Joint Christmas message from the Acting Primate and National Bishop

Bishop Susan Johnson, National Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, and Archbishop Anne Germond, Acting Primate of the Anglican Church in Canada

~ from a post dated December 12, 2024 on the In Full Communion: Anglicans and Lutherans Working Together in Canada website

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.

Click on the above image to watch the message on YouTube.

Transcript of Video

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.