How do you envision Christmas this year? A beautiful Christmas tree glowing with lights and
ornaments? Colorfully wrapped Christmas presents stacked under the tree? The Advent wreathe, candles
and Christmas tree glowing in the front of the church at Trinity? Singing the beloved Christmas carols by
candlelight at the Christmas Eve service? Family, children and grand children gathered together laughing
and enjoying celebrating together? A dining table laden with all the special holiday treats, decorations and
yuletide favorites? Perhaps all of these mixed together in a ‘Norman Rockwell / Currier & Ives’ collage of
the perfect Christmas?
We have been talking about “visioning” at Trinity Lutheran Church and School lately as well as
preparing for a vision casting process for the congregation in the new year. We are prayerfully going to
consider the mission and ministry possibilities and explore where we believe the Lord is leading us. A
vital step to this process is envisioning what Trinity might look like in three to five years. Think of it as
“Vision – 2025!” Given our current culture and context, the opportunities and challenges, our strengths
and talents . . . where is the Lord leading us to best serve Him and others and carry out His will and work?
God certainly had a vision of Christmas! His vision was restoring unity between Himself and His
creation after the Fall into sin. The vision was that of a man, born of a woman who would crush and defeat
sin, death and the devil. In doing so, however, He would be bruised. (Gen. 3:15) This man was unlike
any other before or since. He was (would be) both God and man at the same time and born of a virgin.
(Is. 7:14) He would humbly be born and laid in a manger in the little town of Bethlehem. (Micah 5:2)
And, one day He would be lifted up on a Christmas tree of sorts, namely the cross. All who looked upon
Him in faith would be saved! (John 3:15) God’s perfect Christmas vision was that of the Messiah –
Immanuel and the redemption of sinful mankind!
God’s vision now is that His church go Christmas caroling and tell everyone what He has done.
Trinity’s vision must paint the picture of how God will lead and utilize us in this place and time to
proclaim the Gospel message of redemption! The Lord has blessed all sinful mankind with many
Christmas presents under the tree of the cross. As His church we are enlisted, empowered and deployed to
reach out to all with the Christmas hope of the Christ child. What will that look like in West Seneca in
2020 and in 2025? Please keep this Vision Casting Process in your prayers as we work together as His
faithful people.
A most blessed Christmas celebration to all of you, and an exciting and vision-producing New Year!
~ Pastor Dennis J. Krueger