Dec. 24, 2014 “How beautiful upon the mountains Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ: We join the watchmen of ancient Israel and sing for joy at our Savior’s coming. Today we celebrate our belief that, because God took on human flesh, every person is made holy. In that stable in Bethlehem, the sacred and the profane have come together. Through God’s physical entrance into our time and world, even time itself and everything on earth are made holy, are sanctified. The Church of Ogdensburg has embarked upon a focused journey of holiness. We have encountered the God-Child in the stable and, like the watchmen and then the shepherds of that holiest of nights, we now go out into the streets and onto our country roads, with a message like none other, a message our troubled hearts and fractured world yearns to hear: Find your home in Christ: Renew Faith, Nurture Hope, Discover Love. Especially on Christmas, we shouldn’t forget that too many families are homeless. Many do not know Christ. For some, faith, hope, love--holiness are pipedreams. But we insist that everything has changed! We rejoice that God has come into our world, in human flesh, and that has made all the difference. The Christmas message we proclaim is born of a vision that sees Christ in every person: particularly the poor and suffering, the persecuted and forgotten. Christmas is the festival of God’s infinite love and mercy, the festival of tomorrow’s possibilities, the festival of our salvation-truly a time of hope for all people. Today, in spite of the darkness that envelops so much of our world, we are not resigned to hopelessness or despair. No. Proof of God’s hope for the world can be found in the One who wore swaddling clothes in a manger and later a loin cloth on a cross. God has rescued us from the power of darkness. That’s the message for every ear to hear and every heart to embrace. This Christmas, may the Christ Child bring you and your loved ones the Gift of Love, the Blessing of Hope and the Promise of Peace. A blessed Christmas and joy-filled New Year! Faithfully yours in Christ, Most Reverend Terry R. LaValley
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