We’ve begun 2025 with a brief series on “The Four G’s of Grace,” examining how the grace God has lavished on us impacts our attitude and behavior. This week we focus on how grace gives us a grateful orientation, aware that God is providing all the good in our lives, striving to not take the blessings (especially the people around us) for granted. The Apostle Paul starts us off with his opening statements in his letter to the Ephesians, reminding them and us of the grace God has lavished on us in Christ, establishing a new identity in us and adopting us into His family. We are challenged to cultivate a grateful mindfulness, an “attitude of gratitude,” and to EXPRESS that gratitude as much and often as possible.

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We complete the Christmas Season together as we examine the story of the Magi, the first humans to know of the coming King, and the furthest from Him both geographically and demographically. As the Abraplan reaches its climax to bless all nations, these astrologers from the east herald a new age in God’s dealing with humanity. They set so many precedents, and also examples for us all. Their generous gifts given in worship of the newborn king teach us how to go about our lives in the year ahead, recognizing that everything already belongs to Him and we are merely caretakers and stewards of it all. Just as the magi planned ahead and had all the resources they had decided upon with which to worship the king, so we are called to more than checking our saddle bags for what’s leftover to give to Him ourselves.

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Welcome to Oakhaven Church! The Christmas Season is well under way, Advent having finished on Christmas, we are now in the “12 Days of Christmas,” celebrating with joy the coming of the Messiah. This season ends with marking the journey and arrival of the magi on January 6 and the Feast of Epiphany, so there is yet a bit more of the story to tell. Today at The Barn, however, is the fifth Sunday of the month, and we follow our tradition of hearing one of our family member’s testimony (in place of a traditional sermon). Today one of our more recent members, Sophia, shares her story of God’s faithfulness in her life.

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On this final Sunday of Advent, we celebrate the love of God, shown most clearly in the gift of His Son to us. “For unto us a child is born… and the government shall be upon His shoulders, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Even those four titles given by Isaiah point to human and divine joined together in One Person: Jesus. We visit the shepherds and angels today in Lesson Seven, noting that the “multitude of the heavenly host” that sing “Glory to God” is a countless myriad of special forces troops - the armies of heaven - that are singing what amounts to “Hail to the Chief,” only this time the “chief” is the Lord of heaven and earth, bringing new creation in His wake, bringing the Abraplan to its climax, and bringing us all back home. Come home for Christmas.

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We look at two passages from the Gospel of Luke today: Gabriel's visit with Mary in Luke 1:26-38, and Luke's sparse account of Jesus' birth in Luke 2:1-7. The angel's statements to Mary are incredible, as is Mary's reaction and acceptance. Then when Dr. Luke describes the Messiah's birth, he could not be more plain in his verbiage, and neither could the birth of the Creator of Heaven and Earth. 

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Two passages by Isaiah are highlighted in today's, both prophecies describing the coming Messiah and His far-reaching impact. Isaiah 9 and Isaiah 11 both make clear that the fabric of the universe shifts when He comes to dwell among us. Jesus walks beside us, casting His light into our darkness, showing us the way as our Wonderful Counselor and Our Prince of Peace. 

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As we cross into December today, we step into an ancient season, Advent, set to focus our minds and spirits on the great gift given us by God in the form of His incarnate Son. Working toward our special service on Christmas Eve of lessons and carols, we will reflect on the scripture passages upon which that evening will be based. Today we look at Lessons One and Two. The first reminds us of the problem of sin born in Adam and Eve’s disobedience in the Garden of Eden. We are reminded of the presence of an enemy who seeks to distract and accuse us falsely, and of Jesus’ ultimate victory over the serpent. The second lesson reminds us that God immediately began working on repairing the problem of sin with His call upon Abraham, and Abraham’s faith becomes a model for us, moving us to trust in God’s call even when there is little else to trust in.

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The Gospel of Mark has turned a corner and Jesus has left Galilee on His way to Jerusalem to fulfill His destiny. Twice before today’s passage He has told the disciples that he will suffer and die there. Somehow, though, the disciples manage to think this language must be metaphoric, and they continue to believe and look for Jesus’ victorious ascendance to an earthly throne in spite of Jesus’ repeated and more detailed prediction of His death in today’s reading. James and John are so convinced of this that in today’s passage they ask Jesus for cabinet posts in the new kingdom, manifesting in their requested throne room seating being on either side of Him. No room for Pete this time. Jesus responds with a climax to Mark’s 3 episode crescendo of Jesus’ describing His passion, with the universe changing summary that He has come to give His life as a ransom for many.

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In Luke 18 and Mark 10, Jesus makes a point of focusing on children, touching them, and blessing them - this in a culture in which children were seen more of a nuisance than anything else, as evidenced by the disciples' shooing the children away. In today's message, Cynthia Mudd connects stories of mission work in Haiti with Jesus' attention and care for children in the gospel, and in a moving gesture assembles all Oakhaven families together to pray blessings up them all. 

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Luke 15 contains 3 parables with a similar, powerful message: God delights in the salvation of His children. 

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