Joy

Dear sisters & brothers in Christ,

As we make our Advent journey, each day brings us closer and closer to the Incarnation. The wonderful original Christmas gift, The Son of God. The Word that created the entire universe will take flesh and be born in a manger on the outskirts of Bethlehem. We have been challenged to repent, to make straight the pathway to our God. Today we pause from all of that house cleaning to release all the JOY and excitement that has been building up inside of us. We pause on our Journey to shout praises to our God. I pray that all of this excitement and the joy of the season is in fact welling up inside you, and is eager to burst forth until all the world knows what is about to happen and why we are so excited.

As I’m sure you’re all aware, this week was our Toy Store. I’ve been involved with a number of Christmas give- aways, but I must admit, this one is so well run that I was truly impressed. I have to hand it to Michelle and her team and the many, many volunteers. I was also impressed with both the volume and scope of the donations. I want to thank everyone who made a donation, gave of their time, or supported it in any way, thanks & God bless!

I also wanted to take a moment to thank and congratulate Bob Thiel for 25 years of service to this parish community. Getting our new receptionist has taken a bit longer than anticipated and Bob has graciously stayed on to help Sandy transition to her new job, while we search for her replacement. (As I write this letter on Wednesday I hope that the decision has been made by the time you read it on Sunday.) The staff took Bob out for a farewell lunch and we had a great time. We are also planning a parish wide celebration and blessing, which will take place on an upcoming Sunday.

I pray your Advent journey is going well and that you truly feel prepared to receive our “Soon-Coming King.” To help you prepare, we will have our parish reconciliation service this Monday, December 16th at 6:30 in the evening. We are hoping that the earlier start time will help some of you who may be coming straight from work.

In the Redeemer, Fr. Rick