We had a great bunch of parishioners for caroling. We had a blast spreading Christmas cheer to our neighbors in Shandon. Afterwards, we enjoyed some great hot chocolate and marshmallows. To end the evening, we had three youth volunteers become Santa lookalikes. Winston was the winner! Check him out!Thanks for coming out and having a great time. We won't have EYC for the next two Sundays. The Feast of Lights will be Jan 6. Look for a St John's Youth Newsletter in the mail over the next week or so.
As we continue to celebrate Advent and Christmas, I would like to challenge us all to think about this time of year in a different light. We tend to treat Christmas as a glorified birthday party. We hope and sometimes expect to get everything we want for Christmas. But what if we changed our mindset about Christmas?Why? Because it isn't our birthday...it is Jesus' birthday! To celebrate Jesus' birthday, maybe would could try to orient our thinking in more charitable ways. I'm not saying that you won't get presents or anything. But maybe as a family we could give the gift of livestock to villagers in developing countries through organizations like Episcopal Relief and Development and Heifer International. You could also give support to organizations like Blood:Water Mission who put in wells in African villages so that they can have access to clean water (ERD does this too!). There are lots of ways that we can give to help spread the love of Christ. By being creative with your faith and giving this Christmas, you can directly impact many lives in a very positive manner.
I find that many times I ask myself, "What do you get someone who has everything?" Well, you can gift a water buffalo to a Filipino village in that person's name. Doesn't that have a great ring to it? "Hey, what are you giving Uncle Louie for Christmas?" "We are giving him a water buffalo!"
Blessings and Merry Christmas,
Dorian
