Matthew 1:18

This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit.

From Background Notes [BN] for June 20th & 21st written by Pastor Bob Brown:

Historically, the church has spoken about “The Holy Family,” comprised of Joseph, Mary, and Jesus.

Luke’s Gospel opens up that family to include Zechariah, Elizabeth, and John the Baptizer. Together, these families shared bewildering experiences. Like the famous women in their past, they participated in unusual births: Elizabeth, out of infertility; Mary out of virginity. They were in good company with Sarah, Rachel, and Hannah. What made birth possible, these stories tell us, is the special work of God that brings life out of death, something out of nothing. Read this way, the stories tell of new creations that became central families in God’s ongoing story. Jesus came into the world under impossible circumstances, and so Mary must be told, “With God nothing shall be impossible” (Luke 1:37). At times, families look like utter impossibilities until God does a wonder of newness and opens up the future. At the center of our Core Value of family is the conviction that families are the workmanship of God, and that we are workers together with Him in shaping them.  [BN,7]

Join us this week in Worship, Praise and Celebration at C1:

* Saturday 6:00pm
* Sunday 9am & 10:30am