Category: Pastor’s Monthly Message

December 2024

On: By: DeSoto Redeemer

“To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.” Psalm 25:1
Dear Redeemer Family:

A new Church Year! We begin again! And we begin with the Season of Advent. Advent is the
season of preparing, getting ready, and waiting. But there is more to it, as we all know. As
we go through life, we should always be on the lookout for something new, something new
to learn. This week, I learned something new about Advent, actually, a couple of things.
First, there are twelve different Prayers of the Day for the Season of Advent. That’s a
bit surprising since there are only four Sundays in the Season of Advent. But there are
numerous special celebrations included in the season.

Second, all twelve of those Prayers of the Day begin with the words, “Stir up.” That I
knew. But I didn’t know that “Stir up” is the traditional translation of the Latin word
“excita.” Yes, many of our liturgical prayers are very old, and were originally in Latin. But,
that “excita” new to me. And it explains a few things. Remember, in the King James Version
of the Bible, the story in John 5 about the healing pool in Jerusalem, that, “an angel excited
the water.” Well, it can just as easily be “stirred up.” That explains a couple of translations.
The Latin word, “excita” is more obviously where we get the English word “to
excite.” And that is also something we know is part of Advent. Advent can, and usually is an
exciting time. Just ask any child, the closer that we come to Christmas. We grow in
anticipation. We get more excited. That is also important for this time of year. In terms of
nature, we are in a boring time of year. The leaves have already, mostly, been blown off of
the trees. Now, we see big empty sticks decorating our horizons. The sun is already setting
by about 5pm. Night is getting longer. We get sleepy.

But we are in Advent. We pray to God that we are “stirred up.” As we make our
various preparations for the coming of the Son of God. We cannot help but get excited. Our
Saviour comes. We must prepare. We must get ready. We have to wait. But we are
constantly excited at the idea of Christ’s coming! And so, we pray, “Stir up your power,
Lord Christ, and come.” We are excited at the prospect of your arrival. May you have a
blessed and exciting Advent Season!

In Christ,
Pastor Rose

November 2024

On: By: DeSoto Redeemer

“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.” Psalm 118:1

Dear Redeemer Family:

We are about to enter the “Holiday Season.” As I write this, Halloween is just over a week away. It has now become the number 2 most expensive holiday in the United States. Why, I don’t know. But some people really enjoy the macabre and cosplay. After Halloween, we will enter into “Christmas Madness.” Christmas is the number 1 most expensive holiday in the United States. That is more understandable. There is a strong desire of generosity among us, especially for family and friends. So, there is a strong desire to give gifts, entertain, and generally enjoy each other’s company, especially during the bleak dark winter time.

But in between these two massive holidays, there is a quieter, milder, but also very fulfilling celebration. It is, of course, Thanksgiving. Over the last several decades, it seems too often to be consumed by its larger neighbors. And yet, it is very meaningful all by itself. It hasn’t suffered the commercialization of the other two. But, then again there isn’t much you can do to commercialize a turkey dinner with family and friends. Although, televised football games have tried to make an inroad.

No, Thanksgiving kind of stands alone. I think the reason, or at least one of them, is because at its root, Thanksgiving is not really for nor about us. It is essentially, and always has been, a day set aside to give thanks to God for the many blessings which we have received. It is a holiday of gratitude and gratefulness. As Psalm 118 begins, “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.” That is something which we really need never forget. The setting aside of one day to remember that is one thing. But really, it is something which we need to remember every day; the many gifts of God’s grace. Yes, it is a holiday, a day of celebration. But it is one grounded in gratitude for graces bestowed which we do not really control. I believe it is one of the most important holidays.

Therefore, I wish you all a very joyous holiday season, hopefully without too much self-inflicted anxiety. But I wish you a holiday season, literally, centered in Thanksgiving. God’s blessings to you all!

Pastor Rose