Regular Schedule
Sunday
- Worship– 10:15 AM
- Coffee Hour– 11:30 AM
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PASTOR'S MESSAGE - DECEMBER
People of St. Peter’s enjoy "A Living Nativity" every year during Christmas time. It is wonderful and always well attended, both young and old enjoy it.
You may wonder if live nativities have always been a part of Christian culture. The answer is no. Likely, the very first live nativity was offered by St. Francis of Assisi at Greccio, Italy on Christmas Eve of 1223. A wealthy benefactor of St. Francis had built a hermitage for him and his followers. So thankful was Francis that he invited all of the surrounding countryside to come for Christmas. In one of the caves nearby, he constructed a manger and had a man and woman dress as Mary and Joseph. A wax doll served as the baby Jesus. He also had a cow and a donkey present. Everyone was thrilled. A sermon was preached, and several gave their lives to God that evening.
As wonderful as live nativities are, I hope all of you will picture in your own minds that wonderful night when our Savior was born. And I pray that your hearts will be filled with wonder and amazement and joy of the Christ child basking in God’s eternal light. I hope that as you reflect on that scene, you will come to feel the presence of the Holy Spirit as it lifts you up to the heavenly heights that bring us to the joyful unity that is the brotherhood and sisterhood of all humanity. The sense of oneness will, I am confident, release your innermost being for self-giving this Christmas season.
In Luke 2:15-18 we read as follows:
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
May we all be amazed this Christmas as we behold the One who will set us free for a life bound for eternity.
Grace and Peace,
Rev. Perucy N. Butiku - Coverage Pastor
Contact Us
St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church2332 Grand Avenue
Baldwin, New York 11510
Baldwin, New York 11510
Phone (516) 223-1951
