Herb Frombach writes, “When the song of the angels is stilled and the voices of the night are silent; when the shepherds return to their sheep, the work of Christmas begins. When the star in the heavens is dim, and the ringing of the bells is fading; when the kings travel back to their lands, the work of Christmas begins.” I love this text for it reminds me that Christmas is not an end unto itself but rather the beginning of our work and ministry.[pullquote_right width=”50%”]With all of this, how can we not be ready for the work of Christmas to begin?[/pullquote_right]
As we start this New Year together, I hope all of us will be mindful of the ways we can begin “the work of Christmas.” As we look ahead to 2014, please allow me the opportunity of looking back to December 2013 and acknowledging some special groups within our congregation. We begin with members of the Sanctuary Choir. No church has a more dedicated and committed Sanctuary Choir than does Auburn First Baptist. Their dedication was so obvious in their Christmas presentation, Kneeling in Bethlehem. They sang beautifully and are always so willing to accept a musical challenge. Thanks You! The second group is our team of leaders and workers with our children’s choirs. Those present on Family Night know how fortunate we are to have such creative and talented leadership. We saw and heard the results of that leadership. Thank You! We also want to thank our organist Bryan King for years of faithful service to our church and especially its music ministry. Thank You Bryan! I also want to thank all of our staff, headed by our pastor, who work so diligently in the office and in their areas of ministry. Thank You! Finally, thank you the members of this congregation for supporting your staff by your presence, your enthusiastic participation in worship, and with your kind words of appreciation and encouragement to your staff. Thank You! With all of this, how can we not be ready for the work of Christmas to begin?