Prayer: Lord, we know that nothing is impossible for you. Help us to see you in the big and small things in our lives today. Amen.
Reading: Luke 1: 26-38 (Click to read text) Stop and GROW: After reading the text, discuss/ponder the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's Book of Faith questions, which are part of Camp Mount Luther's GROW Time with campers. QUESTION 1: What scares, confuses, challenges, or doesn’t make sense to me in this text? QUESTION 2: What delights me in this text or is my favorite part of the story? QUESTION 3: What stories or memories does this text stir in me? QUESTION 4: What is God up to in this text? Reflection: If we could always remember that with God all things are possible, we would know the miracle of Christmas. A lot gets said at this time of year about the perfect gift, the perfect holiday atmosphere, the perfect Christmas party. But, the real and perfect message of Christmas is that with God, all things are possible. All the things we talk about at this time of year...peace on earth, good will to all. It's all possible, with God. Mary knew it...she asked one question... "how can this be?" And when the angel tells her that nothing will be impossible with God, she simply says "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word." We forget that she didn't put up a fuss. She didn't have a long drawn-out argument with God. She just said "okay." Knowing that it might mean a life of shame for being an unwed mother. When God asked her to raise the savior of the world, she said yes. She said yes to the sleepless nights, to the worrying, to the hours of patient teaching, to instructing Him in faith, to seeing Him through his teen years, to helping him become an adult who was wise, and who loved His Father in heaven. She said yes. Because even though she was a teenager herself, Mary knew that when an angel comes to visit you, God means business, and that nothing will be impossible with God. Sometimes it takes a whole group of children to teach us that kind of message. Sometimes when we listen to their words and songs, we start to really understand that before Jesus was our savior, he was a baby. And then he was a little boy, with all the rambunctiousness and adventure of any little boy. And then he was an older boy...and I wonder if he participated in his synagogue like kids participate in our churches today. Their presence reminds us that Jesus was a child who loved God, just like all of us. Sometimes we have our moments of doubt or of uncertainty about faith, but we're all still God’s children, and He loves us, and that's the most important thing to remember. At Christmastime, we get to witness the miracle...the miracle that nothing will be impossible with God. –Sarah Hershberger
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