"The First Gift of Christmas"

Luke 1:68-69, 76-79 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

⁶⁸ “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
    for he has looked favorably on his people and redeemed them.

⁶⁹ He has raised up a mighty savior for us
    in the house of his servant David,

⁷⁶ And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
    for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
⁷⁷ to give knowledge of salvation to his people
    by the forgiveness of their sins.
⁷⁸ By the tender mercy of our God,
    the dawn from on high will break upon us,
⁷⁹ to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
    to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

This week we celebrate the birth of Christ in our annual Impromptu Christmas Pageant. We don't rehearse. We don't know yet who will play what part... well, except for Baby Jesus... we DO have a special precious baby to play Baby Jesus. But the rest of the parts in the nativity story are up for grabs.  What part do you want to play this year?

Join us, all ages, at 10:20 this week as we have a festive and also holy and sacred time remembering the story from Luke and Matthew.  The story of God coming down to us...  arriving in the form of a baby.

A baby who will be called "mighty savior," a baby who will be the "prophet of the Most High," a baby who will "give light to those who sit in darkness" and who will "guide our feet into the way of peace."

We could not need this baby more in this year of unrest. Come, thou Long Expected Jesus.

Do you have a favorite memory from a nativity pageant from your childhood? Or your children or grandchildren's nativity pageants?  Share it with me by email at peverhart@niwotumc.org or comment below.