Kieschnick’s December Letter to Pastors
A Christmas Edition Pastoral Letter to Pastors of The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod
From President Jerry Kieschnick
December 23, 2009
The Christmas Gospel according to St. Luke
And the angel said to [the shepherds],”Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” Luke 2:10-14 (ESV)
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A Christmas greeting
My Christmas greeting to you this year is sent by means of a video message. (view @LCMS)
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Perspectives at Christmas
In my November 2009 Newsletter to Pastors, you were introduced to my new weekly e-journal, titled Perspectives. Since that time I have received numerous inquiries about Perspectives, e.g. what is the format, how does one receive it, can it be sent to friends, etc. In response to these questions, I have provided some pertinent information about Perspectives in this brief newsletter and have included the Perspectives message that will be sent on Christmas Eve as an example of the format used each week.
The weekly message will include my brief thoughts on a range of topics, including family, life matters, church issues, or current national and world events. A subscription is required to receive it. One can subscribe on my Web site: www.lcms.org/president. Simply click on the “Subscribe to Perspectives” link and follow the directions. Of course, one can also forward a Perspectives message to friends, inviting them to subscribe as directed on the Perspectives page.
Perspectives can definitely be shared with your friends. In fact, it is designed with that purpose in mind. So, I encourage you to share Perspectives with the members of your congregation. You can forward this message to your congregation members, invite them to subscribe, and even ask them to share it with others.
AN IMPORTANT NOTE: After initially subscribing to Perspectives, one must confirm his or her subscription by following the instructions in the confirmation e-mail, which will automatically be sent to the email address you provide for yourself during the subscription process. The confirmation process involves clicking on a confirm button in the message you receive in response to your subscription request. Without following these instructions, your subscription will not be completed and you will not receive future Perspectives messages.
Finally, here is my Perspectives message for Christmas Eve:
Volume I Number 11
“A Special Christmas Gift”
Quite a few years ago, Terry suggested that I make a doll house for our seven-year-old daughter’s Christmas present. I agreed. We drove our station wagon to the lumber store, purchased the necessary material, and headed home. Child restraints and seat belts were not what they are today, so Angie sat in the back of the vehicle on the small stack of lumber that would soon become her doll house.
As we drove home, she asked, “Daddy, what are you going to build with this lumber?” While I don’t clearly recall the answer I gave, I suspect my response was not exactly the whole truth and nothing but the truth. There was no way I was going to spoil the surprise Terry had in mind. To keep the surprise a secret, I confined my work on the project to the garage after bedtime hours. On Christmas Eve, Angie was totally surprised and thrilled. Terry was happy. The doll house hasn’t fallen apart after all these years. It was a special Christmas gift!
The great thrill that special gift brought into my daughter’s life many years ago does not even come close to comparing with the thrill I receive every year at Christmas in the celebration of God’s gift – Jesus, the Holy Child born in Bethlehem’s manger. Having been long foretold, his birth was neither a secret nor a surprise. Heralded by angels to humble shepherds, sought out and worshiped by kings from afar, worshiped by people around the world after all these years, this King of Kings and Lord of Lords is the most special gift ever given!
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A parting word
Terry and I pray for you and your loved ones many blessings from our gracious God as you celebrate and proclaim the Savior’s birth this Christmas season. May the good news of Emmanuel fill you with joy to overflowing!
Jerry Kieschnick
Dr. Gerald B. Kieschnick, President
The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod
e-mail: president@lcms.org
Web page: www.lcms.org/president
(via LCMS e-News)
