Christmas Letter

Since our Christmas letter was not the type where we elaborated the exploits of our family during the past year, I decided to share it here.

Dear Friends and Family,

This past year, for me, has been a year of genealogy.   I have spent countless hours researching the lives of eleven students who were in the first class of the Log Cabin College which was built on our property 175 years ago.  It has been an amazing journey for me.

Among many very ordinary stories I located some which were quite extraordinary.  I discovered the story of a young pastor who met a young lady to whom he proposed marriage just a matter of days later, only to be told by this young lady that she had to hear him preach a sermon before she could determine whether or not to accept his proposal.  Later that week, she listened to his sermon and agreed to marry him.  Within days of that acceptance, they were married and she joined him in returning to his home hundreds of miles away.

Another story was about a young pastor who died after falling off his horse in the middle of the winter.  His relatively new wife, who was also pregnant at the time, chose to travel a great distance with her husband’s body, in the opposite direction from where her own family lived, so that he could be buried in his hometown in Missouri.  It was there that she gave birth to that baby girl.  That girl went on to live to the ripe, old age of one hundred.  

Yes, genealogy can lead one to discover some very interesting stories.  Some of the stories I discovered are ones which I think should be retold and not forgotten. 

The most important story in all of history is one that is retold at this time of the year by many throughout the world.  It’s also a story that some would like erased from our history books.  The story begins in the book of Matthew in Chapter 1, verse 1:

“The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham…….”

This genealogy ends in verse 16:

“….and Jacob, the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, to whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.”

The story of Jesus’ birth is one involving another special marriage, complete with a virgin birth and a message from an angel to reassure the couple of its truth.  The birth of this couple’s firstborn son also involved an unexpected trip to their ancestral home, Bethlehem.  And what a life this child had!  He escaped death early on because his parents took him to Egypt.  He started His ministry at about the age of thirty, traveling around the countryside proclaiming His message of salvation while being opposed by the religious leaders of His day.  This led to Him being put on trial about three years later, and being unjustly nailed to a cross and crucified.  Amazingly, three days later, He rose from his tomb.  After ascending to heaven, those who believe in Him eagerly await His return to take them all to join Him there.  Many other stories about Jesus can be found in the Bible, and they are all worth retelling.

There is an important connection between Jesus’ incredible story and the story of the opening of the Log Cabin College in Altenburg.  The purpose of this College was to prepare future pastors and teachers who would tell the story of Jesus to the next generations of listeners and believers.   Since its beginning, the institution which carried on this task, Concordia Seminary, has had over 13,000 graduates who have been sent into the world to equip others to tell the Christmas story.  The Log Cabin College had a very humble, small beginning, but it also ended up with great big results.  That story was only possible with an Almighty God making it happen.  And I love to tell that story.

Sandi and I wish you a very Blessed Christmas, and we hope you, too, will love to retell the story of Jesus.