Several years ago I remember hearing a public school principal in the Oshawa area saying that her favourite time of the year was from Thanksgiving to Christmas.

When asked why, she replied, "It starts with Thanksgiving and then there is Eid, Diwali, Hanukkah and finally Christmas. It seems as if we are always celebrating s feast or festival. I have to watch what I eat, or I will get fat!"

Our community is changing, and for the better. No longer are we isolated in our celebration of Christmas alone.

When Love Comes To Town.

Sermon for Fourth Sunday of Advent, Dec. 22 2013

Preached by Rev. James Murray at Dominion-Chalmers United Church.

The town gossips must have had a field day. Everything that could be wrong had gone terribly wrong.

Several years ago, I attended specialized training in understanding Operational Stress Injuries or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder caused by war, offered by Veterans Affairs Canada. The training included a realistic convoy ambush of our trucks on the training range at 4th Canadian Division Training Centre, Meaford.

In the discussion which followed, I recall one veteran of Afghanistan and Bosnia telling us to expect a growing number of combat stress injuries in the future, as soldiers returned from many years of acknowledged and unacknowledged combat.

Many years ago, I was chaplain in a mental health hospital. It was probably one of the most discouraging and most interesting pieces of ministry I have done through the years.

I had an office in the basement, which was shared with the visiting Roman Catholic priest. I never saw him, but I know he had been in because there were bits of paper moved on the desk.

A number of educational centres across Canada are accredited and supported by grants from the United Church. Hear the story of a special place in the midst of the Prairies.

Sometimes we visit in person. Other times, we offer support in other ways. Consider this story about the effect magazines can have in a prison.