I attended a Catholic funeral Mass today. It was the first Catholic Mass I have ever attended. I must say that some elements of the service were very striking.

At St. Andrews here in Wray, there is a large crucifix at the front of the Sanctuary. It was very moving reflecting on the Crucifix for me today. Here it is, two days before Christmas, the celebration of the birth of Christ. Yet it is all too easy to forget why Jesus came, to die on the cross. It was very powerful for me to see the Christmas decorations next to the crucifix.

There is a certain richness to the Catholic faith that is very powerful. We protestants often miss out on this richness and the link to tradition and heritage. Yet I am a protestant for good reasons and have many problems with Catholic theology. However, I do not want to miss out on certain traditions or practices just because they are often associated with Catholicism.

Remember that Jesus came to die on the cross for our sins. Too many of us want to reflect only on his birth and forget about his life and death and resurrection.

Merry Christmas!

Grace and peace,

Steve