Peace and Blessings to you, Beloved Church.

 Advent, Christmas, and Time after Epiphany (Winter) 

Seasons change; God’s faithfulness stays the same. 

As youngsters, it often seems like the anticipation of Christmas can never be fully contained. The expectation of gifts, special meals, incredible music, and memorable treats swell in our minds and keep us awake during these darkest of nights, no matter our age! Perhaps that’s part of the reason why, in the wisdom of the Church through the ages, we’ve inherited such a vibrant roll of rituals that help us prepare, celebrate, and reflect on the brilliance of Christ’s arrival in our world, especially considering the uncertainty and vulnerabilities of being human both in the ancient world and today. 

Advent is a particularly poignant gift, even if it seems like we as the Church spend these early December weeks waiting for Christmas while the commercial world around us is already celebrating it all. But that tension need not be a bad thing; waiting and preparing for December 25th takes real discipline, and reminds us that good things are worth waiting (and preparing!) for. Anticipation and planning make the festival of the Nativity of our Lord all the sweeter as we wait in hope, peace, joy, and love for Christ to appear. 

Christmas, in its 12 days of celebration, draws us to wonder with Mary “how can these things be?” How can God be one of us, human like us, suffering like us, walking through life just like us? It is true, and we get to live in the joy of our connection with the God who knows all of it. 

Epiphany dawns in January, focusing our tired eyes on the new light of Christ. In the Northern Hemisphere, we are ready for the literal light of a new year, while no matter our location on the globe we revel in the metaphorical light that Jesus’ love is not just for us, but is for the whole world (and as some have said through the years, for the entire cosmos, too!). Cosmic love can be hard to grasp, but when balanced with the good news of the Incarnation through the festival of Christmastide, we get the chance to witness the unending goodness of God made real right in our own lives. 

Blessed be Christ, God-with-us, the one whose faithful love finds us always! 

May these days and seasons hold you and illumine the way ahead. 

Pastor Paul 

August 12, 2018