Pastor's Corner Northern Montana Care Center Christmas worship services

As many of you readers are already aware, I am the very, very part-time chaplain at the Northern Montana Care Center, and have been since November of 2019.

Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 situation and continuing cases, I have been unable to to do services and visits in-person in the Care Center since Sept. 23, 2020 - two-and-a-half months! That has been really tough on the residents, and I haven't liked it much either. ... With no end in sight to the continuing COVID-19 cases - the Care Center has to go 14 days without any COVID-19 cases before I can resume services in the facility - I decided to start doing worship services on YouTube. The activities department has access to at least 4 iPads - with more having been ordered and on the way - so that the residents can view the services in their rooms on YouTube on their iPads.

To get this set up, I changed my email name to Chaplain Curt Curtis, so that the residents could search for that on YouTube and find the services. You, the reader, can check it out also on YouTube. Just search for "Chaplain Curt Curtis." Here is the schedule of services for Christmas time:

Northern Montana Care Center Worship Services Schedule

Sunday worship services are from 2-2:30 p.m.

Monday and Wednesday worship services are from 10:30-11 a.m.

I start playing piano and singing 15 minutes prior to each service, giving the activities team members time to place iPads in each room for the residents.

Sunday, Dec. 20: Matthew 2:1-12 - The Wise Men and Herod; Hymns - "What Child is This" (pg. 38); "Silent Night" (pg. 47); "O Come All Ye Faithful" (pg. 46); "Go, Tell It On the Mountain" (pg. 41)

Monday, Dec. 21: Matthew 2:13-23 - Escape to Egypt; Hymn - "O Little Town of Bethlehem" (pg. 67)

Wednesday, Dec. 23: The Christmas Story!; Hymn - "Away in a Manger" (pg. 69); "O Come All Ye Faithful" (pg. 70)

Sunday, Dec. 6, we went over the Scriptures Luke 1:26-38:

"26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, 'Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; (a) blessed are you among women!'

29 But (b) when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30 Then the angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.

"34 Then Mary said to the angel, 'How can this be, since I (c) do not know a man?'

"35 And the angel answered and said to her, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing will be impossible.'

"38 Then Mary said, 'Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.' And the angel departed from her."

Just a couple of observations:

A. The angel Gabriel indicated that Mary was highly favored by God. Why? Because she had been chosen to bring God's only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into the world. However, in the moment, to Mary this looked like anything but a favorable moment. Bearing God's Son seemingly out of wedlock (to those not in the know) - this would not be an easy time for Mary or for Joseph. Sometimes God highly favors us with a mission of his, but at the moment, it may not seem so favorable. May we respond to God like Mary did: "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." She was available and willing for God's purposes. How about you and I?

B. This baby, Jesus, is identified as: Son of God, named Jesus, Son of the Highest and King of the House of Jacob forever. One of the hallmarks of Christianity is that Jesus Christ is God's only begotten Son, born of the virgin Mary. From the beginning, He is identified as such. Jesus is also identified as King. Kingship is a bit of a foreign concept in the U.S.A., because we do not have a king in this country. There is only so much influence that our country's president has over us, the citizens of the country. However, as Jesus reigns over His kingdom, He has ultimate and absolute influence over those who are part of His Kingdom. Are you and willing to love and serve King Jesus, knowing that, unlike in the U.S.A., we do not and will not have a "say" in how Jesus Christ governs? Think about it. How willing are we to yield our wills to the will of King Jesus? The wise men of old bowed and worshipped baby Jesus. Will we?

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The Rev. Edroy "Curt" Curtis is president of the Greater Havre Area Ministerial Association, Northern Montana Care Center chaplain and lead pastor of Havre Assembly of God Church