Pastor’s Corner

FROM THE PASTOR

Grace be unto you from God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Amen

Simply put, prayer is a gift from God.  Transcending time and space, and being more effective than any twitter, blog, or text, prayer is the means established by God for us to communicate with Him regularly and to be in tune with God’s intentions and grace for us to live and to move and to have our being in Him.  But even as this is so, there are still many of God’s children who struggle with this gift of the Spirit.  As an intangible aspect of our faith, it often seems elusively mysterious or sometimes shallow as we face our inadequacy before the awesome holiness of God.  Thus, it is easy for us to find ourselves at a loss for words.  It is easy for us to feel either connected or disconnected because our prayers are truly reflective of the relationship we have or have not further established with the Creator.

Advent and Christmas are seasons in the church’s life in which we remember that God has intentionally connected with us through the fulfillment of promises in the birth of Christ our Lord.  This is the time of year when, more often than not, people return to the Lord’s house of prayer to touch base with the One who brings light and life and joy into the world.  It is a wonderfully mysterious celebration of life in the middle of winter’s darkness and a time to connect with others in times of fellowship, celebrations, and worship.  We might not always think of prayer in this way, but these various times together during the Advent and Christmas seasons are actually times of prayer…so also is the singing of Christmas Carols which highlight the birth of Christ.

Prayer is not just on our knees in humble intercession with God, either at home or in worship when the community of faith is gathered.  No, it is also found in those times of caring for one another in love, the spontaneous song from the heart and voice of a believer, and decorating one’s home or church to celebrate the season of light and Christ’s Holy Birth.  It can be found in children and parents decorating Christmas cookies together, quiet candlelight dinners in front of a warm and comforting fireplace, or playing in the snow (if you are blessed enough to have some on Christmas).

Advent and Christmas are the seasons of the church and the world to softly and tenderly remember the birth of a child who changed the world through his own sacrificial love on a cross.  They are opportunities to reflect on family, friends, and relationships.  They are present as God’s gifts for us to be silent for a time so that He may speak love into our busy and noisy world and bring peace to our lives.

So, do not be afraid of prayer.  Do not let it be a boring chore of the faithful.  Instead, let it breathe into you the Spirit of the One who created the world, who sustains the world, who redeems the world, and who ultimately restores the world through the child of Bethlehem.

May God bless each of you, and be present for you, in your celebrations of Advent and Christmas with your family and your church family.

In Christ’s peace,
Pastor Steiner