PASTOR'S PEN
I believe in Santa Claus!
“…to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.” - Ephesians 1:6
My older daughter (who is 8 years old) recently
began asking the question, “Is Santa real?”
Not wanting to lie, yet still wanting to retain
(more for me than her, I know!) the pure innocence that accompanies such
beliefs, I answer with a question, “What do you think?” After some thought and
rambling on her own, she always seems to come to the conclusion that Santa is
indeed real. For now.
Some time very soon, I know we are going to have
a ‘talk’ regarding this subject – and while I don’t want to crush her dreams
and hopes, I also want her to understand that one cannot expect a jolly old
man, dressed in red, to come through the chimney while you sleep and give you
all of your hearts’ desires. I also want to explain to her, though, that I
personally believe in Santa Claus – but not in the way she thinks.
There is something about this secular Santa Claus
‘thing’ that doesn’t fit in with the true message of Christmas. As the popular
Santa Claus song sings, ‘you better not shout, better not cry, better not
pout…he knows if you’ve been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake’ – Santa
only brings presents if you’re good, and if you somehow deserve it.
But the true message of Christmas is about the
Divine taking human form, living among us and showing us the ultimate way. And,
as in the scripture passage above, it was a grace, a gift that was freely given
to us. We didn’t do something to earn it, we didn’t deserve it – it was given
to us despite of it.
The ‘real’ Santa Claus can be traced back most
likely to St. Nicholas of Myra (current day Turkey) in the 4th century C.E. He
was known for his elaborate giving to the poor, including paying the dowry for
three impoverished daughters of a Christian brother in need. The real and
original Santa freely gave out of his response to God’s calling to care for the
poor and needy, not because they did something to earn it. It was truly
grace-filled giving.
It is this Santa that I believe in – and his
grace-filled giving that mirrored God’s giving of Jesus to us. I believe that
you can see glimpses of this Santa, not just at Christmas, but here and there,
all year round. And sometimes, I am given the opportunity to be a Santa too!
I’m not sure if you believe in Santa Claus like I
do, but I pray that this season, you will be invited into the true meaning of
Christmas and the gift that was freely given to us. And as we heed God’s call
to us and mirror God’s gift-giving to us, I pray that we can go out and share
this real meaning and joy of Christmas – God’s grace and Gift that was freely
given.
Christmas blessings,
Pastor Grace Kaori Suzuki
DEACONS' REPORT
This year the fall season just seems to be flying
by. 96.5 KOIT (“light rock less talk”) radio station was already playing
Christmas music before it was even Thanksgiving. Sometimes it seems like we’re
so ready to move on to the next holiday, or the next best thing that we neglect
to really enjoy the PRESENT.
This year, the Deacons are truly thankful for
another successful annual Thanksgiving dinner. We are so grateful for the
support from our church family members and friends! Without your help and
contribution, we would not be able to host such a lovely Thanksgiving dinner
every year. Here are some of the highlights from the CUPC Thanksgiving dinner
that was held on November 22nd, 2009…
Our
turkey cooker was crowned “Turkey King”! Thank you for your super Turkey
BBQ-ing skills!
We
had a fun and energetic MC for the night
The
Middle School youth decorated with festive center pieces
Special
performances by:
Nichigo Choir
Sunday School
M.S./H.S.
one church family band
Special thanks to those who helped set-up and
clean-up on Saturday and Sunday. Also thanks to all those who made pie and
jell-o for our event.
Please continue to uplift in prayer those in our
church community and world. Lastly, we just want to wish everyone a Merry
Christmas & HappyNew Year!
COFFEE FELLOWSHIP:
The Deacons would like to thank the following individuals who have contributed to the coffee fellowship during the month of November.
The Deacon’s are aware there are others who do
not sign up on the list, but contribute. We would like to thank you all. Also,
if you haven’t signed up recently, I encourage you to sign up on the bulletin
board next to the social hall. Thank you in advance!
Kara Woo, Vice-Moderator
