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The one who testifies to these things says,
"Surely, I am coming soon. Amen". Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the
Lord Jesus be with all the saints. Amen
(Revelation.22: 20-21 NRSV)
December 2006
Dear All Saints' Family,
December marks the beginning
of the season of Advent and new liturgical year. Advent literally means
‘coming’, and we begin the season with emphasis on the second coming of
Jesus at the end of the age when the Kingdom of God will be fully
realized over all creation. ‘Maranatha’ was a common greeting in the
early church which literally is translated, ‘Lord come’. The New
Testament church existed in a world full of uncertainty, danger,
oppression, and conflict, and, looking forward to the day when all
things would be made right, they placed all their hope in the Lord . It
is no surprise that the New Testament ends with the words: Come, Lord
Jesus.
As Christmas approaches, we
turn our attention to the coming of Jesus in the familiar story of the
nativity. Advent is the time to prepare our hearts and wait in eager
anticipation for the Christ Child to be born. It can be a holy season,
or it can turn into a frantic search for the right tree, the perfect
gift, or a whole host of reasons for anxiety. I pray that this Advent be
a blessed time for us, a time to contemplate the true meaning of the
incarnation, and to reflect on our relationship with Jesus Christ.
As we begin the new liturgical
year, my mind turns toward the future. Next year promises to be a time
of transition, change, and, as always, challenge. I look forward to our
sabbatical in the spring that will certainly bring a fresh perspective
to our common ministry. I look forward to the exploration of new avenues
of outreach as Fr. Anthony Vidal brings his gifts in multi-cultural
ministry to All Saints’. As many of you know, Thelma Mack will be
leaving us for health and family reasons, and we will soon be searching
for a person to fill her position. This also will bring challenges and
change. We do not know what other surprises will come our way, but what
we do know is that the Lord will always be with us when we call upon his
name.
During Advent, we focus not
only on Jesus’ coming at Christmas or Jesus’ coming at the end of the
age, but we are made aware also that Jesus comes into our lives
each and every day with his wisdom, power, and strength to overcome any
situation that may arise. Let us join our voices with Christians from
ages past as we pray, “Maranatha, Come Lord Jesus!” And may the grace
of the Lord be with us all.
Fr. David+
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