"The Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his
glory..." (John 1:14).
We live in a visited world. On that holy night twenty centuries
ago, God visited the world in the miracle of Bethlehem. Held in
Mary's arms that night was the revelation of steadfast, unbounded
love for all humanity. The birth of Jesus disclosed God's saving
will and eternal desire for reconciliation and peace.
In this season of Christmas, we encounter again Jesus, sent from
God for our salvation. As the Word is proclaimed in both simple
buildings and cathedrals of grandeur, we receive the good news of
God's love in Christ Jesus for the whole earth. We witness the
mystery of rebirth in the waters of Baptism and rejoice as new
ones are embraced by the community of faith. As bread is broken
and wine poured in the Eucharist, we give thanks for the real
presence of Christ in our midst.
We gather with the whole Church for the celebration of our Lord's
Nativity. In our gathering, however, we hear the sounds of
discord throughout the world. From divisions caused by walls of
separation, from the struggles of many for survival from
disasters, devastation, hunger, and poverty, from the dread of
rampant disease and the spread of HIV and AIDS, from war and the
threat of war, even with nuclear weapons, from broken
relationships in homes and hostilities within communities and
countries, we seek rescue. We yearn for the gracious, healing,
and reconciling Word of the Prince of Peace.
We hear the angel say, "Do not be afraid." With that message of
courage, we realize as believers that we are never alone. We have
been claimed by God and made a part of the household of faith.
So we join with the whole Church on earth, lifting our voices
with renewed hope. In so doing, we join the grand anthem:
Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her king....
The Rev. Mark S. Hanson
Presiding Bishop
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
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An audio version of Presiding Bishop Hanson's 2006 Christmas
message is at
http://media.ELCA.org/audionews/2006ELCAChristmas.mp3 on the ELCA
Web site.
The presiding bishop's 2006 Christmas message is also at
http://www.ELCA.org/bishop/m_christmas2006.html on the ELCA Web
site.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news
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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 2.8 million members in more than 8,500 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands.," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.
For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org
