Weekly Bulletin - Calvary United Methodist Church

Prayer & Praise Sermon Notes
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Because God is Emmanuel, God with us, I know that I am never alone.
The name Emmanuel appears twice in the Hebrew scriptures (Isaiah 7:14 and
8:8) and once in the New Testament. Matthew's gospel recalls Isaiah's prophecy
in 7:14, applying it to the child who would be born to Mary, the virgin betrothed
to Joseph. One of the most comforting names and titles of Jesus, it is literally
translated "with us is God," or as Matthew's gospel puts it, "God with us."
Every year Chuck Colson and his wife Patty delivered Christmas gifts to the
children of imprisoned men and women as part of the Angel Tree Ministry. This
is how they described an encounter with one of the children:
"As we drove into the housing project to deliver our gifts, we saw broken
windows and grim-faced gang members lounging in doorways. We found the
apartment, and a boy about nine years old cautiously opened the door.
"Merry Christmas," I said, holding out the presents. "These are from your
Daddy."
Immediately, the door swung wide open to let us in. The boy's mother was
working late, and as we waited we saw that the apartment inside was as bleak as
the courtyard outside: The furniture was torn, the stuffing falling out. A straggly
Christmas tree leaned against the wall, bare of any presents.
"What's your name?" I asked the boy. "Emmanuel," he replied. "Emmanuel!
Do you know what your name means?" I opened my Bible and read from
Matthew: "and they shall call him Emmanuel—which means `God with us.'"
When his mother came home, Emmanuel threw his arms around her, crying,
"Mama, Mama, guess what my name means: God is with us!"
At that moment, in that clear, childish voice rising above the squalor of
neglected hallways and crime-filled courtyards, I heard the message of Christmas
proclaimed afresh: that God is indeed with us at all times—and in a special way
at Christmas, when He entered history through Jesus Christ."
Emmanuel--God with us. Let us encounter Him today as we move into a new
year remembering that Matthew's gospel teaches us, "I tell you the truth,
whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for
Me." (Matt 25:40)
Emmanuel, God with us, thank You for coming to us when our sins made it
impossible for us to come to You. Open my eyes to Your presence today.....
Health Concerns: Marie Fode, Marjorie Reiger, Orlin Egge,
Wayne Schumacher, John Greene, and Jewel Zephier.
“Our Wonderful, Glorious and Returning King”
7 Look, Jesus is coming with the clouds, and everyone will see him, even
those who stabbed him. And all peoples of the earth will cry loudly
because of him. Yes, this will happen! Amen.
8 The Lord God says, “I am the Alpha and the Omega. I am the One who is
and was and is coming. I am the Almighty.”
Revelation 1:7-8
New Century Version (NCV)