God with us in every moment

Please enjoy the following video Christmas message from Dr Mark Vainikka, Bishop LCAQD. You can also read the transcript, below. From all of us at Lutheran Church House, Milton, may you have a blessed Christmas!

God with us in every moment

During the Advent and Christmas seasons, we are reminded that God comes to us in the flesh because he loves all people without distinction. Out of love, God became human, embracing our humanity and affirming its sacredness. The Franciscans beautifully express that the incarnation, God becoming human, is in itself an act of redemption, declaring that it is okay to be human.

As we journey through Advent and Christmas, I pray that these days draw you closer to the peace that only Christ can provide. We can easily feel hurried and burdened during this season. I pray that in the coming days you may be surprised by silence and stillness, where you may prayerfully discern God’s amazing love in Christ for all people, the profound mystery of God becoming flesh and dwelling among us.

This Advent and Christmas hold special meaning for Minna and me, as we celebrate the arrival of our first grandchild, little Vera. We see the peace of Christmas reflected in the eyes of every infant, reminding us that God’s presence is not an abstract idea but is experienced through the tangible realities of life. As theologian Ronald Rolheiser observes, God entered the world through the same senses we use to experience it—seen, touched, tasted, and heard—making the divine both close and personal.

During this season of waiting, may your heart be receptive to the tender presence of Christ, whose arrival is not merely a remembrance of the past, but an invitation to embrace God’s peace in both the present and the days to come. The words of the angel continue to echo across time: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favours” (Luke 2:14).

Christmas comes, because Christ comes. Whether we are filled with joy or burdened with sorrow, the message remains the same: ‘“Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us”’ (Matt. 1:23). May this truth fill your heart with hope, peace, and joy this Christmas.

Your Fellow Servant
Bishop Mark