From the Pastor: January 2009

Members of Trinity;

God’s richest blessings to you as you continue to remember what it means the God came to us as a baby, in the flesh, to redeem us from sin, death and hell. “Glory to God in the highest, Peace on Earth goodwill toward men!” That’s the song that the angels sang on that first Christmas morning. They are words of very Good News for us. It’s such Good News we often sing it in our worship service. It is a wonderful hymn of praise and we sing it in response to what God has done for us in Jesus Christ; just as the angels sang it in response to God’s gift to the world in Jesus Christ.

Last month we talked about the Kyrie. “Lord, have mercy!” We ask God for blessings whenever we use those words, and we expect Him to answer because He promises to do so. So after we ask this blessing what’s next? “Glory to God in the highest!” We ask for God’s blessing and the very next thing we do is say “Glory to God!” There’s no hesitation, there’s no waiting. We ask and expect and answer.

For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. 2 Corinthians 1:20

That’s what it’s all about. Because of Jesus Christ; the baby in the manger; the boy in the temple; the man who walked the roads of Galilee, bled and died on the cross; and the Savior who rose again from death; we can ask God for whatever we need and He promises an answer. God makes promises and He keeps them, they are “Yes” in Jesus Christ.

On special Sundays we replace the “Glory to God” with another Hymn of Praise. We may want to us it more often than we do, but it is especially suited to what we call “Festival” Sundays. “This is the Feast” is a beautiful song of victory. It too comes from Angel’s song. We find the words of the Angels in Revelation chapter 5: Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they sang: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!” The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped. Revelation 5:11-14 Here the angel’s are again giving glory to God. This time it’s for the ultimate and final victory when Jesus Christ comes again. Because of the very strong emphasis on Christ’s resurrection we use this song especially during the weeks following Easter.

“… with all the company of heaven,” we say. We praise God in our worship services using words first used by angels. They sing them and we repeat them because they are such wonderful words that mean everything for us.

God’s Richest Blessings

Pastor Watt