Pastor Amy Linnemann of Ohio Chapel United Methodist Church stands in her office at the nonprofit Beloved Bags outreach.
Republic file photo
Amid Ohio Chapel United Methodist’s series of Christmas services recently during Advent, Pastor Amy Linnemann has reminded her sermon listeners of a message she believes she cannot repeat often enough.
She hopes those attending church only perhaps at times such as Christmas and Easter especially hear it loud and clear this season: “God loves you. God likes you. And you all are free to love each other.
“That’s actually the heart of the Christmas message.
“And I think that people often carry around so much shame, and that shame distorts their view of things, and distorts how they believe that God really sees them.”
Area clergy say they do indeed think about looking out at a group of faces in the chairs or pews this time of year, expecting to find a few people they haven’t seen since spring — and they’re talking not just because of the pandemic, by the way. Contrary to old-school opinions, they say they’re hardly angry that the “Chreasters,” as some Christians used to call them, have been missing.
It’s much more likely the spiritual leaders are gloriously happy that they’re back, however briefly.
In fact, Bishop David Bosley at Dayspring Church of God Apostolic in Columbus, actually might include a special, tender line in his Christmas message while generally alluding to those on hand for the first time in a while. And that is, “God misses you.”
But Bosley also has carefully reminded sermon listeners in the past about their talking and listening to God throughout the year: “You can worship him anywhere.”
The pastor heard of stories while growing up of people perhaps fearful of returning to church for Christmas after a long absence. As a pastor, he said the idea of shaming infrequent attendees from the pulpit, especially on a festive holiday, seems incongruent at best.
“From my perspective,” Bosley said, “when the (Christian) leader takes a swipe at you and here you’ve done what you could to be there at least on that one day, it certainly doesn’t make it so warm and inviting to come to church the next time.”
Pastor Randy Burton at Northview Church in Columbus included a three-step message in a Christmas service already held Sunday.
“We’re well aware that our annual Christmas program with the children always attracts grandma, grandpa, and people even driving in from other states,” Burton said. “The message that we usually preach toward the end of that service is usually a little more succinct but a lot more evangelistic.”
He used Scripture from Matthew 2:11 about the wise men: “On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.”
“Three things happened to them that need to happen to you,” Burton told members and other last weekend.
Those things?
“They saw Jesus, and we all need a fresh revelation of him. The second point: They worshipped him. … Then, the third thing that they did was that they gave to Jesus. They opened up their treasure.
“And I believe it’s much easier to open your treasure when you realize that he owns it all, anyway.”
This Christmas season Linnemann already has included one other note for her church members and followers. When the angels announced in Scripture “Glory to God in the highest, and on Earth, peace and goodwill to all people upon whom his favor rests,” the phrase about favor in the Greek text is more impactful than normal, the pastor says.
“That phrase is the same phrase that God uses from heaven when Jesus is baptized, when God says, ‘This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased,’” Linnemann said. “So what this ultimately means is that, right in the middle of our mess, the message from God is ‘I like you.’”
