In Full Communion

Anglicans and Lutherans working together in Canada

Joint Christmas message from the Acting Primate and National Bishop

December 12, 2024

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Archbishop Anne Germond, Acting Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, and Bishop Susan Johnson, National Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, encourage Anglicans and Lutherans to share the joy of Jesus’ birth and hope for the world, within and beyond their congregations and parishes.

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Archbishop Anne Germond: I’ve been thinking about the shepherds lately. Not just any shepherds, but the ones to whom the angels announced the good news of Jesus’ birth. “…I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord.”

Bishop Susan Johnson: What did they do with that glorious good news? They went to find the child, to check out the sign that the angels had given them. We often see pictures of the shepherds surrounding Jesus, Mary and Joseph with adoration in their eyes.

Archbishop Anne Germond: And then what happened? As we read in Luke 2:17-18 “When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them.”

Bishop Susan Johnson: In other words, they told others about what they had seen and heard. They shared this message of hope for all people.

Archbishop Anne Germond: The fact that God came to earth in the form of a baby, Immanuel, God with us, is indeed a message of hope for all people.

Bishop Susan Johnson: Our world needs this word of hope more than ever. So why are we so reticent to share it? The Christmas hymn calls us to “Go tell it on the mountain, over the hills and ev’rywhere,” but we have a hard time talking about the good news of Jesus with our families, friends and neighbours.

Archbishop Anne Germond: This Christmas, let’s change that. Let’s share the joy of Jesus’ birth and the hope for the world both within and beyond our congregations and parishes.

Bishop Susan Johnson: May the joy of the angels…

Archbishop Anne Germond: …the faith of the shepherds…

Bishop Susan Johnson: …and the perseverance of the wise ones be with you this Christmas and always.

Together: God bless you!

Bishop Susan Johnson: God bless you, Anne.

Archbishop Anne Germond: And God bless you, Susan.

Matthew 10:40-42

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

Rewards

40 “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. ⁴¹Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous, ⁴²and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.”

John 15:12-17

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. ¹³No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. ¹⁴You are my friends if you do what I command you. ¹⁵I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing, but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. ¹⁶You did not choose me, but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. ¹⁷I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.

John 21:15-19

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

Jesus and Peter

15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” ¹⁶A second time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.” ¹⁷He said to him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. ¹⁸Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.” ¹⁹(He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, “Follow me.”

Luke 11:33-36

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

The Light of the Body

33 “No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar or under a bushel basket; rather, one puts it on the lampstand so that those who enter may see the light. ³⁴Your eye is the lamp of your body. If your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but if it is unhealthy, your body is full of darkness. ³⁵Therefore consider whether the light in you is not darkness. ³⁶But if your whole body is full of light, with no part of it in darkness, it will be as full of light as when a lamp gives you light with its rays.”

Matthew 8:1-4

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

Jesus Cleanses a Man

8 When Jesus had come down from the mountain, great crowds followed him, ²and there was a man with a skin disease who came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” ³He stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing. Be made clean!” Immediately his skin disease was cleansed. ⁴Then Jesus said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”