Issue link: http://denverseminary.uberflip.com/i/1056515
6 1 "DO NOT BE AFRAID. I BRING YOU GOOD NEWS THAT WILL CAUSE GREAT JOY FOR ALL THE PEOPLE. TODAY IN THE TOWN OF DAVID A SAVIOR HAS BEEN BORN TO YOU; HE IS THE MESSIAH, THE LORD." - LUKE 2:10-11 Father Theodore Dorrance DMin Student A Rhythm of Remembrance I n the Orthodox Church, Christians practice a rhythm of remembrance throughout the year. In continuity with ancient Judaism, the faithful celebrate the major events of salvation history through a cycle of preparation, fulfillment, and thanksgiving. is cycle helps Christians intentionally change their routines, adding spiritual disciplines to slow down and center themselves on the meaning and significance of each feast. is practice can help Christians of every faith tradition in their celebration of Christmas. During the Christmas season, our society speeds up. e malls are filled to capacity. Companies host holiday parties, and families bake, shop, send Christmas cards, decorate, and stress over how they can possibly "afford Christmas" another year. It's easy to get caught up in this "holiday spirit." While most of these activities are well-intended, together they create a harried and overwhelming atmosphere. We, too, can let these activities of the season become our dictators and cause us to burn out even before Christmas arrives. is year, to counter this tendency, I invite you to use each day of December leading up to Christmas to focus on a daily quiet time in prayer and study, focusing specifically on our Lord's Nativity. e meaning of Christmas is the incarnation and birth of Jesus, the Savior of the world. When we think about the meaning of God's incarnation, we should think of how Jesus can become increasingly incarnate in our lives and be born anew in our hearts. is requires a sensitive heart that desires Him above all other things. Consistent prayer produces this sensitive heart. Makarios of Egypt, a desert father of the fourth century, taught this: e crown of every good endeavor and the highest of achievements is diligence in prayer. It is in prayer that the saints experience communion in the hidden energies of God's holiness and inner union with it, and their souls are brought through unutterable love into the presence of the Lord. is year let us intentionally slow down our lives and carve out some dedicated time for prayer and reflection on the significance of God becoming human. In this way, all the other preparations of the season will only add to our sense of joy and gratitude. December