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The Holidays. That stretch of time from Thanksgiving to some time after the New Year. Decorations have been up in stores for weeks. I even know a few people who have finished their Christmas shopping!  There is a different kind of energy in the air, a feeling of anticipation and excitement. It can be the most wonderful time of the year.

Or it can be overwhelming. We can put a lot of pressure on ourselves to have the perfect Christmas. All of the cards to be written, the cookies to be baked, the tree to be trimmed, the lights to be strung, the gifts to be wrapped seem more like a never-ending to-do list than an opportunity to celebrate. We can arrive at church on Christmas Eve exhausted and ready for it to be over. 

Or it can be a time of deep sadness. There is an emptiness that just can’t be filled.  People or rituals or familiar places may no longer be part of our lives. There is something about this time of year that makes these missing pieces a little more painful than at other times. The short days and long nights feel like they will last forever.

I think this is one of the main reasons that we need Advent. We are longing for a light in the darkness. We are searching for hope that will encourage us, peace that will fill us, joy that will overflow from our hearts, and love that will sustain us through it all.

This Advent we will be continuing the journey we began this summer as we traveled with our flat Jesuses to all sorts of places. Journey is part of the Christmas story. From Rome to Nazareth to Bethlehem, we will make our way to the manger.

On Sunday, December 7 we will have our annual Blue Christmas service at 3:00 in the sanctuary as a reminder that the holidays are not always jolly. On Sunday, December 14 our choir and chamber orchestra will present the Christmas cantata “Glory to the Newborn King: Celebrating the Light of Christmas” at 8:30 and 11:00. Our Christmas Eve Services will be held at 4:00, 7:00, and 11:00 pm with carols, candlelight, and communion. Then on Sunday, December 28 we will gather at 10:00 am in the sanctuary for ONE worship service together.

Make plans to be here as we prepare our hearts to receive the gift of Christ, Emmanuel, God-with-us.

Blessings for the journey+
Pastor Mary Teasley