“When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receives their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them.”
– Matthew 11:2-5 (NRSV)

Are you the one?

People ask this question in all kinds of places and ways.
“Are you the one I should marry?”
“Are you the one, as they consider a job?”
“Are you the one, as they ponder places to go to school and what to major in?”

People also ask this question spiritually like John the Baptizer does. “Are you the one, or should we wait for another?” As people visit churches, they may ask, “Are you the one with whom we should trust our spiritual life?” “Are you God’s people or should we look for others?” They will be coming. Let’s invite and welcome, too.

Go and tell. Go and tell what Jesus has done for you and in the lives of this community that bears Christ’s name. Share the good news of the resurrecting power of God’s forgiveness and love.

And the next time you find yourself asking, “Are you the one?” know what God wants to say:

• You are the one, who is so important to me that I came in fragile human flesh as a baby to reach you.
• You are the one, who is so important to me that I crawled through the dust of life to find you.
• You are the one, who is so important that I struggled through the confusion of your teenage years so that I might understand you.
• You are the one, that I was willing to risk it all for, even facing the Tempter and all the power of evil to save you.
• You are the one, whom I came to heal from all your brokenness.
• You are the one, whom I came teach about God and what life is all about.
• You are the one that I suffered for so that I might buy you back from your slavery of sin.
• You are the one that I died for so that you might know that I am with you, when you face life destroying evil and death itself.
• You are the one I died for and was raised from the dead for, so that you might know that in me there is always hope …. always new life.
• You are the one that I love.

That undying love. That birth. That life.

That is what we are preparing to celebrate in Christmas.
“Are you the one?” Jesus continues to say, “I am.”
We celebrate his arrival in this Advent and Christmas season.

+Bishop Jon V. Anderson

“She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
“Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,”
which means, “God is with us.”
– Matthew 1:21-23 (NRSV)[clear-line]

Merry Christmas from your SW MN Synod Staff

Pictured: Top Row – Kristin Bakeberg, Tammy Schacher, Pr. Dee Pederson, Maggie Berggren,
Pr. Kathryn Skoglund, Martin Luther, Pr. Stephen Cook.
Bottom Row – Sister Sarah Hausken and Bishop Jon Anderson
Not Pictured: Co-Directors of Gifts of Grace,
Pr. Andrew Hermodson-Olsen and Pr. Dwaine Bruns
Conference Ministers, Pr. Joyce Graue, Pr. Art Wiese, Pr. Steve Rasmusson

Synod Office Holiday Hours:
They synod office will be closed Dec. 23-25, Dec. 30, 2019 and Jan. 1, 2020.
The pastoral staff will be checking voicemails throughout holiday time off.