SUNDAY SERVICES:

The Symbolic Power of Christmas Attire

Christmas is a season when the world becomes a festive wonderland filled with lights, decorations, and notably, distinctive attire. From Santa hats to Christmas sweaters, the clothing we select during this time carries more than just a fashion statement—it holds deep symbolic significance.

This custom of dressing up acts as a connection between the material and spiritual worlds, mirroring the profound themes of the holiday.

The Wilderness as a Symbol of Transformation

In the rich tapestry of the Christmas story, the wilderness emerges as a wonderful symbol of transformation. Often overlooked, this barren land is where the magic happens.

The wilderness, with its wild landscape and lack of human structures, sets the stage for divine moments and spiritual refreshment. It's in these quiet places that characters in biblical stories experience big changes, opening the door to a new understanding of faith and purpose.

As we get closer to the Christmas season, let's take a moment to think about the special time of Advent and how we can prepare for it with intention. It's not just about putting up decorations or hurrying to get everything done; it's about embarking on a meaningful, spiritual journey to celebrate the birth of Christ.

In this fast-paced world, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by the constant barrage of distractions, disappointments, and the complexities of life. For many, this can lead to a sense of being spiritually adrift, struggling to maintain faith and focus on what truly matters.

Worship is a fundamental aspect of Christian life, connecting with God, expressing faith, and fostering a sense of community. This article delves into the elements that make worship effective, drawing from the teachings of the Gospel of John and the principles of worship in the church.

It emphasizes the need to believe in Jesus Christ, the importance of communal and simple worship, and the transformation of individuals through scripture, spirit, and sacraments.

When Paul runs into some disciples in the city of Ephesus, he kicks off the conversation with, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? Did you take God into your mind only, or did you also embrace him with your heart? Did he get inside you?” (Acts 19.2 MSG)

And then, a chapter later, he says, “We met on Sunday to worship and celebrate the Master’s Supper” (Acts 20.7).

With the Holy Spirit in us, Sunday morning church can be, well, something more.

Is confirmation for you? Read on to learn about confirmation: what it is, what it's for, and whether you should be confirmed.

What is Confirmation?  

Confirmation is a service for those of us who were baptized as infants to make our own, mature and public, decision to follow Jesus with the blessing of the laying on of hands by a bishop.  

The laying on of hands is for the imparting of the Spirit to serve; to minister as Jesus did.

I got confirmed at the age of nine.  My reason was clear and simple, I wanted to be an acolyte, wear a red cassock and white surplice, and serve at the altar on Sundays.  

But that’s not a good reason to get confirmed.  

A good reason to have a bishop lay hands on you and pray for the Holy Spirit to strengthen, empower, and sustain you is for an equipping to do ministry.  

It’s the way God has always done it.

Pentecost - What’s it all about?  

I remember my first step.

Pentecost: My First Step

Okay, here’s the scene:

I was the lone clergyman in a rather large New England church. I had spent two years at the post. 

I was fixing coffee and hard-boiled eggs for our monthly clergy meeting, which was for priests from local churches.

You need to know that the eggs symbolized these meetings, which were usually filled with hard-boiled and stale arguments about high and low churchmanship.

I heard the speaker mention the Holy Spirit.

Seriously, I thought, I spent three years studying in seminary and two years as a curate in this New England church. Why had I not heard of this Holy Spirit before now?  

Shall We Shell?

My wife Barb is an avid sheller and gifted shell finder. I'm her assistant. Of course, Sanibel is notorious for its shells, but then, we are not in the shell hot zone of Sanibel. 

We stay at a place called ''Tween Waters. It's between Sanibel and Captiva Islands. 

That's' not to say the shelling there isn't good. It is...just not as good.

 Not to grumble, but we have oodles of glass containers, even a rather large one shaped like a fish, all around our home filled with seashells. We even have framed shells on our walls, along with prints of shells framed on the walls.

We are beach people.  

Today, the last day of our five-day vacation together, we walked and talked about how shells remind us of just how great our Creator is.

I love these words from Raymond Brown, a prominent New Testament scholar.  “How did the following of Jesus which involved love for him survive after he died? 

The answer, I suggest, is that it survived only because love for Jesus was looked on as an ongoing element, even among those who never knew him during his ministry.”  (From The Churches the Apostles Left Behind, by Raymond E. Brown p. 97)

Sometimes the love for Jesus is extravagant.  Here are a couple of images of extravagant love from John’s gospel.  

One is Mary, the sister to Lazarus and Martha, anointing Jesus at dinner. And the other is Peter being asked over and over again if he really loves Jesus. I think something beautiful was going on inside the heart of both Mary and Peter.