Christmas, ultimate proof of God's love

Dear Mosaic Family,

A few years ago, before I went into full-time ministry, a co-worker found out that I was a Christian and decided to get me a gift for Christmas. The gift turned out to be a t-shirt with a picture of Ben Franklin, with a big smile on his face, holding a massive beer stein, with the quote: "Beer is proof that God loves you and wants you to be happy." Ben Franklin may or may not have said this, but my friend thought it was hilarious.

There are many things in this world that show us that God loves us. However, Christmas is the greatest, most ultimate, proof of God's love for us. The God of the universe subjected himself to becoming human, with everything this entails: fertilization, gestation, birth, infancy, childhood, puberty (!), adolescence, sickness, pain, suffering, heartache, and death. This is truly staggering!

Moreover, Jesus Christ was born in an obscure village, to an obscure family, and for the most part, lived an obscure life. He never had a family or owned a home. He never traveled more than two hundred miles from the place of his birth. He never went to college, wrote a book, or held public office. While still a young man, the fickle tide of popular opinion turned again him. His friends deserted him. His enemies mocked, beat, sourced and crucified him. While he was dying, his executioners gambled for the only piece of property he owned, his coat. He died, was taken down, and was laid in a borrowed grave... and 19 centuries later, he is still the central figure of human history, so much so, that each one of us measures our birthday in relation to his birthday, on that first Christmas. How did this happen?

Join us tomorrow as we study 1 John 4:7-21, and meditate on God's love for us!

Praying for you! Pastor Jan

Announcements:

Membership Class. Sunday, February 5th, 1-3pm. Lunch provided. The membership class if the first step to becoming a member of Mosaic Boston. To register, please email admin@mosaicboston.com Members' Meeting. Sunday, February 26th, 1-3pm. If you're a member, please plan on attending our first quarterly members' meeting and potluck.  Mosaic Youth Group. Every Sunday, Mosaic holds a youth group gathering during the 9:30service. If you know anyone looking for a youth group, let them know! Mosaic Boston App. Did you know Mosaic has an app? You can download it here. Christmas and New Years. On both Christmas Day, December 25th and New Year's Day, January 1st (which are Sundays), we'll have one service at 11:15am. Come worship Jesus with your Mosaic family!  Pre-service Prayer. Join us in the upper hallway of the Temple Ohabei Shalom for a time of pre-service prayer on Sundays at 8:45AM and 4:30PM. It's an opportunity for us to pray for the church, the city, and the world. Love Mosaic?  Let people know! We would love it if you could take a minute to like/rate us on some social media sites, which makes it easier for others to find us when they are searching for a church in Boston!