great works of art would be lost. No DaVinci’s “Last Supper.” No Michelangelo’s “Sistine Chapel.” No Raphael’s “Transfiguration.” No Rembrandt’s “Return of the Prodigal Son.” Without the influence of Jesus, art would depict only the finite, but because of His birth
2025 Worship Guide LINCOLN DAILY NEWS December 2025 Page 13 the attempt to capture the infinite on canvas and stone has left our world a much richer place. That’s also true of music as well. If His birth in Bethlehem had never happened, we would have no Handel’s Messiah nor would we have the music of Bach who dedicated every note he wrote to God’s glory. Think of how literature would be different without the words of the New Testament. Or what about humanitarian efforts (past and present)? Jesus came to minister to the downtrodden and poor and His life gave courage to men like William Booth to begin the Salvation Army and Clarissa Harlowe Barton to start the Red Cross. Think about the effect Jesus’ birth has had on education. Although different today many of the oldest universities were founded by Christians for Christian purposes: Oxford, Cambridge, Yale, and Princeton. Harvard’s founding mission statement was, “To be plainly instructed and consider well that the main end of your life and studies into know God and Jesus Christ” (2). Without the birth of Jesus, Christians like William Wilberforce and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. may have never dedicated their lives to provide equality and equal rights to all people, regardless of the color of their skin. Honestly, the list could go on and on. James Allan Francis states the impact of Jesus well in his poem “One Solitary Life,” “...He is the centerpiece of the human race and the leader of the column of progress. I am far within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, and all the navies that ever
Page 14 2025 Worship Guide LINCOLN DAILY NEWS December 2025 were built, and all the parliaments that ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned, put together have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as has that One Solitary Life” (3). The day Jesus was born into this world was the most important day that has ever been or ever will be and that first Christmas day is still making a huge difference today. But remember, the importance of His birth is the difference He can make in your life. But unless He becomes, through faith, part and parcel of your existence – all that He brings, offers, and has encouraged others to do throughout history, means little. So, consider the difference Christ has made in history but more importantly consider the difference He can make in your life today? The message of Christmas is not just the retelling of an event some 2,000 years ago – it’s the opportunity for that past event to become a present reality in your life today. Michael V. Mallick JeffStreet Christian Church 1.captainjamesdavis.wordpress. com/2015/05/17/napoleon-bonapartes. 2.Mission Drift Peter Greer and Chris Horst, pg. 16. 3.https://www.bartleby.com/73/916.html
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Page 16 2025 Worship Guide LINCOLN DAILY NEWS December 2025 The Season Reason for the Have you ever heard “Jesus is the reason for the season”? Sure we all have. However, I can’t think of a better way to summarize what is most important about the season. Jesus is the reason for the season. It’s short it’s easy to remember and most of all it is true, and an awesome way to stay focused. Most of all, Christmas over the years has become complicated. The reason has become very economically profitable to merchants who heavily depend on shopper’s dollars. And in doing so Jesus has for the most part been removed. Therefore, Jesus is no longer the reason. The reasons have become family, food, fun and festivity. And there is nothing wrong with that – but none of this is the true reason for the season - because there is only one TRUE reason for the season. And as the followers of Jesus, we must fight the very real temptation to lose sight of the Christ of Christmas. And as followers of Christ, we need to insure our personal and family life, that He stays the reason for the season. More than any other time of the year, the Christmas season is a time of renewal, reminders and reflections on what Jesus did – leaving the glories of Heaven, being born in a stable, and living a perfect life on our behalf. It is a time for rejoicing in the church, for acts of generosity and service and for sharing with others the true reason for the season. Ya know, Christmas is the most hopeful time of the year for those who know Jesus. Merry Christmas! Ray Pebble First Baptist Church
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Page 18 2025 Worship Guide LINCOLN DAILY NEWS December 2025 The Coming King If I asked you to name a well-known King, who first comes to mind? Martin Luther King? Steven King? King Charles? King Author? King Tut? Elvis? Burger King? (LOL) Any chance; did the name Jesus come to mind? Recently, our nation had several cities who participated in “NO KINGS” protest. (This isn’t going political so stay with me) During the protest, we witnessed rude signs, speeches laden with colorful metaphors, and angry people declared loudly they didn’t want a king. Okay! However, as Christians, that’s exactly what we have. Genealogies can seem dull. Most bible readers skip them. We might wonder why God would devote so much space in the Bible to recording a boring list of difficult to pronounce names of people who lived thousands of years ago. Why is that relevant to us? Here’s why! The Old Testament clearly prophesied that the coming Messiah would come from the line of King David. That he would be a direct descendant of King David. In other words, the Messiah would be of a royal blood line. Genealogies were important to being able to prove that line. All of us have two genealogy lines; a mother’s and a father’s. Even though Jesus was born in a miraculous way, regardless of who was searching his bloodline, both his mother and his father would give proof to Jesus being of a royal line. Joseph was Jesus’ legal line and Mary was Jesus’ blood line. Amazingly, both Joseph and Mary could trace their genealogy back to King David. It wouldn’t matter which
2025 Worship Guide LINCOLN DAILY NEWS December 2025 Page 19 parent anyone used; Jesus’ lineage can be traced back to king David which allows Jesus to be declared king. Now catch this: the wise men in the Christmas story came looking and asking, “Where is he born King of the Jews.” Jesus would often speak of his “coming kingdom.” The soldiers placed a crown of thorns on his head and mockingly declared, “Hail, King of the Jews!” When Pilate is questioning Jesus, he asked, “Are you a King?” Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world.” Pilate said, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You are right in saying I am a King.” A sign was placed above Jesus’ head on the cross that read, “King of the Jews.” Do you really believe this was all by accident? I don’t! From his birth to his death, Jesus is a King. But not like any King we have ever known. This is the kind of King you want to be identified with. During December at Lincoln Christian Church, our Christmas Series will dive into the kingship of Jesus and what the birth of this King means to us. What it means to you. This is all surprisingly hopeful. This is important. Join us on Sundays as we discover the Coming King! Ron Otto Lincoln Christian Church
Page 20 2025 Worship Guide LINCOLN DAILY NEWS December 2025 This is the earliest I can remember in a long time when I have been in the "Christmas Spirit." Usually, I don't really want to think about Christmas until after Thanksgiving, but this year Halloween wasn't even over yet and I had already been thinking about Christmas, looking forward to all of the things that this joyful holiday entails. I'm not sure why, but I am thankful that I am less "Grinchy" or "Scroogy" this year already! We certainly need this special holiday season to roll around. We certainly need to hear the peace-filled message of the angels right about now. The beauty of Christmas can't come soon enough! I know you have noticed this need too, in the midst of such troubling times in our nation and world. It is so easy to be exposed to, or participate in, divisive speech, hateful speech, or antagonistic speech, predominately but not limited to politics. I will admit that I can be a talk radio or podcast "junkie." This is not usually the best use of my time, although I have found a few podcasts that build up my mind and soul. Unfortunately, most of what I hear these days through the airwaves or through "the cloud," dehumanizes the opposition. Name calling is classless and unimpressive enough... but what I have been hearing lately is just plain hateful. Those we disagree with, our fellow Americans, and fellow human beings made in God's Image, are labeled as enemies, as animals, as scum, as less than human. Obviously, we have always had divisions in our country, and we should. We are thankful that we are not all carbon copies of one another. But with the advent of social media, podcasts, the internet, and other means by which we send and receive information, our differences have been highlighted, trumpeted, and broadcast to an unimaginable degree, and not always in a healthy and civil way. Goodwill Toward Men!
2025 Worship Guide LINCOLN DAILY NEWS December 2025 Page 21 It's time to turn off the radio, set aside the cell phone, mute the TV, and shut the laptop. It's time to take out your old Bible... the one made out of good old fashioned PAPER... and blow the dust off the cover. It's time to open it up to the Gospel of Luke. "I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior - yes, the Messiah, the Lord - has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!... Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" This Christmas text reminds us all of those things we have in common. God has a plan for all of us. All of us need the Messiah to rescue us from sin and idolatry and brokenness and death. All of us, through and in Christ, have an opportunity to come together, and be a part of a world-wide family and world-wide Kingdom where our differences mean little, because our reliance on Christ Jesus means so much! I truly believe that as we walk closer to our Redeemer day by day, and year by year, we will not just become concerned with Kingdom Outcomes, but we will equally be concerned with Kingdom Processes. What I mean by this, is that we are compelled to honor God in both the MEANS and in the ENDS. What we accomplish as a Church or as an Individual Christian is important but so is how we treat other human beings on the way to accomplishing that goal. The message of the Angels at Christmas obviously points us in this direction. Let's turn down the temperature on the rhetoric and the cynicism this Christmas. By God's Grace, let us set a healthier example for discourse and the pursuit of truth in 2026, thinking about that Divine Child who came for ALL OF US! “And when the Lord Jesus has become your peace, remember, there is another thing: good will towards men. Do not try to keep Christmas without good will towards men.” -Charles Spurgeon Ryan Edgecombe Broadwell Christian Church Central Presbyterian Church - Petersburg
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