tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post8513839085706722966..comments2024-03-27T15:47:46.091-05:00Comments on Pastoral Meanderings: Glory, Angels, and Shepherds. . . Pastor Petershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10653554256101480140noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-74553815573709200822017-12-31T17:08:37.566-06:002017-12-31T17:08:37.566-06:00It has always amazed me how the gospel of the Inca...It has always amazed me how the gospel of the Incarnation becomes pedestrian even to the baptized. The new man needs exhortation and good preaching to help him out of the doldrums of spiritual stagnation. Luther was a kick-butt-and-take-names kind of a guy when it came to indolent Christians. But, I observe, if the Word is efficacious, it doesn’t have a very long shelf life before Christ is greeted with a shrug of the shoulders or a question whether we feel like attending church. Are we not properly drowning the Old Adam as we should or is it more a case of the seed falling on rocky ground or among thorns? There are so many things today tearing at our faith that it truly is miraculous that Christ continues to create it for those who will receive it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-77600057577411709952017-12-29T19:41:59.482-06:002017-12-29T19:41:59.482-06:00Here is my recommendation to anyone who will liste...Here is my recommendation to anyone who will listen, though few would agree or be willing to consider a major change in the way we celebrate the birth of Our Lord.<br />1. Christians should accurately celebrate Christmas in late September or October, the most likely time in which Our Lord was actually born in Bethlehem. <br />2. It should be celebrated as a Christian holiday entirely with the centrality of a worship service. <br />3. Let the worldlings keep Santa Claus, Rudolph the Red Nosed Rheindeer, drunken parties, elaborate overeating, and let them continue to max out their credit cards for trinkets, gadgets and toys. Let the worldlings have their black Friday's and the shallow satisfaction of instant gratification found in standing on line to accumulate mostly impractical things.<br />4. As in item 3 above, the world can keep December 25, as this date was a pagan day selected centuries ago to bring the pagans aboard the Christian train. It was not done to honor the Lord.<br />5. As for Resurrection Sunday.......well....let the world have the Easter bunny. The date of Easter is also wrong. The church should have gotten it right by now....don't you agree?John Joseph Flanaganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06596324816480709495noreply@blogger.com