A voice cries out:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
(Isaiah 40:3)

Dear brothers & sisters in Christ,
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ the Lord and Savior. Amen.
We prepare. We wait. We anticipate. God is coming. God is coming soon. Then… God is here.
Sometimes we forget that God is still with us. We conjure an image of the Father sitting far off in heaven with Jesus on a throne beside Him. Who is missing from that image? The Holy Spirit keeps our God in the world. We are blessed to perceive His activities around and among us.
In the Gospel according to Matthew, we hear an angel reassuring Joseph in a dream, “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.” In the angel’s attempt to convince Joseph to not ‘send Mary away quietly,’ we too are reminded of this yet-to-be-born, unconventionally-conceived child’s true identity – Emmanuel, God is with us.
There is something more amazing than Jesus’ conception, more remarkable than Mary’s trek to Bethlehem at 9-month’s pregnant, rarer than a shining star in the sky. It is the amazing truth expressed in that simple name – God is with us. This name, Emmanuel, reveals the nature of God. God is with us.
Probably the most familiar Advent song is ‘O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.’ This hymn has been sung for centuries. Monks chanted the ‘O Antiphons’ as far back as the 8th century and are referenced by church leaders even earlier. These verses, assigned to be sung the final seven days of Advent, emphasize the coming of Christ by highlighting names for the Messiah as foretold by the prophets. These Antiphons became a Latin hymn sung by the laity. Then translated to be sung all over the world. The promise in those words epitomizes the season of Advent and our prayers – O Come, Come Emmanuel – O Come, O Come, God who is with us. Come, Lord Jesus, come!
We are not waiting for a far-off God. We celebrate the arrival of an incarnate God. We celebrate because our God is here – with us – in this place, in this time, in our lives. We celebrate this God whom John described, “And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.” We are witnesses to this incarnate God entering into our world and into our lives. We are blessed to behold His glory. God chose to reveal His Son to us. God chose to live among us, not away from us.
Sometimes we wonder why the shepherds were frightened by such astounding news. The promised Messiah is here. That’s great, isn’t it? Granted, a whole army of singing angels in the sky may have been a little disconcerting. In addition, the Israelites were convinced that it was fatal to look directly at God. Even their legendary leader Moses, only deigned to view God from the rear as He passed by. For that same God to then ‘take on flesh’ was a terrifying prospect for them. They were accustomed to be afraid of God. This ‘God is with us’ was a foreign concept.
Adding to their fear was most likely the following question, ‘so now what?’. What are the practical consequences of God taking on flesh? What is the impact of an incarnate God? How do we interact with an incarnate God? If God is here with us, life changes. God is with us… now what? What comes next? How does this great news affect me? How will my daily life change?
Many of those same or similar questions most likely plaguing the shepherds assault us as well. How does God being with me change my life? What does it mean for my daily life that God is here? God is not idle, nor is He far-off. God is here. God is with you. What does it mean for the world, the country, the church, the family, to exist in a place where God Himself dwells?
At times this amazing news of God’s incarnation causes us, like the shepherds long ago, to react in fear. As humans who crave control and sometimes even think we can achieve such a goal, God among us frightens us. God among us means we are not in control. We cannot control God and God is here.
Yet, those words of the angel comfort us as well. This is GOOD NEWS – good news of great joy. God is in the world. If God is among us, we are not alone. We can never be alone. He is here. He is with us.
We have a unique God. He is here. He chose to come to us. He chooses to come to you. He chooses to give you life. He chooses to ‘be with’ you. This is ‘good news.’ This is ‘news of great joy.’ Do not be afraid – God is here. Yes, this affects you. Yes, this impacts the world around you. Yes, God is with you.
The grace and peace of God which surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

In Christ,
Pastor Carla

Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 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. (Luke 2:9-11)