The Pastor's Pen

December 25, 2022 the Nativity of the Lord

A Blessed Christmas Eve, Day and Season; (December 25th to January 9th) We open this short but important season of our Church Year during which we focus on the mystery of the Incarnation, that in Jesus born in Bethlehem and raised at Nazareth, God’s Word became flesh and dwelled among us in order to save us by his death and resurrection. So let our greatest joy be found in the truth of that mystery, that God who came once in history and will come again in glory is with us now in sacramental mystery keeping his promise never to leave us orphans. Indeed, the Lord is accompanying us through all the ups and downs, joys and sorrows, possibilities and limitations of our human condition. In this truth even those in sorrow or difficulty have cause to rejoice assured that no matter what they may be facing they are never really alone! So let the tidings of Emmanuel, God in Christ ever with us, be tidings of comfort and joy to all!

Organ Concert: A concert of seasonal music for Christmas and Epiphany will be played on the recently installed Roger’s Organ on Sunday, January 8th at 2PM by David Ogletree. All are welcome to enjoy this demonstration of the new organ’s features as we continue the observance of the authentic season of Christmas.

Do THIS in memory of me: A recent feature on public radio highlighted the efforts of some ministers from various Christian denominations as to how they are trying to make worship relevant and thus more attractive to generation x,y, and z’ers who are largely absent from their Sunday congregations . One minister talked about gathering young adults around a fire pit for prayer and meditation before having them harvest vegetables in a communally cultivated garden to share with a local food pantry. While that may be an appropriate way to add a dose of Christian spirituality to charitable service, it is not authentic Christian worship! Even more innovative worship is to be found in the mainline minister who invites her congregation to bring yoga mats into the sanctuary of the gothic church where she serves and leads them in deep breathing exercises while chanting “spirit related” words. Yet while yoga may have life enhancing benefits for those who practice it, it has no power whatsoever to be the “medicine of immortality” as Ignatius of Antioch called the Eucharist at the beginning of the Second Century. When we hear of such things it should give us pause, and cause us to ask what is right worship for the followers of Jesus Christ; whatever we choose to invent in order to be relevant or what the Lord himself has instructed us to do? Indeed, that there is any confusion on this matter is one of the unfortunate consequences of the Reformation of the 16th Century because until then the Mass had for 1500 years been rightly understood to be what Jesus himself asked his followers to do in his memory until he comes again. However, rather than the Mass being merely reformed at that time it was actually rejected entirely by some of the reformers. Thus for the past 500 years denominationalism with its progressive and seemingly endless splintering of Christian unity has actually led some groups of Christians quite far afield from the celebration of a liturgy that has any connection to the Lord’s Supper nor understanding of it as not merely nice to celebrate but absolutely necessary. . Our worship as Christians cannot be based merely on what pleases us, that is, what message, music, or activity will be entertaining to us. Rather our worship should be such that it provides what the Lord himself knows we need most and thus offers us, his body and blood because as he himself warns, without it we will not have (his) life within us!! Christians have a choice in that we can take Jesus at his word and faithfully celebrate the Eucharist as supper, sacrifice and sacrament or we can arrogantly say we have a better idea and invent whatever is more in keeping with the fads and preferences of the present moment. While some will defend such innovations as worship and try to attract more congregants with them yet we would only be fooling ourselves and deceiving others to call these efforts Christian worship. Our salvation lies in our being faithful to what we have been commanded to do by God through Jesus Christ. Authentic Christianity is primarily about sharing in the victory of Christ over sin and death won for us by Christ’s own death and resurrection. We are invited to share in that victory by our incorporation into Christ’s own body (baptism) and by our remaining a part of that death defying, life giving body throughout our lives by our communion with Christ accomplished by the Eucharist. . So ultimately we worship not only to render what God is due but to receive what God in his great mercy wishes to bestow on us which is eternal life. So let’s skip the entertainment that is now being promoted as Christian worship, while wisely understanding that what Jesus has asked us to do in his memory is not just a suggestion, but rather it is a command, one given not merely to assert his authority over us , but rather to save us as that is only possible through him, with him, and in him!

O Come Ye to Bethlehem: The sites connected with the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus will be visited on a Pilgrimage to the Holy Land led by Fr. Healey accompanied by Deacon Christopher Hughes from February 16th to 26th, 2024 . The cost of the pilgrimage which includes all travel, hotels, guides, entrance fees, and breakfast and dinner daily is $3979 pp/do. To express your potential interest to travel on this pilgrimage you are invited to call the parish office and have your name and contact information placed on a list to be sure to receive further information when brochures and applications are available.