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Greetings
from the Pastor.jpg)
As we come together to celebrate the most
precious time of the year, Christmas, I
would like to take a moment of your time and
reflect just a bit on Christmas, as it
relates to our Christmas Mission.
Christmas is a Christian holiday that
celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. No one
knows the exact date of Christ’s birth, but
most people observe Christmas on December 25th.
During the Christmas season, which begins
the Friday after Thanksgiving, and extends
to the New Year, January 1st,
many exchange gifts and decorate their homes
with holly, mistletoe, and a Christmas tree.
The
word Christmas comes chiefly from Cristes
Masse, an early English phrase that means
Mass of Christ.
The
stories of Christmas come from the Gospel of
Luke and Matthew. Luke writes according to
the angels, appearing to the Shepherds and
telling them that a savior was born in
Bethlehem, while Matthew records that Wise
Men, called Magi, followed a bright star,
which led them to baby Jesus.
The
mention of Christmas occurred around 336 AD
in an early Roman calendar, which indicates
that it was on December 25th. It
was at this time, Roman held year-end
festivals to celebrate their harvest god,
Saturn, and their god of light, Mithras.
In the
late 300’s, Christianity became the official
religion of the Roman Empire. By 1100 – 1500
AD, Christmas had become the most
significant religious event of all times.
St. Nicholas appeared as the symbol of
giving. It was during this time, artistic
paintings came on the scene. Christmas
popularity among the people grew until the
Reformation period started in the late
1500s. Christmas became almost unheard of
until 1800, at which time sending Christmas
cards, lighting/decorating of trees became
popular. Christmas songs such as, “Silent
Night and “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” were
composed. In later years “Noel”, Joy To The
World”, “It Came Upon A Midnight Clear”, “Go
Tell It On The Mountain”, and many other
Christmas songs, as we know them today, were
composed. All this was done to bring to
light our Christmas Mission, (Go
Tell), as given to us by almighty God.
It is
God’s desire that we take seriously the
Christmas Mission, which is telling the
world, not just on Christmas or during the
Christmas season, but rather 365 days of the
year that He gave His only begotten Son to
seek and to save that which was lost.
If it
takes singing “Silent Night and “Hark The
Herald Angels Sing”, “Noel”, Joy To The
World”, “It Came Upon A Midnight Clear”, “Go
Tell It On The Mountain”, or “Please Come
Home For Christmas”, to execute our
Christmas Mission, let us do it. Let’s
do it in the name of Jesus. For, if it was
God’s desire that Christmas be forgotten, it
would have never resurfaced after the 300
years of silence between 1500 to1800. So
then! Let us go tell every body that Jesus,
the savior of the world, is born.
Merry
Christmas and Happy New Year to All!
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Alexander Pope, Jr.
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