Welcome! Thank you for joining us for worship today. In our services we gather before our almighty God to receive his gifts and to offer him our worship and praise. Through God’s powerful Word and sacraments he renews our faith and strengthens us to serve in joy.

When parents put gifts under the Christmas tree, it is not to compensate children for doing their chores. That would make those wrapped packages a wage, not a gift. A gift is given simply so the giver can show favor to the one receiving the gift, without expecting repayment. In the season of Christmas, we receive the gift of God. But we don’t just receive a gift that God gives. When we look into the manger we see that God is the gift.

In the person of Jesus, God gave us himself. Because God became true man and did everything necessary to save us, we have other Christmas gifts too: forgiveness, hope, peace, a place in his family, and eternal life in paradise. However, none of these things are wages. We did not, and never could, earn them. Instead, they are gifts given by our gracious God to show us his favor.