Dear All Saints' Family

The central figure in the season of Advent is John the Baptist. John burst upon the scene to announce to the people of Israel that Jesus, the Messiah, was coming. Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight! John's message was that people must repent, that is turn to God, and make ready their hearts in order to receive the grace and blessing that Jesus would bring. God sent John, so that all who were willing would be ready to receive the Good News of God in Christ. John's message is true for us today as he calls us to prepare our hears to receive Jesus at Christmas, so that we can experience fullness of joy at the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.

Sometimes we are so preoccupied with the preparation for the Christmas holiday that we lose its true meaning in the process. It reminds me of a story I once read. A certain family had their baby baptized, and after the service they went home to celebrate with family and friends. Mom laid the baby on the bed for a rest, and, as the folks arrived, their coats and wraps were taken upstairs and put in the bedrooms. A short time later someone asked where the baby was. After a frantic search, the baby was discovered sleeping under a pile of coats. Thank God the child was okay, but the reality of the situation was that the baby could have been smothered in the wrappings. The very reason they had come almost was destroyed.

Too often the Christ Child gets smothered in the wrappings of the holiday season. He is smothered by tinsel, wrapping paper, decorations, parties, and the trappings of the season. How tragic it is  to overlook the true meaning of the season, and how precious Advent becomes when we take the time to spiritually prepare for the mystery of the birth of Christ. I pray we all set aside time this Advent to prepare the way of the Lord so that this Christmas becomes the holy and blessed event it is meant to be.

On a more personal note, the month of December will be a special time for Janet and me. Sarah and Emma arrive early in December to spend a month with us. Dejan will be here for Christmas. Jonathan and Tirzah are expecting our second grandchild in mid-December. We do not know if it's a girl or boy, and I will be quick to let you know when the baby is born. Until we can go to California in January to greet our new grandbaby, digital photos over the Internet will have to do . I'm sure we will have plenty of pictures to share with you.

Finally. since Advent marks the beginning of a new church year, I want to thank everyone in this congregation for your faithfulness over the past year. So many have contributed to the mission and ministry of All Saints' that it is impossible to name you all. May our Lord lead us into the future by His grace and may we continue to grow in his love.

God bless you all,

Fr. David