REMINDER: Today is the ninth day in our journey through the 12 days of Christmas (December 25 – January 5). If yesterday was a good day for you, try your best to make today another good day. That way a pattern is started for 2014.
Scripture: Matthew 15:1-3
Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands before they eat.” He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?”
Thought for the Day: Since no one knows the exact date of Jesus’ birth, the church considered a couple of dates including January 2. It is strange to even think that today might have easily been chosen. It feels strange since those of us in the Western church have been celebrating December 25 as the birthday of Jesus for more than 1600 years. In 274 AD, a Roman Emperor established a feast of the birth of Sol Invictus (the Unconquered Sun) on December 25. As Christians tried to create relationships with those who worshipped pagan gods, it seemed like an easy connecting point. The question history poses to us is an interesting one: What would we be willing to change or at least modify to create better relationships with those who do not know the grace of God? If it suddenly made more sense for us to move Christmas to January 2 for the sake of those who did not know Jesus, would we be willing to mess with our traditions?
Prayer: You have called me, Lord, to be an agent of your grace. As I hold tight to the central message of your unconditional love, give me the strength needed to let go of those things, including long held traditions, that may now actually hinder the proclamation of your Good News. Amen.
Please pray for the CCCC Choir Members
as they make their trip to Rome!
And don’t forget:
This Sunday — One Service at 10:30am
Call your friends, neighbors or even your enemies…
Let them know of the change.
And bring two cans of vegetables
for the lunch that follows.
And bring two cans of vegetablesfor the lunch that follows.
