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Episcopal Church
of the Resurrection
1433 NW R.D. Mize Road
Blue Springs, Missouri  64015
 
(816) 228-4220
December 22, 2017
CHRISTMAS SERVICE SCHEDULE 
Christmas Services
Christmas Eve, Sunday, December 24, 2017
  8:00 am  No Service
10:30 am  Holy Eucharist (Rite I) with music
  4:30 pm  Holy Eucharist (Rite II) with music
10:00 pm  Carols and Holy Eucharist (Rite II)
 
Christmas Day, Monday, December 25, 2017
10:30 am  Holy Eucharist (Rite II)
A CHRISTMAS MESSAGE FROM FR. DAVID  
 
As the days are colder, shorter, darker we come to the close of the 2017 year, but not before we celebrate the days of light, the birth of Jesus and the renewal of our Christian Spirits through the worship of the Son of God.  There continues to be a child-ness in my heart that causes me to anticipate the mystery of Christmas Eve, the story of the shepherds and the angels, the star that leads the Wise Men and most of all the Holy Family.  So it is, even with the disappointments, troubles and challenging world conditions that haunt us on a daily basis, we have the opportunity to put them away in order for time to rejoice about who we are as the people of light, the images of God, the vessels for the Holy Spirit and most of all as a people being called to know God.  In spite of all that may be evil and discouraging, we choose to be positive, good natured and inspiring for others who can see in us "prophets" of our time.   It is my sincerest prayer and wish that you can see the Christ Child before you in your journey through these coming days and throughout the New Year.   We are all God's representatives who have been given the choices to believe, make a difference and love.  As the prophet Amos has said in chapter 5 verse 14: Seek good, and not evil, that you may live; and so the LORD, the God of hosts, will be with you, as you have said.
 
May we all enjoy Christmas for what it really is!  May God bless you and keep you, and the face of the baby Jesus shine upon you!   MERRY CHRISTMAS

THE INCARNATION OF CHRIST

There's no denying Christmas holds a special place
The Incarnation
 in many people's hearts. But why?

For some it may be the chance to party with friends and family. Others might cherish the opportunity to reflect on the important things in life, like being generous to others. But for Christians, the reason is much more dramatic.
 
The name gives a big clue to what makes Christmas so significant.  Christmas' comes from 'Christ's Mass' - the Church's traditional feast day to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.   Birthdays always give good cause for a celebration. But Jesus' arrival on earth is much more significant to Christians than the birth of an outstanding teacher and leader. It is more significant even than the birth of the person who founded their religion.   For Christians, Christmas marks the arrival of God himself on earth, in the person of Jesus.
 
This doctrine is known as the incarnation, derived from a Latin word 'carnis' meaning flesh. It is summed up in this verse from the Book of John, found in the New Testament of the Bible:
'The Word [God] became flesh and dwelt among us' (John 1:14)

In other words, the God of the Universe - the all-powerful, all-loving Being who created the world and everything in it - chose to become a tiny baby. Although never ceasing to be God, he knew exactly what it was like to be a human - for good and for bad. He made friends, he found enemies. He knew joy and sorrow. He laughed and he got angry. He experienced childhood and - as Easter reminds us - he died.
 
But why did God bother to visit earth himself? After all, a God might reveal themselves to people without ever having to limit themselves to a human body.   Christians believe that Jesus' time on earth is one episode in a much bigger story that goes back almost to the beginning of human existence. This is a story that begins with the episode often known as 'the Fall', found in Genesis. E ssentially it is the belief that God made people to be in a good relationship with him and the world around them, but that people chose to reject God, with dire consequences - for humankind and the world around us.
 
But the Bible shows that God did not leave things here. He set up a pact or covenant with a chosen group of people, the Israelites. He called them to be a light to the world - to demonstrate a way of living that honored Him and others. This episode is described in the story of Abraham and continues through Moses, to whom God gave His law.
 
The Old Testament is full of stories about this relationship between God and His people. Often, the Israelites got things wrong and rejected God's commands. When this happened God spoke to them through prophets such as Isaiah and Jeremiah, urging them to return to the right path.   But there are many prophecies in the Old Testament that hint that God had another plan in hand. The prophets talk about the Anointed One or Messiah that God would send to be the final salvation for Israel and the wider world.
 
One of the gospel writers, Matthew, refers to some of these prophecies when he describes the birth of Jesus. One of the most famous is found in Chapter 1 verse 23:   'The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel.'   This verse comes directly from the Old Testament prophecy of Isaiah, Chapter 7:14. Immanuel literally means 'God with us' . This is a promise - not just that God would send somebody special, but that he would come himself.
 
But why did God himself come to earth? What was the wrong with using prophets to tell people what they needed to do to get right with God?

The answer lies in what Jesus came to do. Christians believe that Jesus did not come just to show the way to salvation - for example, through a set of moral teaching. They believe that ultimately he came to BE the way to salvation. This doctrine is known as the 
atonement.
.

Christians believe that humankind is sinful - living in a way that rejects God. They believe that there is a price to pay for this sin - but that because God is loving and merciful he found a way to pay that price on our behalf. Only a perfect human could pay the price for humankind's sin - and so Jesus, who is God, came to be that perfect sacrifice.
 
There are some verses found in John's gospel which sum up this belief:   "For God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son, so that all who believe in him may not die, but have eternal life. For God did not come into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." (John 3:16-17)

In other words, Jesus came because God loves the people he made. Because of Jesus, every person can know a new life with God.