“So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in a manger.” ~ Luke 2:16
Dear People of St. David’s,
I pray that you and yours are safe and well. I pray, too, that your preparations for the celebration of Christmas this year are well in hand or will be shortly. In the midst of the anticipation, joy, and shadows of this December, Christmas has come again (or for the first time), promising us a future with hope.
Christmas is all about hope. When we are little our Christmas hope is drawn to a special toy or video game. We yearn for Christmas to come in anticipation of the presents under the tree. As we grow up, our Christmas hope is drawn to different “toys” and gifts of the day. The different toys and gifts begin to include the hope we give to others by the sharing of physical signs of our love for them. Even the lights and decorations that spring up in these winter days are signs of hope: the hope that Christmas will come and continue to bring light and beauty into our worlds. All through life, Christmas is all about hope.
These hopes we have for Christmas, in all their variety, are founded on one, singular hope that comes to us each Christmas in the form of the tiny child of the manger. We hope at Christmas because God came down into human form to show us God’s face of love. We hope at Christmas because God came down to take away our sins so that we can continue to take up our lives, unburdened. We hope at Christmas because God came down and took away the fear and finality of death forever. We hope at Christmas because God came down to remind us that God is with us always, and that we have a future with God and one another that has no ending.
This Christmas may be a little different – they all are – but may we all remember that because of Christmas we have a future with hope. Let us be about living and loving and celebrating the day which ensures that the God who came down to us that first Christmas is with us now and will be with us throughout our lives.
If you feel safe in coming to one of the many celebrations of Christmas at St. David’s this year, I’ll see you there. If you feel more comfortable worshiping from home, you’ll see me there. Either way, God is here with us and Christmas has come.
Merry Christmas!
The Rev. W. Frank Allen
Rector
Christmas Eve Services:
3:00pm* | Church and Chapel & Livestream
6:00pm* | Church and Chapel & Livestream
8:00pm | Church
11:00pm | Chapel & Livestream
Christmas Day Services:
8:00am | Church
10:00am | Church
*These services are best for families with young children. Nursery care is also available at 3:00pm for children 3 months to 4 years old.