Wednesday December 25, 2013
Colossians 4:18

It is Christmas Day. Merry Christmas to you and yours. On behalf of the entire congregation we pray that your Christmas holiday will continue to bless you. May the Lord be with you wherever you go!

Just one verse for our reading and reflection today. It is the last verse of the Book of Colossians. Verse 4:18 says, “I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.”

The final words, “Grace be with you” is a benediction for the people. The benediction is always spoken at the close of worship as a blessing to the people. The word benediction simply means a ‘good word’ that is intended to encourage and surround the gathered people of God.

The people of Colossae needed something more than encouragement to sustain them. They needed a word of grace. In fact, they needed the direct gift of God’s grace to see them through.

Today, on Christmas Day, let’s remember that we too need the grace of God to see us through. We might even confess that there have been times when we attempted to make Christmas happen by the power of our own desire or the will of our own spirit. But today, we need grace. We need it to come as a blessing.

So here is a blessing that comes directly to you from the heart of God: Grace be with you!

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who was born in Bethlehem,
worked with Joseph as a carpenter,
traveled the countryside teaching and healing,
May the Lord himself grant you an abundance of grace
so you can share it wherever you go.

Prayer Focus For Today
Please pray for your family and friends as we rejoice in the birth of Jesus. The Word became flesh! Amen, Hallelujah!

Be sure to read (out loud) the Gospel of Luke 2:1-40 as a part of your Christmas Day tradition.