Mike Edmisten Follower of Jesus. Husband of Nicki. Father of Ryan & Brock. Communicator of the Word.

End of 2009 Blogging

It's time to call it a year. I'm taking some time off. This will be the last blog post of 2009. Comments have been temporarily disabled as well.

Thanks to every single person who stops by and reads this blog. Whether you're a first-time visitor, you drop in occasionally, or you read these posts every week…thank you.

I love blogging. It is an amazing way for a pastor to stay connected throughout the week. I hope this blog blesses you even half as much as it blesses me.

New posts will resume in January. Until then, have a wonderful New Year.

Mad love to all my peeps. (Don't know where that came from, but it's a fun phrase to wrap up the year.)

Hope

"The Christmas message is that there is hope for a ruined humanity–hope of pardon, hope of peace with God, hope of glory–because at the Father's will Jesus Christ became poor, and was born in a stable so that thirty years later he might hang on a cross."
(J.I. Packer)

I pray that the hope of Christmas is alive and well in your home today.

Merry Christmas.

Christmas Is About Pondering

Christmas Video Blog 4 from Mike Edmisten on Vimeo.

Christmas Eve Service

Final reminder about our Christmas Eve service tomorrow night at 9:00 pm.

See you there.

Christmas Is About Treasures

Christmas Video Blog 3 from Mike Edmisten on Vimeo.

Primal

Mark Batterson's new book, Primal, hits bookshelves today. I'm honored to be part of the book's blog tour this week.

I've admired Mark's ministry at National Community Church for a long time. And every time Mark writes a book, I grab it immediately. His previous books, In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day and Wild Goose Chase, were both great reads.

Primal picks up where they left off and, honestly, it goes to another level. It's Mark's best book to date.

The book is a call to reclaim "the lost soul of Christianity." It is centered around the greatest command in Scripture: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." (Mark 12:30)

This book is a threat to the traditional view of Christianity. It is a call to strip away all the extra stuff and go "primal." To get back to the heart of Christianity by simply living out its greatest commandment.

I would recommend that Primal be the first book you read in 2010. It has the potential to rock your world. It certainly rocked mine.

(This was book was provided for review by WaterBrook Multnomah.)

Christmas Is About Seekers

Christmas Video Blog 2 from Mike Edmisten on Vimeo.

Christmas Is About Miracles

Christmas Video Blog 1 from Mike Edmisten on Vimeo.

Christmas Week at ACC

Christmas is my favorite time of the year at ACC.   We do Christmas right (apologies to KFC for shamelessly stealing their slogan).

Here's what's coming up next week.

Christmas Sunday (December 20) is going to be off the chart! Brian and I just had our final planning meeting to go over the last minute details for Sunday.  It is going to be AWESOME! You definitely need to be on time. The goodness starts at 9:00 & 11:00 am SHARP! If you're late, you'll miss some very good stuff.  You've been warned.

Also, you need to grab that friend/family member who needs Jesus and bring them with you.  They will have fun and they will hear the gospel.  Promise.

Christmas Eve (which would be December 24, if you're keeping score) is going to have a decidedly different feel from Sunday morning, but it will be equally awesome.  Our Christmas Eve service is at 9:00 pm and will last about 45 minutes.

The worship on Christmas Eve will be stellar.  We've got a special story just for the kiddos.  Everything is designed to get our hearts beating in rhythm with God's heart (Acts 13:22) instead of getting caught up in the hullabaloo of the holidays. (I don't think I've ever actually used the word "hullabaloo" before.  Sweet.)

Christmas week at ACC is going to sparkle.  It always does. You don't want to miss a minute.

Songs We Love to Hate

It's an annual tradition here on ye olde blog.  Every Christmas season, we take time to pay homage to the worst of the worst in the world of holiday music.

The deal is simple.  Tell us what Christmas/holiday song(s) that you hate. Post your comment so we can all join in your loathing!

This only works if you actually leave a comment, though.  That goes for everybody, including you lurkers who always read and never comment.  Jump in and complain away!

I'll start it off.

The song that is killing me this year is Believe by Josh Groban. I thought the Polar Express was great.  But this song from the film is horrid…and it's on every time I turn on the radio!  I "believe" I'll punch myself in the face if I hear it one more time this year.

Wow.  I feel better.

Your turn.  Be a hater. It's ok, just this once.  Let it rip.