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A Christmas Greeting from Bishop Miller

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“You shall be called, ‘Sought Out, A City Not Forsaken’” Isaiah 62:12

Dear Friends in Christ,

We hear these words from the prophet Isaiah as we gather to celebrate the Christ Mass. As people of faith in Jesus Christ, we know that these words were fulfilled in Christ’s Incarnation. All this is the Father’s action of sending his Son into the world to bring us back to himself.

I cannot hear these words without hearing the words of the most ancient Eucharistic prayer in the Book of Common Prayer, “Father you loved the world so much that in the fullness of time you sent your only Son to be our Savior.” They also remind me of that most loved parable which we have misnamed the prodigal son, but I believe (as do others) should be named the forgiving father in remembrance of both sons, the prodigal and his elder brother, who each needed to repent and received the father’s embrace.

What a great and loving God we have, a God who comes to us, who seeks us out and loves us with a love beyond measure.

My prayer is that your Christmas celebrations will remind you how much you are loved by our Loving God.

Blessed Christmas.

+Steven
The Rt. Rev. Steven A. Miller
Bishop of Milwaukee

Posted by Bishop Steven Miller
Tags: bishop miller, christmas, greeting
in Greetings

An Advent Greeting from Bishop Miller

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Dear Friends in Christ,

Greetings to you as we begin this season of Advent, a season of preparation for and expectation of greeting Christ in our midst. At the heart of Advent is the ancient Christian prayer, “Maranatha,” which is translated “Our Lord, come.” This prayer runs through the most loved of Advent hymns: O come, O Come, Emmanuel; come as wisdom; as new day; come as God with Us.

That prayer is at the heart of my Advent prayers this year. My heart is filled with longing for the peace on earth that Christ’s return alone can give and for a world that reflects the prayer he taught us “thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” As I watch the caravan of migrants seeking refuge, I am reminded of countless others displaced by a decree that uprooted them and of an expectant couple that needed lodging. And I find myself singing and praying the song from the musical Godspell, “When wilt thou save the people? O God of mercy, when?”

The Good News of Advent is that our hope and prayer are not in vain. Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again. This is our faith. This is our joy. This is our consolation. So for now, we wait and watch and pray.

Yours in expectant hope,

+Steven
The Rt. Rev. Steven A. Miller
Bishop of Milwaukee

Posted by Bishop Steven Miller
Tags: advent, greeting, preparation

A Thanksgiving Greeting from Bishop Miller

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It is a good thing to give thanks to the Lord. (Psalm 92:1a)

Dear Friends in Christ,

Thanksgiving is at the heart of Christian life. I cannot say this too often. The principal act of Christian worship is an act of thanksgiving for what God has done for us in Jesus, which we offer not only for ourselves but for the world. Each Sunday we gather, this liturgy is offered, a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. The General Thanksgiving in daily Morning and Evening Prayer remind us that thanksgiving isn’t just for Sunday but every day.

All that being said, in this nation the fourth Thursday in November is set aside as a national Day of Thanksgiving in observance of a tradition deeply rooted in our both our history and the human desire to express gratitude. It is a time to come together with family and friends to feast and celebrate. If your family is at all like mine, I am sure that part of the gathering includes the recounting of past Thanksgiving gatherings and the joyful and comical memories that are brought to mind.

My prayer this Thanksgiving is that it will be a time that deepens your bond with those you love, those you worship with each Sunday, and most importantly with God, the giver and the gift. As you remember Thanksgivings past and give thanks this year, remember the God who is the source of all.

Yours in Christ,

+Steven
The Rt. Rev. Steven A. Miller
Bishop of Milwaukee

Posted by Bishop Steven Miller

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