To the Reader

Christmas is not about presents, trees, reindeer and eggnog. It is not about travel plans, fruitcake and ugly sweaters. It is about Christ. It is about God becoming man in the child Jesus.

But Christmas does not leave Jesus in the manger. Indeed, Christmas would have no meaning if Jesus never grew up. Instead, Christmas is about God becoming man to suffer in our place, to overcome death on our behalf, to take away the sins of the world.

So join with us in celebrating the incarnation–and Christ’s death and resurrection too–in the December issue of The Lutheran Witness. Consider the Rev. AJ Neugebauer’s “A King Pronounced,” a meditation on God clothing Himself in human flesh. Learn about St. Nicholas, a pastor and defender of the faith, in Dr. Gene Edward Veith’s “Putting St. Nicholas Back in Christmas.” Help your child understand what Christmas means in the Rev. Nicholas Huelsman’s “Your Child Already Believes.”

Then, look inside Historic Trinity Lutheran Church, Detroit, Mich., in Gretchen Robert’s “We Praise Thee, O God” to see how the building’s architecture and design, indeed, how all of creation sings praises to God. And be sure to read Elizabeth Truong’s “Whats Your Part?” to understand how the Church’s gift and task is to bear witness to Christ.

Also, visit the The Lutheran Witness website at our new address: witness.lcms.org. There you can find reader polls, LCMS church-worker obituary notices and letters to the editor. You can also access our archives and download entire issues in PDF format. (If you’re interested in finding an article currently featured in the magazine, full-text versions are available three months following the publication date.)

Christmas isn’t about presents or eggnog. But it’s also not just about Jesus as a baby. Its about Christ–His birth, death and resurrection–and His love for you.