Rev. Valerie's Reveille

‘ Twas a week before Christmas and all through the land The Church reminded us that the Savior’s birth was at hand. The season is not about the perfection of glitter But about a loving God who would not leave us bitter. And so God sent us his Son wrapped up like a present In the garb of our mortality, the human flesh of a peasant. The cookies may not be made, the decorations may not be hung, The cards may not be sent, the lights may not be strung. Yet let us all make the true preparations for the coming of our Savior And open our hearts and lives to the Lord’s loving favor. No more precious gift has ever been received. It is up to us to remind the world what we truly believe. Not in jolly old elves, talking snowmen or reindeer in flight But in God, who loves us with all of his might. So stop for a moment and take a deep breath, As we await the Christ, the true conqueror of death. Let go of the need to fulfill a secular call to perfection And allow J...

I love snow.  I love how it gently falls from the sky, covering everything in a pristine white blanket.  Regardless of the time of day it falls, it is usually quiet outside as no one wants to be caught outside in a snow storm.  But what I love most of all is the necessity forced upon us by nature to SLOW DOWN – whether we want to or not.  I experienced that for the first time this week on Sunday evening as I was returning home from a surprise birthday party.  It took me 20 minutes to go 4 miles.  Normally that would have been incredible frustrating and tiresome, but instead I was grateful.  It was more important to get home safely than quickly, and none of us wanted to be the guy who had slid off the road.  In our area, that unexpected snow did not last long as it turned to rain pretty quickly, but low and behold, we were gifted with another fall of snow 36 hours later.  Some of you may question my use of the word “gifted” in reference to ...

Yes, Virginia, there really was a St. Nicholas. He was the Bishop of Myra (in modern day Turkey) during the middle of the 4th century – a really long time ago!  He attended the 1st Ecumenical Council of Nicaea in 325 and endorsed the first iteration of the Nicene Creed.  However, what brought him lasting fame was the tales of his generosity.  A poor man had three daughters but could not afford a proper dowry for them. This meant that they would remain unmarried and probably, in absence of any other possible employment, would have to become prostitutes. Hearing of the girls' plight, Nicholas decided to help them, but being too modest to help the family in public (or to save them the humiliation of accepting charity), he went to the house under the cover of night and threw three purses (one for each daughter) filled with gold coins through the window opening into the house. One version has him throwing one purse for three consecutive nights. An...