12292013 First Sunday After Christmas

Sermon Audio

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer.  AMEN.

Let us pray, Gracious God, You teach us clearly how to ask a blessing.  May our hearts be opened to not only thank You for Your gift of food, but also of Your Son for all of mankind, including all of us saints gathered here at Emmanuel this morning.  AMEN.

When I was a child growing up in Keysville one of the prized possessions that we had in our dining room not only was the china cabinet that came from my mother’s parents in Pennsylvania.  It also included a picture that hung on the West Wall and looked down upon our table.  When my parents lived in North Carolina after my Father had taken his first job as a College counselor, they had purchased this picture not only because it was from Minnesota where my Father still had many relatives, but because the image portrayed what we always did at the table before every meal.  We asked a blessing over our meal.  Hence this morning, I have brought the picture from our fellowship hall upstairs to help us ponder how we ask a blessing.

For this morning we are reminded as we sing the Christmas songs of the blessing of Jesus Christ in our lives and we remember that every time we join in fellowship downstairs, we ask a blessing.  Our request of God is not only in honor of His eternal blessings of His Son’s sacrifice for us upon our lives, but also of our meal and the bounty that we have, whether of a bountiful crop, good health, the home that we live in, the cars we drive, the friends we have, but especially of the gift of His Son Jesus Christ.

The blessings God gives us He gives because of His great love for each and every one of us.  God clearly offers us the greatest gift of His Son Jesus Christ.  And when we come and gather around our family tables and our tables here in the church we remember not only the food that He provides us, but especially His Son Jesus Christ.

As we sing our hymns, this morning and hear about what His Son, Jesus Christ has done, may we always be reminded of the promise of salvation He offers us.  For you see the picture that hung on the wall in our home in Keysville is the same picture that we have before us this morning.  For me it is a constant reminder not only of my family in Keysville, but also of what our Savior Jesus Christ did in His coming into the world for all of mankind, including all of us saints gathered here at Emmanuel this morning singing the Christmas songs, but also sharing in the blessing of grace offered before a meal for each and every one of us gathered here this morning.  AMEN.