Local pastors share their thoughts regarding the meaning of Christmas, inspired by their favorite Christmas verses. Pictured is the decorated sanctuary of the First Lutheran Church of Jamestown. Submitted photo

The Christmas story is familiar to all — perhaps, in part, because its themes are so varied.

As the community prepares to celebrate Christmas, local pastors shared their favorite Christmas verses with The Post-Journal and offered their perspective on the meaning of Christmas. What was apparent in talking with six area pastors is the breadth of the Christmas story and the myriad ways our viewpoints shape the pieces of the story that affect us the most.

PASTOR AARON BJORK

Pastor Aaron Bjork, from Fellowship at the Cross, shared that the inspiration for what Christmas means to him comes from Isaiah 9:6, which reads, “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on his shoulders; and his name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.”

For Bjork, Christmas is about Jesus coming to “tabernacle” with humanity and proclaiming the arrival of the “kingdom of God.”

Bjork said the prophesied government from Isaiah 9:6 is the church. He explained that the word “church” was not in the original language; as a result, the word “ecclesia,” which means government, was used.

“We sit on his shoulders as and when we operate in the kingdom,” he said. “It is a truly blessed reminder. We are His hands and His feet.”

PASTOR MEL MCGINNIS

Pastor Mel McGinnis, from Kiantone Congregational Church, said his favorite Christmas verse is 2 Corinthians 9:15, which states, “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift.”

McGinnis said the Christmas decorations at his church seem like the “wrapping” of a gift that everyone can receive.

“This gift from God is God himself in the person of Jesus,” he said. “The meaning of his name gloriously given at his birth reveals the simple gift he profoundly brings: he will save his people from their sin.”

McGinnis said Christmas is not about “moralism,” but about the “miraculous” arrival of “God incarnate” as the “one and only” way for humanity to be rescued from sin.

PASTOR LUKE FODOR

Pastor Luke Fodor, from St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, said the best stories typically happen “under the cover of darkness,” where he believes deepest connections and the heart of mystery are found. He said childhood stories like “Hans Christian Anderson” or “Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales” showcase examples of heroes who faced the presence of evil under challenging circumstances. Based on these examples, he said that despite the human desire to “live happily ever after,” stories are often more complex.

“This is how the great stories of the Bible are told too,” he said. “Abraham talking to God under a dark, but starry night sky, Jacob on the run from his brother and resting his head on rock before watching the angels ascending and descending, Moses climbing up Mount Sinai enveloped with thick, dark clouds to receive the law and young Samuel hearing the call of God at night in the temple.”

Fodor said the Christmas story of the birth of Jesus is “shrouded” in mystery and darkness just like these other stories. He explained that while the Christmas story is true, it the appearance of a “fairy tale like” quality because it contains the “deepest kind of truth” that is crucial for understanding the world today.

Fodor said his favorite verses in the Christmas story are Luke 2:8-12, which read, “In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see– I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.'”

Fodor said these verses show that “unexpected good news” often is delivered at the darkest moments to the most unexpected of people. He explained the Christmas story offers hope for people today as they look for signs of God’s presence in their lives.

PASTOR MARK HANSON

Pastor Mark Hanson, from Jamestown Church of the Nazarene, said his favorite Christmas verse is Matthew 1:23, which states, “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God with us’).”

Reflecting on his favorite Christmas verse, Hanson said the meaning of Christmas is about hope.

Hanson said the Christmas season is not merely a reflection on past events, but that Christmas centers around a “present and future hope.”

“The birth of Jesus is about hope,” he said. “God comes to live among us in the person of Jesus and to be involved in our lives. God came as a baby, dwells among us today, and offers us hope at his Second Coming.”

PASTOR BOB BENSON

Pastor Bob Benson, from Christ Church LCMC, said his favorite Christmas verses are Luke 2:1-21.

Benson shared that the verses from Luke used in “A Charlie Brown Christmas” still inspire him today.

“I can’t quite read it like Linus,” he said, “but I think of his public testimony every time I read it.”

PASTOR MARK SWANSON

Pastor Mark Swanson, from the First Lutheran Church of Jamestown, said some of his favorite Christmas verses are found in Titus 3:4-7, which states, “But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy, through the water of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. This Spirit he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

Swanson said the love of God has been “revealed in the flesh” in order to save a “broken world.” He said that before any human being can seek God, the Lord comes to humanity first.

“This love is made known in baptism, by the work of the Holy Spirit,” he said, “again revealing that it is God’s work alone that saves a fallen world, richly poured out to redeem us all, who are made heirs of God’s promise, in the name of Christ, our Savior and Lord.”