A CHRISTMAS MESSAGE FROM BISHOP CLAUDE MILLER
week 4 -
.
When did the cheerful hustle and bustle of the Christmas season become a fight to the finish? Who raised the Christmas food and decorating bar to the dizzying heights of glossy magazine layouts? When did high definition televisions and 160 gig iPods replace pretty combs and golden watch fobs as gifts of love and sacrifice? When did Christmas get so wrapped up in excess and tied up with angst that we are physically (and financially) exhausted and in danger of missing the point entirely?
.
The answer to those questions might incriminate some of us, so let’s not bother. Instead, let’s take a deep breath, relax and rest a while. Even Jesus took time to rest. He needed time alone for reflection and renewal. So do we.
.
The world doesn’t make it easy to rest and retreat. In the last couple of years even the Sabbath has disappeared from our little corner of the world. Our Judeo-Christian understanding includes a time for rest and restoration. It’s not just about giving people time to go to church and worship, it’s about giving people time to restore their energy and their souls.
.
The unrepentant Ebenezer Scrooge might ask: "Are there no vacations?" But alas, with exciting tour packages crossing continents and time zones, many of the people I know return from holiday more exhausted than when they left.
.
For the sake of our selves, our souls and bodies, we must break this cycle of excess at Christmas and throughout the year. We must step out of the fast lane and take the road less travelled –– the road marked by a discipline of Bible reading, prayer and reflection.
.
This Christmas and throughout the coming year, I truly hope you enjoy your family and friends, your gifts and feasts, the twinkling lights on your tree and in your windows –– even if they don’t measure up to the high standards you think you must sustain. Our efforts will not make Christmas perfect; it is and always has been. The babe born in the manger "offered, a full, perfect and sufficient sacrifice, oblation and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world."
.
When did the cheerful hustle and bustle of the Christmas season become a fight to the finish? Who raised the Christmas food and decorating bar to the dizzying heights of glossy magazine layouts? When did high definition televisions and 160 gig iPods replace pretty combs and golden watch fobs as gifts of love and sacrifice? When did Christmas get so wrapped up in excess and tied up with angst that we are physically (and financially) exhausted and in danger of missing the point entirely?
.
The answer to those questions might incriminate some of us, so let’s not bother. Instead, let’s take a deep breath, relax and rest a while. Even Jesus took time to rest. He needed time alone for reflection and renewal. So do we.
.
The world doesn’t make it easy to rest and retreat. In the last couple of years even the Sabbath has disappeared from our little corner of the world. Our Judeo-Christian understanding includes a time for rest and restoration. It’s not just about giving people time to go to church and worship, it’s about giving people time to restore their energy and their souls.
.
The unrepentant Ebenezer Scrooge might ask: "Are there no vacations?" But alas, with exciting tour packages crossing continents and time zones, many of the people I know return from holiday more exhausted than when they left.
.
For the sake of our selves, our souls and bodies, we must break this cycle of excess at Christmas and throughout the year. We must step out of the fast lane and take the road less travelled –– the road marked by a discipline of Bible reading, prayer and reflection.
.
This Christmas and throughout the coming year, I truly hope you enjoy your family and friends, your gifts and feasts, the twinkling lights on your tree and in your windows –– even if they don’t measure up to the high standards you think you must sustain. Our efforts will not make Christmas perfect; it is and always has been. The babe born in the manger "offered, a full, perfect and sufficient sacrifice, oblation and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world."
Claude +
.
So, during this busy and hectic season, step out of the fast lane, walk the road less travelled, read and reflect on the story of the Birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. We focus on the dreams of Saint Joseph. I’m dreaming of a Christ filled Christmas Season.
.
M. MATTHEW 1 :18-25
.
So, during this busy and hectic season, step out of the fast lane, walk the road less travelled, read and reflect on the story of the Birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. We focus on the dreams of Saint Joseph. I’m dreaming of a Christ filled Christmas Season.
.
M. MATTHEW 1 :18-25
THE NIGHTMARE THAT IS A DREAM COME TRUE
.
T. MATTHEW 2:1-12
T. MATTHEW 2:1-12
THE THREE WISE MEN - THE FIRST DREAM TEAM?
.
W. MATTHEW 2:15-18
W. MATTHEW 2:15-18
JOSEPH WARNED IN A DREAM TO ESCAPE TO EGYPT.
.
T. MATTHEW 2:19-23
T. MATTHEW 2:19-23
JOSEPH TOLD IN A DREAM TO GO TO NAZARETH
.
F. LUKE 2: 21-51
F. LUKE 2: 21-51
MARY, JOSEPH, JESUS AND A CITY CALLED JERUSALEM
.