Worship Focus Dec. 31

On this first Sunday after Christmas we continue to celebrate the birth of Jesus, who is the light of hope for the world. The birth narrative in the gospel of Luke goes on to describe the infant Jesus’ first visit to the temple in Jerusalem, where he is blessed by wise elders named Simeon and Anna. Jesus comes to fulfill the hopes and promises carried by God’s people for generations, and his arrival is cause for great rejoicing. But these elders also remind Jesus’ parents that change is not easy, and this good news will bring with it conflict and pain. We join in the blessing and adoration of this child, remembering too how his story will yet unfold.