Bishop's Christmas Letter

“And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.”

The account of the Saviour’s birth in Luke’s Gospel is at the centre of all our prayers and praises, our hymns and carols, our joy and celebration at Christmas.  These passages have inspired countless people down through the ages to write profound pieces of writing, to create glorious compositions of music and to craft countless and beautiful hymns and anthems.  It is my prayer that as we hear all these familiar passages from scripture, once again, our lives will be touched with the gifts of God’s comfort, hope and peace that we find in the simple beauty of the birth of the Christ child in Bethlehem long ago.

This year marked my thirtieth year in ordained ministry and like many of us I have witnessed my share of wonderful Christmas pageants and in my childhood days I appeared in a few of them as well.  I have had such starring roles as the third shepherd on the left, the inn keeper and in my very early days I am sure I remember being a very convincing sheep. (Strangely enough I was never given the role of an angel!?!)

There was one pageant I remember, however, that was enacted by a youth group that was more serious and as the scenes were presented a line of scripture was repeated over and over again: “there was no place for them in the inn.” On the other side of our thoughts and reflections in this holy season we remember that the nativity story also offers us a window into the reality of human life with all the struggles and the challenges, the pain and the injustice of what it sometimes means to be human.

As I have traveled around this diocese over the past year and as I hear reports from every corner of Niagara what I am so profoundly grateful for is the fact that in every parish and ministry we are making room for Christ and for all who have been pushed aside and marginalized in this generation.

Here are a few examples:

• Over the spring and summer months, St. Alban’s, Beamsville made room for Christ and migrant farm workers by building relationships within their community. They rented a bus to bring up to 60 people each Sunday for a worship service in Spanish, offered food and fellowship, and even ESL language classes. In opening their doors, St. Alban’s became a safe and welcoming spiritual home to many local migrant workers.
• Our ecumenical university chaplaincies at Brock, McMaster and Guelph, each in their own way are making room for Christ and for students, faculty and staff on campus by creating space – through small groups and simple chats over coffee - to explore life’s big questions in a safe and intentional way.
• Alban’s, Glen Williams, has responded to the busyness and noisiness of our everyday lives by making room for Christ and for those seeking a space for quiet and contemplation by developing service called Candlelit Church. Through the deep peace and wonder cultivated through in the silence and sounds of the simple liturgy a new way of encountering God has been offered.
• In a world where there are nearly 17 million refugees who have fled for their lives from their home country, St. Columba’s in St. Catharines is making room for Christ and a refugee family of six. They eagerly look forward to extending a warm welcome, along with care and support as this new family settles into Canadian life.

These are just a few of the many ways Christ’s transforming grace is enfolding our ministries as we make room for God’s mission. I hope that this Christmas, you’ll hear the story of the nativity with fresh ears and open hearts, so that you will find new ways of making room in our hearts, our homes and our lives for the miracle of Christ’s coming once again.

Perhaps amidst the growing crises in Iraq and Syria, your parish might consider sponsoring a refugee family in 2015. Or perhaps you might consider other ways of making room for Christ and our many neighbours who have been relegated to the margins of our society.

Regardless of how you make room, may the precious story of our Saviour’s birth be a blessing to you and yours in this holy season.

 Susan and I wish you every blessing,

+ Michael