25 Dec Christmas Gifts for You

Posted at 08:46h in Pastoral Notes by

Merry Christmas!

I hope that your Christmas celebration has been good already, and these next days will be full of tender joy as we mark the precious gifts of this season. I wanted to share two little gifts with you today:
First, a video we made at our Advent Party, with members of our community singing Christmas songs. I’m offering it as a new version of Christmas caroling–going phone to phone and computer to computer, rather than door to door. I love that these songs are deep in our memories, and that they give us all a way to sing joyfully together!

Second, I wanted to share a few paragraphs from our Advent devotional, Words for the Beginning. These words spoke to my heart, and I offer the to you now. They were written by Kayla Craig, published through A Sanctified Art:

“Jesus’ humble birth in a manger, celebrated by the heavens and earth alike, underscores a radical reordering: in God’s kingdom, the last are first, the humble are exalted, and the meek reign. The shepherds’ response to the angelic announcement—spreading the news of this great joy—underscores how we, too, are called to live in light of our cherished place in God’s heart.

“Vicki Black reflects on this in her exploration of the Church year, noting, ‘In historical time, Christmas happened over two thousand years ago in Bethlehem; in theological time, Christmas happens now, in the mystery of God choosing to dwell within humankind, a mystery that transcends all time.’ (Vicki K. Black, Welcome to the Church Year: An Introduction to the Seasons of the Episcopal Church, Morehouse Publishing, 2005).

“God was with the shepherds and the Magi then and is with us now. What a marvelous reality—love made a way to be near us when there was no way. In Jesus, love has a name. As candles flicker and carols are sung, hold close to the truth that love knows your name.”

And, finally, a blessing from the same devotional:

“God knows you completely and loves you fully. As you draw near to Jesus, rest assured that you are not a mere face in the crowd but a beloved child of God, known and called by name. In light of this glorious truth, may you be a bearer of peace and harbinger of love today and forevermore.”

grace and peace,
Pastor Molly