Good News and News
I remember a college professor who would sometimes start our class with this phrase: “I have good news and I have news.” Of course, we understand the good news part, usually something to do with us getting a break on an assignment or some such thing. But the ‘news’ part was always bad; he just didn’t use the word ‘bad’ to introduce it.
We live in a world filled with ‘news’: 2 years of Covid, a war in Ukraine that is affecting the entire globe, and growing uncertainty about many things that we had gotten used to. Yes, we have lots of ‘news’.
I don’t know if you acknowledge that there is a God, or that Jesus was sent from Him in order to help a lost and broken world, but I do. . .and I really need Him. I need Him to tell me that there is more to life than what I see around me or that I see in the ‘news’. I need Him to show me that there is a path to peace and joy that can make all the difference in my life. He is real and His hope is real too.
A messenger from God spoke this many years ago: “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.” (Luke 2:10) Jesus Christ is this news and He is offering you exactly the help and hope that you need. All you need to do is ask Him. . .
May you live in the good news in this coming year.
Brian Tysdal, Deeper Life Ministries
How merry is your Christmas?
More so than last year, I hope. It feels more normal to me but the flu is here and other illnesses too so it still feels strange. Pandemic Christmas stress has made the last two years feel weird. We are planning limited travel and some small gatherings finally and that feels good. But we are still in Saskatchewan so anything can happen. Thankfully we don’t have a murderous paranoid Herod on our tail like the Holy Family in Luke’s gospel! We still need to be careful out there.
If you are traveling, don’t forget your cell phone and your shovel. Be yourselves and welcome the stranger who comes to your door in need. Make room in the inn. Offer what you can to each other. Reach out in love and compassion. We know we need each other because our weather can kill the unwary. We contribute and we care because we know we need each other. That is who we still are. We do not stand alone; we stand only together. Keep the spirit of giving and care alive. Don’t let the message of greed dominate.
As ever, The Christ comes in the night; small, weak and vulnerable. But that is the surface. Beneath appearances, the universe shifts on its axis at the arrival of the Christ child. We are not the same. Immanuel, God is with us! Merry Christmas.
Carlton Larsen, Pastor at Strasbourg and Bulyea
Look Past
This is the Season of Christmas trees, tinsel, lights, figures on lawns, extravagant shopping, Christmas specials, parties. What is the meaning of this? What is Christmas all about? How relevant are the trappings of Christmas that surround us? I ask you to LOOK PAST...LOOK PAST, the eight reindeer, Dasher Dancer, Prancer Vixen, Comet Cupid, Donner and Blitzen, who are the creations of either Clement Clarke or Henry Livingston of 1823. No remote connection to Jesus’ birth.
LOOK PAST...Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Popular song written by Johnny Marks in 1939, and recorded by Gene Autry. No connection to Jesus’ Birth.
LOOK PAST...Santa Claus, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle, only legends of kindly men who give out countless gifts at Christmastime. No connection to Jesus’ birth.
LOOK PAST. The commercialization and lure of unwise overspending of the Christmas rush and gratification. The Wise Men brought only three gifts. There was no shopping in Bethlehem on the 1st Christmas.
LOOK PAST...The snowmen, reindeer, penguins and other figures illuminated on lawns and in windows. This is not the real Christmas.
DO NOT LOOK PAST...The angels on the trees or lawns that represent the Heavenly Choirs that announced Jesus’ birth on the Bethlehem hillside. Enjoy the Christmas lights that represent the dazzling heavenly light of that night. Enjoy every manger scene that represents our first Christmas. Enjoy every Christmas Carol and Christmas card that remind us of the Blessed birth. Jesus will bless every family gathering, and the precious loving gifts exchanged, but we must remember why we gather and give gifts. God is love. We must remember that Christmas is a lifeline for many businesses, but without Jesus’ birth, there would be NO CHRISTMAS. Look past the modern commercialization and look only at your Savior Jesus, this Christmas and always. CHRIST IS CHRISTMAS.
Jack Robson, Deacon, Last Mountain Anglican Parish
The Symbols of Christmas
May these symbols bring us the real meaning of Christmas that seems to be forgotten. The pure green colour of the stately fir tree remains green all year round, depicting the everlasting hope for humankind. All the needles point Heavenward, making it a symbol of human thoughts turning toward Heaven. The star was the Heavenly sign over the manger of promises long ago. God promised a Saviour for the world, and the star was the sign of the fulfillment of God’s promise. The candle symbolizes that Christ is the light of the world, and when we see this great light, we are reminded of He who displaces the darkness. The wreath symbolizes the real nature of love Christ showed for us. Real love never ceases. Love is one continuous round of affection. The holly plant represents immortality. It represents the crown of thorns worn by our Saviour. The red berries represent the blood that He shed for us. The Gift given was that God so loved the world that God gave God’s only Son so that everyone who believes in him shall have everlasting life. (John 3:16) The wise men presented Jesus with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. The candy cane represents the shepherd’s crook. The crook on the staff helps to bring strayed sheep back to the flock. We are our sister and brother’s keeper. It was the angels that heralded the glorious news of the Saviour’s birth. The angels sang “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to people of goodwill. May the peace of Christmas be with you in the coming year. God’s Blessings
Submitted by Mary Anne Grand,layperson, Raymore United Church
The start of great things
This Christmas Season, may it enchant you with feelings of mystery, hope, and wonder. I wish you peace, love, goodwill, and all the other blessings of Christmas. As the story of Jesus teaches us, Christ is the reason for the season. In our busyness, let us S-L-O-W down and remember Christmas can be the start of great things. The promise of the Christ child is that our God will come again.
I hope there are many great things and blessings in store for us in the coming years.
God Bless you all.
Murray Patzwald, Quad Parish (Authorize Lay Minister)
Govan, Duval, Quinton and Raymore
Preparing for Christmas
How prepared am I? Christmas is coming. We are celebrating the coming of Jesus. When someone is coming, we generally prepare for their coming. We prepare food. We prepare for overnight stays. We prepare activities. We certainly do some cleaning and tidying.
Commercialism has certainly prepared a plan to make sales. Many people have started preparing for Christmas with decorations, Christmas lights, shopping for gifts and so on. These are all external things. How are we preparing internally, our heart, our mind, our soul? After all Christmas is about the coming of Christ, our saviour and redeemer. How are we preparing for him in our lives? The time before Christmas is a time to prepare for the coming of Jesus. How might we prepare our heart and soul at this time for his coming? Just as you prepare for a guest coming, you might prepare food for the soul by doing some spiritual/biblical reading. You might look inward at the dark areas in your life and ask forgiveness, all the while working on reconciliation. This is like doing some internal cleaning and tidying. You might take time to be in silence. Silence quiets your heart to create a restful place for the Lord, Jesus. This is like prepare a guest room for someone to stay over. Another thing you might do is to get involved in helping societies marginalized. Give to the food bank. Give supplies for the homeless. Visit those who are sick or alone. Help a refugee. Do a good deed every day. Why? Matthew 25:40 says ‘ Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me”(NRSV). This is like being prepared to participate in activities with our guest. And, of course, prayer for wisdom and guidance to help you prepare properly for Jesus’ coming.
I am sure you can think of many other ways to prepare internally. Let’s not get totally caught up in external preparation and forget to prepare internally.
Wishing everyone a Merry and Joyous Christmas.
Deacon Norbert Gaudet, RC church Raymore
Accessing Christmas Hope in 2022
In this Advent Season, friends and people the world over are worried; anxious to hear a report of good news.
With Russia’s wholly unjustified aggressive war in Ukraine killing thousands and creating millions of new refugees, with increasing natural disasters taking lives and destroying property, and with a persistent pandemic lingering, one could be forgiven for fearing a bleak future.
But there is Good News to share! Evil can be undone. The message of hope for peace with justice is grounded in God’s love and intervention in the form of a blessed child and saviour to come.
The Prophet Micah puts it succinctly: But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, who are one of the little clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days. And the people shall live secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth; 5and he shall be the one of peace. (Matthew 2:1–12)
It is on this promise fulfilled in the form of a Holy Child, born in a stable and named Jesus, our hope depends. And by placing our trust in him, all peoples of goodwill are invited to participate in transforming the earth.
God’s blessing on you and all your loved ones in this challenging year. And as the angels said: “Be not afraid for unto us a Child is born!”
Rev. Ray Purdie, St. Andrew’s United Church, Imperial Sk.
Come Together for Christmas
Christmas is a time of gathering and fellowship that runs contrary to our age. The social media age is about people living lives of quiet separation. We think of all the loud posting and proclamation, yet most of it is done in conformity to some perceived ideal. What makes us unique and different from the crowd is often lost because we dare not post it. This is driven further by politicians who desire to separate people rather than pull people together. Our common foundations, which make up our culture, are being destroyed.
Christmas used to be one such foundation. The reminder that God sent His Son into the world. Jesus, whose birth is what we celebrate. His birth is interesting since we see a coming together of different people. Jesus had a meagre birth being laid in a manger, yet received gifts from the magi fit for a king. He stayed with His family, yet the gifts were given by strangers from another country. This reinforces Jesus, who came for all of us, that we might know God.
Christmas has a focus on Jesus coming into this world, but it often overlooks that He will return. What we see in Revelation 7:9 are people coming together in faith. An enormous gathering from every tribe, language, nation, and people; all the basic divisions gathered together in unity around Jesus. Christmas should be a time for unity, a time to come together regardless of differences. People living lives of joyful community.
Rev. Rick Shott, Nokomis Baptist Church
The Christmas Gift
Merry Christmas!... Right? Does Christmas still hold the same merriment that it did over 2000 years ago on that first Christmas night? Some would likely agree, but many would likely disagree.
Christmas, apart from Christ, can mean a lot of things to a lot of people. Hurriedness. Expectations. Gatherings. Enjoying food. Avoiding food. Enjoying family. Avoiding family. Excitement. Grief. Gifts. Some embrace it in a month-long (or longer) marathon of cookies, music, movies, parties and more. Some do the bare minimum to avoid being labelled a Scrooge or Grinch.
Whatever thoughts or feelings come with the season, apart from the Christ of Christmas, I just get bogged down and overwhelmed. I often have to remind myself in this season that the reason we do this is that Christmas points to Christ, and Christ leads to Easter, and Easter is what my faith hinges on – a loving God, giving Himself because He loves me. And He loves you.
Just as Christmas now points to Christ, over 2000 years ago, a star pointed to Christ as a baby. That star guided people who were looking for something – ultimately, the baby that would offer freedom to the world. It wasn’t the freedom that the people of that time expected or hoped for. It was a freedom that disappointed some because it wasn’t instant. It was overwhelming for others because it didn’t make sense right away. It was followed by expectations, hurriedness, gatherings, mess, love, excitement, grief and, at the very end, the greatest gift one human could ever give another – the gift of freedom for those who will just reach out and accept it.
Tim Falk
