Pastoral Letters
grace church
joondalup
DIOCESE
OF
PERTH
ANGLICAN
CHURCH
OF
AUSTRALIA
Christmass
24th December
2011
The Reason for the
Season
I am
heartily sick of the
whole Jesus is the
reason for the
season routine that
I am supposed to be
spouting at the
moment. Let's get
real! In solidarity
with my distant
pagan ancestors, I
have a decorated
tree in the corner
of my living room
and over the next
few days fully
intend to indulge in
the ancient,
pre-Christian
practices of
feasting, giving
gifts and singing
carols. What's more,
I will be doing the
whole darned thing
on the Saturnalia,
December 25. We
humans had been
celebrating in this
way for centuries
before we Christians
wandered into the
festivities, looked
around, liked what
we saw and
surreptitiously
forged our name on
the bottom of the
ownership papers. Of
course it is all a
load of pagan
nonsense, but that's
the point really.
Emmanuel. God with
us. God fully
present in the human
condition, as much
in the raucous
celebration of the
Saturnalia as in the
witness of a
peaceful sunset. As
much in the worried
crowds on Christmas
Eve combing through
the bargain racks as
in the half hour of
silent prayer. God
is not, cannot be
absent. Although, of
course, our
perception of
whether God is
present or not may
change, that is
about us and not
about God....
The Right
Reverend Dr Kelvin
Wright
Bishop of Dunedin,
NZ
Read on from the
archives below
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Year
of Mark
In 2012 we hear Mark’s
Gospel on most Sundays,
with selections from the
Gospel of John,
particularly around
Christmas and Easter. |
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