Dear Partners in Ministry,
The people of God at Holy Cross (and many other places of worship) have barely begun their Advent journey of preparation for the birth of the Messiah. Spiritually speaking, the BIG day is still a long way away. We are still observing human time (“chronos”) while we are trying to get ready for God’s time (“kairos”) of invading our world with a tiny baby and turning everything upside down.
     It seems, however, as if Christmas is coming a little early this year. I am NOT talking about what Lutheran pastor Nadia Bolz-Weber calls the “distorted bogus version of the story of how God entered our world in Christ that seems to be playing all around us. It can be difficult to discern the real contours and dimensions of our actual Christian story during a time of the year when TV specials and billboards and radio ads seem to be kind of telling it. So conflated are the symbols of faith with the symbols of culture that it can be hard to discern the difference.” (For more from Pr. Weber go to www.sarcasticLutheran.com.) I AM talking about the various incidents of grace, mercy, kindness, charity, love and light that I witness with the people of Holy Cross:
For example, new lighting on a pole in the parking lot and updated door lights now provide better safety illumination. How can we not connect that improvement with St. John’s Christmas story: “the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did overcome it”? (John 1:5).
     Also, the 20% increase in your Estimated Giving for 2011 and the 25% increase in the number of Estimates of Giving call to mind the generosity of certain wise men who, “opening their treasure chests, offered Jesus gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” (Matthew 2:11). To this, I need to add your generosity with the “Pennies for Peace” project, “Second Mile Giving,” “Operation Christmas Child” shoeboxes with aids for children in need, special gifts to the Pastor’s Discretionary Charity Fund, and your gifts to the “Giving Tree.”
    Furthermore, your support of the hospitality/shelter ministry for homeless families through the Interfaith Hospitality Network connects, in my mind, to the experience of Mary and Jesus in Bethlehem where Mary “laid Jesus in a manger because there was no place for them in the inn.” (Luke 2:7)
    The Advent journey continues. We will light three more candles. Christmas will come. God will do “God’s Thing” again this year. Until that day: blessing to you and peace for your journey.
With gratitude for your partnership in ministry,
Pastor Norbert Hahn