Our Christmas Prayer

A letter from Eric Hinderliter serving in Lithuania

Christmas 2015

We began the year 2015 in St. Peter’s Square, Rome, part of a crowd of 100,000-plus gathered to hear Pope Francis’ New Year’s Day message. Pope Francis expressed “the wish that there will never be more wars.” He told the crowd that “peace is always possible. We must search for it.” In these days as we celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace, nothing can be more urgent that the search for peace.  Our prayer is for peace.

Eric & Becky with Fr. Kęstutis Kevalas, named auxiliary Bishop of Kaunas in 2012

As we prepare for Advent and Christmas, we are thinking about 15 years here in Lithuania as teachers at LCC International University.  We were able to host our friend, Fr. Kęstutis Kėvalas, the auxiliary Bishop of Kaunas, for a meeting with my class on faith and economics at LCC. The Bishop stressed the need for all of us, including students, to be bearers of hope as we go out into what is too often a dark and dangerous world.  We were able to talk informally as well.  Fr. Kėvalas is like a breath of fresh air for the Catholic Church; he does not stand on hierarchy. We had time just to talk over lunch in the student cafeteria. He told us about his visits to the Vatican and what went on when he met with Pope Francis.  He related that in addition to the business of the church, there was time to tell stories and even to tell a joke or two.  Fr. Kėvalas said his challenge, if he is going to understand all the Vatican humor, is to learn Italian!

How quickly the past 15 years have gone. I realized the other day that I am now the oldest person at LCC.  This revelation has been quite a shock, a status I did not seek.  In talking with the Bishop, we told him that Becky and I were soon celebrating our 44^th wedding anniversary.  We recognized that I was old enough to be the Bishop’s father (he was born in 1972).  Of course we are valuing the long journey we have been on since we were commissioned as mission workers in 2001. We see value in aging as well. We hope this has at last brought us some wisdom.  This Christmas season has led us to the story of Simeon and Anna and the presentation of the baby Jesus in the temple (Luke 2:28-38).  This older couple was both righteous and devout—but full of wisdom and of hope.  They were seeking the consolation of Israel and the redemption of Jerusalem.  The Holy Spirit rested on them; their praise to God was the result of being guided by the Spirit.  We are praying for the Holy Spirit to come to us and rest upon us.  Like Anna, we want to praise God and to speak to those we encounter who are looking for redemption about this child Jesus who comes to us as the long-hoped-for Messiah.  And as our mission journey begins to near its end, we want to be able echo Simeon’s words, “Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word” (Luke 2:29).  To be more faithful and obedient to our call to mission service in 2016 is our Christmas prayer.

Annas with his Lithuanian teacher Radvyda Vaišvilait and Eric and Becky on Graduation Day 2014

The birth of Jesus is a time to be grateful for our redemption in Christ. Recently I asked Annas, a 2014 graduate from Nigeria, to offer a thought to all of you for Christmas. Here is his message to you:

Greetings!  Dear Brothers & Sisters:

I am pleased to be offered this opportunity.  Although I am a total stranger, I feel that we are of the same family because of our common heritage—the faith in our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus.

Over the years we have benefited from your decision to keep Dr. Eric and his family here with us—and from your personal support to many of us living thousands of kilometers away from our families.  Eric and his wife have been a strong pillar like a father to me both in good times and difficult periods.  I can proudly say that I am benefiting directly from your loving hearts.

I believe that it is your practical demonstration of the command from our Lord Jesus in John 13:34-35, where he said that we will be recognized as his disciples if we have love among ourselves.  You are practically displaying such love.  In addition, you are also fulfilling the admonishing by the Apostle James in James 1:27.  I want to state my heartfelt gratitude to you and pray that the Creator God and his Son reward you and shower his blessing on you.

I wish you the peace of God. Amen.
Onyemaechi Annas Kalu

We share his gratitude for your faithful giving for our sending and support through Presbyterian World Mission.  You may know that World Mission does not currently have all the funds needed to keep all of us mission co-workers deployed with our partners in 2016.  This is a challenge that directly impacts the ministry of all Presbyterian mission workers.  We share the call from the Moderator Heath Rada and many others for a time of fervent prayers and sacrificial giving to the mission endeavor of the Presbyterian Church in the wider world.  We thank you from the depths of our hearts for making our ministry possible.

We pray for good things in 2016—but we know that God knows our needs and will provide for us.  May the Prince of Peace come into all our hearts this Christmas season.  May there be peace on earth. Go in peace.

Merry Christmas.

Grace and Peace,
Eric & Becky Hinderliter

The 2015 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 329