Douglas Wilson: Go Overboard Celebrating Christmas

An interesting and provocative article. I would only disagree with his choice for the primary celebration. I think we Christians should be doing this for the great celebration of the 50 days of Easter first and foremost. Of course, there is plenty of room to go overboard for Christmas too. 🙂

As the prophet Isaiah prophesies the coming of the new covenant, he does so with the image of a glorious feast. The feast is prepared by the Lord of hosts Himself (v. 6). What kind of feast is it? He prepares a feast of fat things, he prepares a feast of aged wines, of meat full of marrow fat, and then some more aged wines. This is the picture we are given of the gospel—not a glass of room-temperature water and a cracker. Right alongside this feast, in conjunction with it, He will remove the covering that kept us all in darkness for all those centuries. He will take away the veil over the nations (v. 7). The resurrection will come—and we have the down payment of that in the resurrection of Jesus—and death will be swallowed up in victory. The Lord will wipe away every tear, and all things will then be put right (v. 8). As those who have accepted this gospel, we have accepted that all of this has now been established in principle, and as we live it out in true evangelical faith, we proclaim this good news. But there must be continuity between what we are saying and how we are living. And by this, I mean much more than that our words should be true and our behavior good. I mean that our words should sound like good news and our lives should smell like good news.

Check out the whole article and see what you think.

Moment of Silence: Friday, December 21, at 9:30am

Below is the text of an email I just sent to the folks at St. Augustine’s. I encourage you to honor the governor’s request as well.

Governor Kasich has asked that all government buildings and churches in OH, where possible, ring their bells 26 times tomorrow (Friday), December 21 at 9:30am in remembrance of those murdered at Sandy Hook Elementary last Friday.

Since St. Augustine’s obviously does not have a bell or bell tower, I have asked [one of our parishioners] to ring the bell we use to remember our saints departed tomorrow morning on behalf of our parish.

I am also asking you, if possible, to pause at that time and hold these individuals and their families, as well as their community (and ours) in your prayers. Below are the names of those who were murdered if you wish to remember and pray for each of them individually as well as collectively. Thank you for doing so.

If you do not know what to pray, use this prayer: Rest eternal grant to them, O Lord, and let light perpetual shine upon them. Amen.

The First Graders of Sandy Hook Elementary killed last Friday:
Charlotte Bacon, 6; Daniel Barden, 7; Olivia Engel, 6; Josephine Gay, who recently turned 7; Ana M. Marquez-Greene, 6; Dylan Hockley, 6; Madeleine F. Hsu, 6; Catherine V. Hubbard, 6; Chase Kowalski, 7; Jesse Lewis, 6; James Mattioli, 6; Grace McDonnell, who recently turned 7; Emilie Parker, 6; Jack Pinto, 6; Noah Pozner, 6; Caroline Previdi, 6; Jessica Rekos, 6; Avielle Richman, 6; Benjamin Wheeler, 6; Allison N. Wyatt, 6.

The Six Educators who were killed:
Teachers: Rachel Davino, 29; Anne Marie Murphy, 52; Lauren Rousseau, 30; Victoria Soto, 27; their School Psychologist, Mary Sherlach, 56; and their School Principal, Dawn Hochsprung, 47.