Dear members and friends:
“Maybe, the Grinch thought, Christmas doesn’t come from a store”
When we think of beginnings and fresh starts we often think of New Years Day. Or perhaps we may think about early September and the new school year. The Church also has its seasons and special days. The Advent season marks the beginning of a church year. This is when we hear, in a focused way, the birth narratives from the Gospels – stories of John the Baptist, heavenly announcements, and the nativity. Looking back we cannot separate the beginning from the end. The cradle and cross are bound together as they proclaim the Good News of the Messiah.
Stories and symbols of the Advent season remind us that wonder and mystery surround us. We are reminded about our understanding of God, and us how we are to relate to others. The Apostle John, in his prologue to the Gospel, tells us that God literally “pitched his tent among us.”
During this season the church proclaims the Good News through the themes of hope, peace, joy, and love. Over the next several weeks we will have opportunity to worship and reflect, to gather for concerts or for a meal. And we will celebrate even in the midst of hardship and uncertainty. For if anything is central to the Christmas story it is that Jesus was born into a troubled world.
From the Christmas story comes a tradition of giving. And it is here we are reminded of the poverty that surrounds us. It is at this time of the year that we are again reminded of mission and outreach.
The Mission Development/Social Action Committee meets through the year to consider mission projects and respond to requests. This year a decision was made to sponsor a refugee family from Syria. They made a recommendation to Session. The Session attempted to gauge the support found within our congregation. A pledge form was distributed and a decision made to proceed with the application. We are waiting. Waiting is part of the message of Advent. It is not a passive waiting but an active waiting. Preparations are being made.
Our prayer is the same as one expressed in a 13th century Latin text:
Oh come, desire of nations, bind all peoples in one heart, one mind;
Bid envy, strife, and discord cease, and be thyself our source of peace.
More information will appear in the weekly Sunday bulletin. Thank you for your ongoing support of the work of our congregation.
Sincerely,
The Reverend Douglas E. Blaikie