Today I want to throw out a few thoughts as an early Christmas message to help us prepare for Christmas in case Kash Patel sets me up for Christmas like he did 6ademiks.
James 1:27 states "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world."
We often think of the importance of visiting the sick and afflicted. Visiting the elderly. We can make a difference but there is one other group that is often forgotten. Visiting those in prison. Christ told us to do it. In fact he clarified how important it was in the parable of the sheep and goats. "I was in prison and ye visited me not. Inasmuch as ye have done unto the least of these, ye have done it unto me."
I'm not going to go off on what religion teaches. I'm just going to say that visiting inmates in prison is an important part of the gospel just like visiting the sick and the elderly.
A lot of people out there are suffering. Opportunities to do good are all around us. The United Church has a phrase calling people to be the hands and feet of Christ.
For example, if someone is struggling and prays for help, then you show up offering that help. You become an answer to prayer. An instrument in the hands of God. The hands and feet of Christ. I just came across a frightening statistic.
Google claims that "In 2022, 64 congregations closed or amalgamated; in 2023, 66, and in 2024, just 31. That’s an average of about 54 congregations a year. If that many continue to close each year, the end of The United Church of Canada as a congregational church will be in about 2070."
That's heartbreaking. I grew up in the United Church. The United Church of Canada is one of the most honest, open and tolerant organizations that I know of. Christmas Eve services are moving and are well worth attending.
You don't need a church to visit the sick but churches help organize service projects. Today I saw a few addicts from the new support housing in the underground parking lot at Superstore making the normal customers uncomfortable.
Drug addiction is so debilitating. Yet as broken and battered as they are, they're still human beings. They're still someone's son or daughter. The transformation that can occur when someone overcomes an addiction is astounding. A lot of times, treating them like human beings is all it takes.
So this Christmas let's think about the addicts and let's remember those in prison. Take the time to fill out the forms to visit or write someone in prison. I'm not talking about dating apps. Dating guys in prison is unwise. I'm talking about reaching out to people you know to let them know people still care.
If I had a lot of money there's a lot of people I'd like to help. Unfortunately I don't. Yet doing something is better than doing nothing and small things matter. Small things can make a difference. By small things great things are accomplished.
Speaking of lost traditions, they've sure screwed up the traditional advent wreath. 4 candles of Advent, the fifth candle is the Christ candle to be lit on Christmas morning. Throw out the pink and purple and go back to the red and white traditions.









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