Greetings from the Pastor

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 25^th. During the Christmas season, which begins the Friday after Thanksgiving, and extends to the New Year, January 1^st, 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 25^th.  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.