December 2, 2009

Dear Family and Friends,  

Yesterday was the one month anniversary of my ordination.  I found myself one of the first arriving in the synod office.  
As the bagel was still warm and coffee smelling real, Bishop Nelson and I did not mind waiting for the others.  We took
our time setting our goodies on the table and began our day with a private conversation… Then, one by one, the
whole group arrived, from Diamond Bar, Long Beach, Torrance, Thousand Oaks, and etc.  It turned out that we were
the 2009 class of rostered leaders that the Bishop ordained, consecrated, and commissioned the most in one year.  A
lot of rejoicing of course, we all had a wonderful time through the new pastors’ orientation.  

What strikes me most was Bishop’s devotional reflection on our gospel lesson, Luke 21:25-36, where Jesus was
talking about the end times and the coming of the Kingdom of God and the Son of Man.  One often wonders about
why we begin our liturgical year, the hopeful and joyful Advent and Christmas seasons with “signs in the sun, the
moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves.”  I
could confess that last Sunday when I was reading these words “the powers of the heavens will be shaken, people
will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world,” I thought of the newly released Hollywood
masterpiece 2012 and its digitally crafted scenes of unimaginable mass destruction.  

Advent, however, is a time of hoping, waiting, and preparing for the coming of Jesus.  In our community, it is a period
of increasing good cheer, when we decorate our houses, our sanctuary and our church home, bake special cakes,
and exchange special greetings.  Our good cheer, hope, and peace of mind are based on our solid baptismal identity
in Jesus Christ.  All of us who were baptized into Christ were baptized into his death.  We were therefore buried with
him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father,
we too may live a new life (Romans 6:3-4).  This is why we can enact the end times biblically at the start of a new
liturgical year.  Where there is an end, there is a new beginning.  We are always a hopeful people; for if we died with
Christ, we believe that we will also live with him (Romans 6:8).  

In his good cheerful spirit, Calvin had our Christmas tree up the other day.  Our little tiny living room immediately
brightened up.  Christ in our home was the first thought going through my mind.  My beloved, are you also letting
Christ in and shine in yours?  As we continue in the spirit of joy, hope, and celebration, I wish you a very Merry
Christmas and Happy New Year!   

In God’s grace,


Pastor Frank
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