PJ’s Page –
I’m writing this beneath our Christmas tree on December 26th, technically the second day of Christmas (are you humming the song in your head yet?) Already newscasts are telling us how to recycle our Christmas trees. It’s DECEMBER 26th! We have ten days left in the Christmas season! Already the radio stations who were playing carols 24 hours a day have moved on to the regular programming. Thank goodness for Spotify and Pandora. It’s still Christmas in our house.
And it will remain Christmas in the sanctuary until January 6th. We are reminded that the church keeps a different calendar.
During the first season of the church year, Advent, which preceded Christmas, we had new liturgical decorations in the sanctuary, including a stunning Advent wreath suspended from the center of the sanctuary. Thanks to the incredible talents of Darren Hochstedler, we had the chance to experience something different this past Advent. The interesting thing about this hanging wreath was that the lanterns proved to be a bit of a challenge as we walked up and down the center aisle. We all had to know when to dodge and weave through them or else risk running squarely into them. Even as I tried to be consistently aware of this, I hit my forehead once and the back of my head at least twice. But what I was reminded of is that the birth of the Christ child was inconvenient for the holy family, for the shepherds, for Herod, and for the magi. It interrupted everyone’s lives.
What it meant for us is that we had to pay attention. We had to watch where we were going. Every now and then we had to remind one another that the lights were hanging there. It seemed a fitting reminder of how we are the Body of Christ together.
We also were blessed by those folks who carried the light into our midst each Sunday in Advent. They were asked to do this as a reminder to us that God came to earth as the least of these, a baby. And through their stories, they reminded us that Christ is found most profoundly in those society pushes to the margins: the youngest and our elders, the disabled and those without homes.
Elsewhere in this newsletter there are photos from throughout the season. It is always a gift to see old friends and new during the holiday season, especially in church. So, on this night, in what is still Christmas, I hold these memories in my heart and give thanks for the birth of the Prince of Peace.
Merry Christmas, Blessed Epiphany,
PJ+