Author: DeSoto Redeemer

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all.” Titus 2:11

Dear Redeemer Family:
Merry Christmas! And joy to all as we celebrate the birth of our Lord. As we celebrate Christmas, let us also remember that Christmas is not just a day, but a season of the Church. It is made up of 12 days. That of course, brings to mind the most confusing of all Christmas carols, “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” And, every year someone spends a lot of time to figure out how much all of the gifts listed in the song would cost if a person were to go out and purchase them for their “true love.” They have completely missed the point of the song, and its history. But it is a confusing song. So, I enclose this little fact sheet, which I have already given to some of you this season. So now, you will know what is going on in the carol:

From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.

-The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.
-Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.
-Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.
-Four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.
-Five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.
-Six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.
-Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit–Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.
-Eight maids a-milking were the eight Beatitudes.
-Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit–Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.
-Ten lords a-leaping were the Ten Commandments.
-Eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.
-Twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles’ Creed.

So, the carol is more than a hymn, it is a devotional and a catechism. Enjoy! And Merry Christmas to all!
In Christ,
Pastor Rose

“The voice of one crying out in the wilderness; ‘Prepare the way of the Lord.’” Matt. 3:3b

Dear Redeemer Family:
Where has the time gone? It was just the other day that we were celebrating Christ the King Sunday. We celebrated Christ enthroned as the Lord of Lords and King of Kings. Now, we hear the voice of John the Baptist telling us to get ready for Jesus’ birth. My how time flies. I did watch a YouTube video a while back which was discussing that the older that you get, the more experience that you acquire, the faster that time seems to fly. That’s why putting a child in “time out” for five minutes seems like a life sentence for them, and why an adult can sit and watch a full two-hour football game on television, without moving, and say, “It’s over already?” There seems to be an age difference between them. So now, for the children will think that it will take forever for Christmas to come. And adults will think that there aren’t enough hours in the day to get ready for Christmas. Actually, when it comes to preparing for the coming of the Lord, I think that they are both right. As we await the returning of Christ in glory, it has been about 2,000 years. And, frankly, we aren’t ready. As for preparing for the events of Christmas, there isn’t enough time for everything.

Fortunately, we have the Season of Advent to help us get ready. Four weeks to turn our minds and prepare us for the coming of both the Christ Child, and the Risen Lord. Four weeks?! That’s not enough time!!! That is true. But the purpose of Advent isn’t really a “countdown” to Christmas. No, no. That is a misconception. The purpose of Advent is rather to “re mind” us, literally. It serves to turn our minds, as well as our hearts and souls, to the coming of Christ. Some people get so worked up over getting ready for Christmas with decorating, shopping, cooking, entertaining, etc., that they miss the whole point. And that point is the coming of Christ, our Emmanuel, God with us, to us.

The lessons of the Season of Advent, the Wednesday night services, the traditions of Advent are all there for one reason, to re mind people. We are to turn our minds, focus our attention, lift up our hearts are for one thing, and one thing only: Christ comes to us. For that, there isn’t enough time. But Christ is eternal so time isn’t even a consideration. He has all of the time in the world, and of creation. We should just concentrate of getting ready for him. May everyone have a most blessed, and focused, Advent Season; and use it wisely to prepare for Christ’s coming.

In Christ,
Pastor Rose