God's "Christmas gift" of Emmanuel, "God with us," culminating in Christ's life, death, resurrection, and ascension, bridges the gulf between our Father God and us and unites us one to another and to the saints of old.

It's easy to get lost in the hustle and bustle of what society deems necessary during Christmas. We get caught up in decorating our homes with exterior lights and yard ornaments, attending office Christmas parties, and purchasing Christmas items even before Halloween ends. Don't get me wrong, these things aren't necessarily bad, but they distract us from the Season's more profound meaning – our relationship with God and each other.

The church calendar divides the Christmas period into three specific seasons: Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany. But we should not see them as individual seasons but as phases of one joyful celebration. First comes preparation during Advent, and then celebration extends into the Epiphany phase a few weeks after Christmas Day.

Advent emphasizes the reactions that many liken to the months leading up to childbirth: excitement, wonder, joy, expectation, and even exhilaration at the life of Christ while reflecting on hope, longing, and the necessity to get things in order.

During the Christmas phase, we celebrate the wonder of the Incarnation - how wondrously we are made that the Word of God would become one of us! God shows us how to live fully by pouring out our lives for others, to "love the Lord your God with all your heart," and to "love your neighbor as yourself."

Epiphany marks the beginning of the "the Manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles – Christ being present or made known – to all peoples. On Epiphany, we focus on the three Wise Men, symbolizing the many races for whom Christ was born. Then we read of the baptism of Jesus, marking the beginning of His public ministry.

The focal point of the entire Christmas cycle is God becoming one of us in the Incarnation of Jesus. All three phases of the Christmas cycle hinge on this point, and as Christians, we are intertwined in the "Big Story" of Christ, which unites us with Christians throughout history. The traditions of the Church, coupled with the living Gospel, become the real-life experiences of Christians like you and me and connect us to the legacy of the Saints who came before us.

 Jane and I pray that during the wholeness of this Christmas season, you and your family are blessed by the manifestation of our Lord Christ in your lives, that His story becomes a more significant part of your story, and that His gifts to all of us - Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love - fill you throughout the coming year.