Focus:  So we have come full circle back to the “present” Christ - Immanuel, God with us! As we have seen in this sermon series, our call to servanthood assures us a challenging and rewarding life in Jesus. It presents us with many opportunities to impact the world for the Gospel. Jesus was born to serve. From His humble beginnings in a stable manger to His humiliating death on a cross, His life was about serving others in the most sacrificial ways. In our baptism we are reborn to serve, transformed from serving self to serving Jesus and others in His name. We are made into new creations to follow in Jesus’ footsteps. May we carry forward in this world the hope of Jesus’ birth through our service to others. Main Text: Matt 1:23; Isa 52:13-53:12

Focus:  Mercy is not only recognizing or even feeling the pain of others, it is acting (serving) to alleviate the pain and help the afflicted to gain a Godly perspective on their suffering. As seen in the  example of Jesus, being merciful is constantly being alert to the suffering of others and having the willingness to act in their  interest. Being aware of another’s suffering presents us with two options: indifference, or drawing near for the purpose of helping. Jesus, the visible image of God, is our perfect model for mercy because everything in his life was a reflection of His Father. It was He who said, "Be merciful, just like your Father in heaven is merciful" (Lk 6:36). Main Text: Lk 6:36

Focus:  Jesus listened, empowered, and gave voice to those whom He ministered by starting where they were with what they had. His is our best example of how to serve our neighbor. Our tendency is to (paternalistically) determine our neighbor’s needs without listening to them first. Rather than creating dignity, this creates dependency, undermining the freedom that Christ came to give. Do we serve from our own need to be paternalistic or, do we serve from a desire to to see the freedom of Kingdom Come for every neighbor? Main Text: Mark 6:33-44 (Jesus Feeds Five Thousand)

When we serve our neighbors in the place we occupy together, our neighborhood, we share community experience. Our neighbor’s problems become our problems; what we want for our children we want for our neighbor’s children; the crime they experience we too experience. In other words, we take ownership in our neighborhood. It is our context for authentic service. Main Text: John 1:14