Emmanuel Lutheran Church Asheville

CHRISTMAS EVE CANDLELIGHT SERVICE (12/24/06)
Sir, we would see JESUS!
Emmanuel Lutheran Church

Luke 2: 5b-16
IN THE NAME OF JESUS!

Beloved, will you pray with me:

Ah, dearest Jesus, holy Child,
Make Thee a bed, soft, undefiled
Within our hearts that it may be
Those quiet chambers kept for Thee. Amen.

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In the name of our newborn King and only Savior, Jesus Christ, dearly beloved:



Into this world so full of sin
Came JESUS CHRIST, our hearts to win,
Though not with pomp and shining pow??r
Before WHOM folks in terror cow??r.

Oh, marvel at HIS lowly birth,
For lying there is LORD of earth
Before WHOM all must humbly kneel
And for His saving grace appeal.

He came to earth by Virgin born 
Early on that Christmas morn
As human Babe - the form GOD chose ?±
To bring to us our souls?? repose.

To break for us the chains of death 
That we would not by God be left
To die fore??er, cut off from HIM,
Left snared by all our damning sin.

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To shepherd folk on Beth??lem??s plain
God??s holy angel herald came,
?¨Fear not!?Æ said he to fright??ned men;
?¨Your LORD has come! Before HIM bend.

?¨To you is born this holy night
The promised CHRIST. In HIM delight!
In Beth??lem town He now does lie
In manger bed. To HIM draw nigh!

?¨In swadd??ling clothes HE??s resting there,
In stable that??s so rude and bare.
HIS glory now HE laid aside
That HE with you might e??er abide.?Æ

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And then the sky was filled with lays
As angel host sang forth their praise:
?¨Glory to GOD in highest heav??n,
Who unto men HIS SON hath giv??n.

?¨CHRIST brings you peace and saving pow??r
E??en now this night ?± GOD??S chosen hour.?Æ
Then gone were they from shepherd??s sight.
No more was seen that glor??ous light.

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Then filled with trust, the shepherds sped 
Unto that lowly manger bed.
And there HE was! The holy CHILD! ?±
So kind, so meek, so undefiled!

They knelt before their SAVIOR KING,
Who brought them peace. Their hopes took wing.
GOD kept HIS Word, HIS promise sure.
T??was meant for all ?± both rich and poor.

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So this glad news they spread that day
To all they met they had to say, 
?¨We??ve seen the SAV??OR, CHRIST THE LORD,
The promised, everlasting WORD!

?¨HE??s come! HE??s come, REDEEMER, KING!
Salvation unto us to bring!
HE cheers our hearts, makes safe the way
On this most holy, happy day!

?¨The angels brought this bless`ed news
Yea, they who now that BABY view
With eyes of faith and hearts of love
Will see GOD??s SON from heav??n above.?Æ

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Then to their fields they did return ?± 
Flocks they tended, but hearts did burn,
With prophets?? words that night fulfilled
In BABY JESUS lying still . . . 

On fresh clean straw in manger bed
Where by the angel??s words once led
They knelt beside their SAVIOR, LORD,
When faithful GOD fulfilled HIS Word.
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Oh, JESUS, would to GOD that we
Like faithful shepherds e??er might be!
They heard the Word, then worshipped THEE
With happy hearts so faithfully.

But there are times when lost in sin,
We??re slow to live by faith within.
We hear GOD??s Word, but shut it out.
We act like fools and leave YOU out.

Where shall we turn for sure release?
Where can we find unending peace?
?¨Go to MY manger, MY dear child,
And find there peace in the CHRIST CHILD!?Æ

HE is the LORD of heav??n and earth.
WHOM angels laud with pious mirth .
With might HE rules our universe.
HE used HIS pow??r to end sin??s curse.

For lying there on manger straw
Is JESUS, KING and LORD OF ALL!
HE came to earth to set us free 
From Satan??s yoke and tyranny.

Yet HE as one of us did come
To open wide our heav??nly home.
And CHRIST obeyed GOD??S holy Law
To break its curse that trapp??d us all.

HIS goodness, perfect righteousness,
He now imparts as saintly dress
To each believing child of GOD.
HE took for us GOD??s judgment??s rod ?±

Upon the cross HE took our pain,
Forlorn ?´fore GOD, that HE might gain
Pardon for sin. HIS love doth reign.
He brings GOD??S peace to earth again.

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What wondrous love our GOD doth give
That Jesus now in hearts might live!
GOD??s SON was born as human Child
Of Virgin Mary, gentle, mild,




?¨A BROTHER kind, HE comes to you
With perfect love in your plain view.
Your broken heart HE??ll mend and heal;
Your pains and hurts e??en now HE??ll feel.

None have yet sinned beyond HIS pow??r
To cleanse and blossom like a flow??r
That we e??er for our LORD might live.
Our every sin HE doth forgive!?Æ

?¨For HE??s the ONE WHO??s conquered sin.
HE cleanses all your guilt within.
There??s none that HE??s too weak to save.
Why HE??s the Lord ris??n from the grave!


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Oh, JESUS, come, to us; now give
The SPIRIT??s pow??r that we might live
Not by our sight, but in faith sure 
That in our hearts YOUR love YOU pour.

Help us to trust as shepherds did
That by YOUR love we??re quickly rid
Of sin??s dark, dread and foolish ways.
Then shall we sing to YOU our praise:

?¨Glory to GOD and praise and love
Be to our LORD in heav??n above!
For HE has met our souls?? great need
By sending CHRIST to set us free.?Æ

Yea, to the manger now we flee
That GOD??s own grace we there may see 
In BABY, WHO??s our SAVIOR dear.
Then laud GOD??s love ?± yes, loud and clear!

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The SAVIOR cradled in my heart?
A manger here? . . . Within my heart?
Ah, yes! For HE??s now there to live
With GOD??s own love ?± e??en to forgive.

For JESUS unto us doth bring
Redeeming love. To HIM e??er cling
With fervent faith and wond??ring heart.
CHRIST in HIS grace does not depart. 



Then spread abroad the news so glad:
?¨Lift up your hearts; no more be sad!
The SAVIOR??s COME your sin to bear!
CHIRST cleanses you, casts out all fear,

?¨The FATHER gave HIS SON for you,
That you might live with hope renewed.
This GIFT OF LOVE was granted you
That you might spread fore??er Good News.?Æ

God, turn us now to JESUS LORD
To trust HIS strong, sure, saving Word,
To share HIS peace and there to see
That we??re HIS child eternally.

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Then share CHRIST??s love and sing HIS praise
Throughout your earthly pilgrimage,
Until your stand at GOD??s right hand
Amidst HIS glor??ous angel band. Amen.

TO GOD ALONE BE GLORY!

© The Reverend Frederick A. Stiemke
Vacancy Pastor

1st Mid-Week Advent Service (12/6/06)
by Rev. Frederick A. Stiemke
Sir, we would see JESUS! 
Emmanuel, Asheville, NC

Luke 1: 5-17
IN THE NAME OF JESUS!

In the name of our Advent King and Savior, Jesus Christ, dearly beloved:

The season of Advent calls us to take a journey ?± as it were in God??s ?¨Time Machine.?Æ We are already here at the present time, and God is with us. But our Lord is also calling upon us in Advent to look back at His great saving acts in the past, as well as looking forward to all our loving Savior has in store for those who trust Him as Savior and Lord in the future. Tonight our heavenly Father takes us in spirit to the great city of Jerusalem, where so often chief events in the Lord??s salvation history have taken place. 

Today??s journey begins in a valley ?± the valley of Kidron. To one side is the Mount of Olives. Ahead of us is the winding path that wends its way up Mount Zion, on top of which sits the temple erected by King Herod.

On this very path Melchizedeck, the king-priest of almighty God, centuries ago greeted Abraham, returning victoriously after Abraham defeated his enemies in battle. This king-priest led Abraham into the city to partake of a festive meal, and to Melchizedeck Abraham brought his tithe in thanksgiving. King David trod upon these very stones when he captured this key city of the Jebusites and thereafter moved his capital here from Hebron. Along this path in religious fervor King David danced before the Ark of the Covenant when the city of the king became the City of the Lord Jehovah. Along this route came the Queen of Sheba to visit King Solomon and to witness his extraordinary God-given wisdom. On this very path the Babylonians forced those Jewish folks spared in the conquest of Judah and Jerusalem to march out as slaves to begin 70 painful years of exile and captivity. On this same road the exiles returned from captivity sad in heart, weeping bitter tears at seeing the utter destruction of their beloved temple on Mount Zion.

Three different times in ancient history quarried stone, jewels and gold, and tall cedars of Lebanon were transported along this path initially to build and then twice to replace the great Temple of the living God on the crest of Mt. Zion ?± first under Solomon, once by Nehemiah and his cohorts after the Captivity, and years later begun by King Herod. The latter took almost 91 years to complete that work, only to be destroyed forever in 70 AD ?± just 7 years after its completion. On the altar within this temple, myriads of animals had been sacrificed to foreshadow the one all-sufficient sacrifice that Jesus, the Lamb of God, would make for the sins of one and all on a much simpler altar ?± two crossed beams of wood ?± outside the city wall.

More importantly, here Simeon, to whom it had been revealed that he would not die until he saw the promised Savior, held that precious infant in his arms and sang his great song, ?¨Lord, now let Your servant depart in peace.?Æ It was in that temple that a 12-year-old Jesus stood, amazing the religious leaders and teachers with His spiritual wisdom and knowledge of the Scriptures. From this temple Jesus had driven the money changers and sellers of sacrificial animals and birds, who had dishonored that sacred ground by doing business there. It was toward this temple that Jesus rode on that first Palm Sunday. And it was here in the Colonnade that the first Christians heard Peter, James and John proclaim that the crucified, but now risen Jesus is mankind??s only hope of eternal salvation.

In the midst of all those memorable historical events, today??s Gospel reading tells of an event witnessed by very few, but nevertheless it is extremely important. There we are led to observe an aging priest, Zechariah, who had a lifetime dream come true. Day after day through many, many years he had watched each day as a fellow priest was chosen by lot to enter the first of the inner chambers of the temple proper, the Holy Place, to burn incense and offer prayers for himself and all his people. It was his division of priests?? turn to serve that day; and, lo and behold, the lot fell to him. So, there he stood highly privileged before the altar of incense that he had longed so often to see. As he does, we also need to recall that he and his aging wife, Elizabeth, were childless. 

Suddenly during the burning of incense and his offering of prayer on the right side of the altar of incense stood the angel Gabriel. Zechariah, sinful person that he was, was terrified. But Gabriel calmed his fears, saying, ?¨Don??t be afraid!?Æ The angel went on to say that Zechariah??s prayer had been heard and that he and his wife would have a son, even though Elizabeth was well past the age of child-bearing. Gabriel instructed him to name his son, ?¨John,?Æ which means, ?¨The LORD JAHWEH is gracious.?Æ In addition, John would be great in the sight of the Lord, filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth. In fact, John would prepare God??s people for the coming of the promised Savior. He would resemble the great prophet Elijah in spirit and power by calling disobedient people to the wisdom of righteousness, bringing many souls back to the Lord their God. In other words, God was indeed about to act to keep His promise to come Himself to save His people from sin, death and hell. 

Reading on, Luke??s account takes a sad turn. Zechariah doubted that the Lord could actually fulfill His promise. So, he asked for a sign. The angel Gabriel responds with a verbal barb, reminding Zechariah who he is ?± he as a holy angel stands in the very presence of God. The Lord, who doesn??t lie or make false promises, sent him with this good news. For his unbelief Zechariah was struck speechless until baby John is born.

What can we learn from all this for our own earthly pilgrimage? Here the story takes an even sadder turn. If we look carefully at Zechariah??s responses and directly into his face, we will see the image of our own. Too many times we don??t take Jesus at His word. Like Zechariah we, too, look for tangible signs. Doubts and fears do assail us. Moreover, men and women and children of our times are known as the ?¨NOW generation.?Æ Patience, waiting for the Lord to act in His own time and way are not one of our strong points. As I look back over my own life, I must confess that in times of testing, I have often in effect lamented, ?¨Lord, didn??t I learn patience the last time? Do I have to learn it all over again??Æ 

All this is indicative of our sinful rebellious hearts. It??s not letting God be God, who certainly has the power to do whatever He promises, and who assuredly knows what??s best for us at any time in our life. For this our sinfulness, not only in the presence of God, but even before a holy angel, we like Zechariah should be justly terrified. We deserve not just to be made speechless like Zechariah, but to be cut off from God and His mercy forever. 

Thank God! Our merciful God is the same yesterday, today and forever! As He dealt with Zechariah, our Lord deals in the same manner with us today. He sends His messengers with His word of pardon, forgiveness and love. More importantly, He sent the Messenger, Jesus Christ, who comforts us, saying, ?¨Don??t be afraid!?Æ Even as our Savior hung on the cross in punishment for our sin, He sent this prayer message to His heavenly Father, ?¨Father, forgive them! For they don??t know what they do.?Æ And He died, cut off from His heavenly Father, to make that forgiveness possible by our holy and just God. Even now as our victorious Savior, sitting at the right hand of the Father in heaven, He is interceding for you and me. As through the ages our merciful God has had the last word over all things, so now at the present time and also in the days to come His message is that ultimately all things must work together for good for those of us who love God, who are called according to His purposes.

And wonder of wonders! Because Christ Jesus is faithful and never breaks His promises, that day will come when we hear the message from His own lips, ?¨Come you, blessed of My Father, receive the everlasting inheritance prepared for you from the foundation of the world.?Æ Lord, keep us in this saving faith. Amen.
To GOD alone all glory!

© Rev. Frederick A. Stiemke, Vacancy Pastor

3rd Mid-Week Advent Service (12/20/06)

Sir, we would see JESUS! 
Emmanuel, Asheville, NC
John 7: 37-44
IN THE NAME OF JESUS!

by Rev. Frederick A. Stiemke

In the name of our Advent King and Savior, Jesus Christ, dearly beloved:

In our Advent journey we have been both looking back and looking forward to the great things our God has done and will do. It is also one that draws us toward increasing light. We are drawn to that ?¨little town?Æ fabled in story and song ?± to Bethlehem, where light ?± God??s light ?± shone upon its dark streets. But it appears that we??ve come at the wrong time. That seems to be a persistent problem for that legendary ?¨little town.?Æ Things were always happening at the wrong time here.

Long ago Rachel gave birth. She was the most beloved wife of Jacob who was the son of Isaac, the grandson of Abraham. Rachel, Jacob??s most beloved wife, gave birth to Joseph, his dearly beloved son. It was here in Bethlehem that she finally gave birth to her second son, Benjamin. But that time of joy turned into a time of weeping and intense sorrow, for she died in childbirth. A blessed event turned into tragedy, a time for tears and painful grief! 

Bethlehem never forgot her death, nor did the nation. ?¨Rachel weeping for her children?Æ became a common proverb among the Jews, an expression of inexpressible grief for those whose lives came to an end ?± at the wrong time.

To add to Jacob??s grief later, he believed the lie told by his other sons that his most beloved son, Joseph, had been killed by wild animals when his brothers brought back home Joseph??s coat of many colors soaked with the blood of animals because of their envy upon Joseph??s sharing his dreams at the wrong time. What treachery! His brothers had actually sold him to a passing caravan, where everything for a time went wrong for Joseph ?± slavery at first in far away Egypt. Then when things began to get better in Potiphar??s house, Joseph too soon languished in prison for many years because of the lust and lies told by his owner??s wife. That didn??t end until God??s light began to dawn, and Joseph became second in command to Pharaoh and served as the Lord??s instrument in keeping Jacob and his family alive in . 7 years of utter famine. Along with them he also kept alive the promise of the Savior to come from Jacob??s family.

It was from Bethlehem that Jacob moved his family to Egypt, where things went well for his descendents until again everything really went wrong for God??s chosen people. Years of gross abuse in slavery and the slaughter of all their male babies born followed. Again it was a time of tears and pain until God acted and His light dawned in their darkness to deliver them through 10 plagues and His chosen servant Moses.

It was at a later date that darkness in a time of famine at Bethlehem struck Elimelech and his wife, Naomi. They with their two sons had to flee to Moab to survive. While there in that foreign land, the darkness gathered as Elimelech and his two sons, then married to two Moabite women, all died in a short time span in that land, leaving three women destitute. Yet God??s light began to break through when Ruth, the wife of one of Naomi??s sons, opted in loyalty to the God of Israel and Naomi to return to Bethlehem with her mother-in-law.

At first shadows remained for Naomi and Ruth, as Ruth had to forage for food for the two of them by gathering crops left over in the fields of neighboring farms by those who gathered the harvest. But then God??s light shone more brightly for Ruth, when the wealthy landowner, Boaz of the tribe of Judah, chose to marry her. And wonder of wonders, she, an outsider, a Gentile became a human ancestor to none other than the Baby Jesus.

Some years thereafter a young shepherd lad, David, had gone out from Bethlehem at what seemed like the wrong time to bring his brothers food as they served in the army of Israel. His father anxiously wanted to know how his sons were faring and to send provisions to them. The brothers were encamped with the army of Israel awaiting the call to battle against their dread enemy ?± the Philistines. The opposing army was known not only for its fierceness in battle, but their superior bronze weaponry. And now they were being challenged by one giant of man from that army ?± Goliath by name. He was armed to the teeth standing out on the battlefield jeering and mocking the chosen people of the Lord and their God, challenging anyone to a duel to the death. No one from the army of Israel dared to take that chance until David arrived. 

Once more, it was dark and bleak for the children of God ?± the wrong time ?± until God??s light dawned. The Lord God used that vulnerable young shepherd lad, David, armed only with a slingshot, against that mighty giant and all his armor and latest weaponry, to slay Goliath, bringing victory to the army of Israel. 

The shadows only grew in intensity for Israel and also David as their first king, Saul, sank deeper and deeper into not trusting the only living God. Darker yet were the days when Saul was afflicted with insanity and massive jealousy of David and David??s popularity among the people. It was indeed the wrong time for the prophet Samuel to sneak into Bethlehem to anoint young David king at God??s command. Upon Saul??s learning that David from Bethlehem was to be his replacement rather than one of his own sons, the light for Israel and David only grew dimmer until Saul after a number of darkening years he tried to kill David, only to end up committing suicide after being fatally wounded in battle. Only then could David could take his rightful place as king. Thereafter God??s light shone with increasing brightness for a time as King David and Israel grew to be the greatest kingdom on earth.

Years later it seemed again to be a dark time again when Caesar Augustus issued his degree that the entire world should submit to a census. Joseph and his new wife, the Virgin Mary at the end of the 3rd trimester of her 1st pregnancy, had to make that long, arduous trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem. It looked like the wrong time to walk those dark streets into the city. No one would make room for them in the inn, even as Mary began experiencing the first pains of giving birth. But then in that lowly stable where they as a last resort sought shelter, the Light of the world, the very Son of God, was born, and the heavenly host in all their bright array sang, ?¨Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth among people with whom He is pleased.?Æ It was to lowly shepherds here that they sang. They were the first to hear the Good News that mankind??s Savior was born in Bethlehem. They were the first to hasten to the manger to see the Babe, their eternal light and Savior. The wrong time in that busy little town became the right time for God to begin to set things right between Himself and all who would trust in His Son as their Savior.

It seemed like the wrong time at Bethlehem. It was so busy. And so it is for us in these days of preparation for the holidays. Our times are much the same, crowded with people and activities. There are houses to clean, trees and homes to decorate, goodies to bake, presents to wrap, greetings to share, meals to prepare ?ñ! And for some of you this is a time of dark testing. But this is the right time! 

GOD??S LIGHT came to Bethlehem. THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD ?± Jesus also comes to the dark streets of Asheville, as He came to the bleak streets of Bethlehem. Daily He comes in the midst of our busyness. Why, our Savior has even come into the dark corners of each of our hearts to drive out our sin and rebellion against our holy God! Our Redeemer is with us to brighten the joys and happiness we have in the midst of our fallen world. He also is with us to lend us the warmth of His glow and love at all the wrong times in our lives - times of oppression and grief, times of heartache and fear, times of uncertainty ?± to fill us with His hope and peace, even as He was with all His people of Bethlehem throughout the years. Our merciful and ever-living Light is there ultimately to turn all of our dark moments around for our good. Lord, we do believe. Help our unbelief! Amen.
To GOD alone be the glory!

© The Reverend Frederick A. Stiemke
Vacancy Pastor