Christmas Message

 Dear Friends

War doesn’t take a holiday. Bad news happens in December. Hard to read headlines and hard to see pictures appear at the same time we are celebrating the Good News of Christ’s birth.

I wasn’t around on December 7, 1941, when Pearl Harbor was attacked. But I do remember when the orders to begin carpet bombing in North Vietnam were given, on December 18, 1972. I do remember the Soviet Union invading Afghanistan on December 24, 1979. And now, Putin’s war on Ukraine continues to bring outrage throughout the world in December of 2022. Putting aside the arguments of when war is justified and when it is not, the questions remain: When will they, when will we, when will the world ever learn?

The words that jumped out for me in last night’s speech was when President Zelenskyy said, 

“We’ll celebrate Christmas. And even if there is no electricity, the light of our faith in ourselves will not be put out”.

Of course, to tweak it a bit, I would say “the light of our faith in Christ will not be put out” Similarly, Paul wrote to the Ephesians, “Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine…”

With all this in mind, let me share a Christmas prayer. The author is unknown, but it echoes the spirit of that prayer attributed to St. Francis about being instruments of peace:

When evil darkens our world, give us light;

When despair numbs our souls, give us hope;

When we stumble and fall, lift us up;

When doubts assail us, give us faith;

When nothing seems sure, give us trust;

When ideals fade, give us vision;

When we lose our way, be our guide;

That we may find serenity in Your presence 

and purpose in doing Your Will.

Amen.

The call and challenge for us, then, is to use the light and hope and faith and trust and vision we have been given, given by the one who is our guide and who will lift us up every time we fall. May we continue to pursue peace in the name of the Prince of Peace, Jesus, in all we think and say and do.  

John

 

 

When less is more

 Dear Friends

One of our family Christmas traditions with Christopher and Emily was to drive through the neighborhoods and streets in Corona, which were known for their extravagant front lawn Christmas decorations and lights. They never failed to impress and delight us.

But sometimes, less is more. Last week I passed a nurses' station at the hospital where I volunteer and there was just a single garland hung with red bows. Compared to other stations, it seemed like this station hadn't finished putting up their decorations. But it was so beautiful in its simplicity. Sensing that maybe they had completed decorating, I said to a nurse "What a great example of less is more". And she immediately replied with an enthusiastic "Yes! I know what you mean!".

This year, we chose "less is more" for our front yard, our only decorations being three standing figures representing the Holy Family. But when we got home from church Sunday, it was a more extreme example of "less is more". Mary and Joseph were lying flat on the ground! They had not withstood the storm. But baby Jesus was still standing, so to speak. 

There is a time and place for extravagance; even some "over the top" experiences can be fun. But there is also a time for creating experiences that illustrate and help us recognize that less is more. 

Sometimes, all you need is love. Sometimes, all you need is Christ.

John

Feast of St. Nicholas

 

Dear Friends

If my seminary had a patron saint, a good choice would be St. Nicholas, whose feast is today. Let me explain. Nicholas was Bishop of Myra (now Turkey). He died on December 6th, 342. Very little is known about his life, but he became a patron saint of seafarers, sailors and most of all, children. Many churches in England bear his name.

This is the connection to General Seminary, my home in New York City for three years. Clement Clarke Moore, who donated the land for the Episcopal Church's first seminary and was a professor there for 25 years, is known as the author of the poem describing a secularized version of St. Nicholas---Santa Claus. (Some scholars debate his authorship, but the poem has always been attributed to Moore). An annual tradition for decades was for the dean to read "A Visit from St. Nicholas" to the entire seminary community. The library had many editions of the beloved bit of whimsical fantasy. Moore is said to have written it for his children on Christmas Eve,1822.

A line from one of our hymns for Compline (#42, Now the Day is Over) and the collect for his feast day, help us focus on the original Nicholas and his witness to Jesus' love.

"Grant to little children, visions bright of thee;

guard the sailors tossing, on the deep blue sea"

 Almighty God, in your love you gave your servant Nicholas of Myra a perpetual name for deeds of kindness both on land and sea. Grant, we pray, that your Church may never cease to work for the happiness of children, the safety of sailors, the relief of the poor, and the help of those tossed by tempests of doubt or grief, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The photo above, of Santa and Jesus side by side, is from the Episcopal Ad Project and it includes this quote:

“The important news at Christmas is not who came down the chimney,

but who came down from heaven”

 The next photo is of one of our Christmas decorations and helps keep the joy of St. Nicholas (aka Santa Claus) and the birth of Jesus in perspective.

 Happy St. Nicholas Day!

 John