December 2007

O holy Child of Bethlehem,
Descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sin, and enter in,
Be born in us today.

These beautiful words from Phillips Brooks’ beloved carol are my prayer for all of us this Advent and Christmas season. May we all find a new measure of faith, a new commitment to God’s cause in our world, and a deeper sense of God’s peace than ever before.

These days before Christmas are called ADVENT, which means “coming.” For hundreds of years this has been a time of preparation. But let us be careful of that for which we prepare. Let us prepare not so much for “Christmas” which will come and go, but for “Christ” whose love and grace does not pass with the season.

I hope that you will build into these sometimes hurried and harried days times for prayer and quiet moments of peaceful stillness. Read the Christmas story from Matthew and Luke and the words of prophesy from Isaiah. Pray for peace and good will to come alive in all the troubled parts of our world. Pray for new evidences of God’s love to those who are in difficult circumstances.

I hope you will also take advantage of the many opportunities in your church family for worship and service. Be present on Sunday mornings. Come to one of our Christmas Eve services. Provide a gift for someone on the Angel Tree. You will be blessed, and you will be a blessing.

O Christ, be born in each of our lives today.

Miki