A Note From Father Eickhoff

December 18, 2022

This is the last week of preparation for Christmas. It is always a good idea to have a handy checklist to make sure that all the necessary steps of preparedness are done.

  • Are Inside and Outside decorations around the home completed?
  • Have all the presents arrived?
  • Have all the presents been wrapped?
  • Have all the presents been placed under the tree?
  • Are all the ingredients for the Christmas dinner purchased and ready?
  • Has the house been made ready for any guests?

I have no doubt that the items on this checklist have been occupying your thoughts during the last couple of weeks but let me add a few more items to the checklist.

  • Have you carved out some quiet time for yourself to pray and give thanks to God this Advent Season?
  • Have you committed to come to church to worship and give thanks to God with your fellow Christians this Christmas?
  • Have you decided to add some Christmas traditions to your festivities at home such as Christmas carols for the whole family to participate in?
  • Most of all, have you strived to celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ this Christmas before celebrating our cultural festivities? In other words, is Jesus the reason for your thanksgiving this Christmas or just an add-on bonus to a few days off from work?

We use checklists like this in our daily affairs to ensure that we don’t forget a vital step in some important process. I think we can agree that giving to God His proper worship and thanksgiving counts as an important goal. In all the busyness of the Christmas Season let us not forget to give our time and thanks to God.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. Stephen Eickhoff
Pastor