Christmas Memories

The children and grandchildren have gone home. The decorations are beginning to look a little sad. The trash overfloweth. The leftover food is being put in the freezer. However, the Christmas message of love and hope is still fresh in our lives mainly because of these four little ones. We hold Ethan, William, Annaka and Jack in our daily prayers.

It's a Wonderful Life

It is a wonderful life. I don't need a movie to remind me, because I have friends and family that do this regularly. However, during the last few days my life has been special in the following ways:

• Being with my church family on Christmas Eve
• Experiencing the unconditonal love of our grandchildren
• Watching our sons be good husband and fathers and still taking time to play football together
• Realizing that Kristen and Shannon are truly our daughters
• Sharing news and thoughts with family across the miles
• Having Scarlett direct me to Pope Benedict's Christmas message
• Reconnecting with friends through cards and notes
• Knowing that Nothing But Nets and Historic Trees have received gifts because of my blog.

Thanks for the wings.

The Glory of Christmas

"The Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory." John 1:14
The glory of Christmas does not come in the abundance of presents and gifts. It lives in the glory of God poured into the world through the birth of Christ, glory that continues to pour out upon us in the presence and work of the Holy Spirit. We glorify and praise God when we allow God to come near and make a home with us. May this abiding grace be known by all.

Christmas Eve

For nearly forty years the special peace that surrounds a late Christmas Eve worship service has been very important to me. Tonight our church did not have such a service and although I could have worshipped elsewhere, I chose not to do so. I felt that I had come to terms with the idea of not having this annual experience. However, tonight my soul was weary and in need of the quiet comfort and peace found in the past on Christmas Eve. Also, I think that I never got beyond the thought that we were depriving others of what is often a binding family tradition. Why wasn't I more outspoken when this decision was made? I am still struggling, but I will find joy in Christmas for I know that the promise of God’s love will be fulfilled in unexpected ways.

Christmas Cards

Well, today I finally mailed our Christmas cards to friends near and far. I don’t know why it took me so long to get this done for I love the whole custom of sending these greetings. It seems to be part of the invitation to make room for Christ in our hearts and lives. As I read the cards and notes, I celebrate the joys, share sorrows and find God’s presence in all of what life brings. Each day since the first card arrived, I take the time to carefully read messages and open my heart and mind to the appropriate responses. Many of the printed verses are written with great understanding and sensitivity to the sacredness of the Advent season. This one keeps lingering in my mind.

Rejoice in the spirit of Christmas which is Peace,
the miracle of Christmas which is Hope,
and the heart of Christmas which is Love.

So, I shared family news with others as I prepared my Christmas cards for mailing. With each one there seemed to be a sense of renewal of an important relationship. In some cases, I chuckled or lamented over memories from our shared past. Of course, I included a picture of our grandchildren. Where have the years gone? What will we write about next year? This pilgrim knows that in the unknown there will be further discovery of God reaching toward us.

An Interesting Read

I enjoy reading the New York Times on-line. Thanks to my son's gift of Times Select, I am able to read all the editorials. Thomas Friedman is one of my favorite writers. Today, he says that the color of the year is green as the general public is finally realizing the environmental/energy challenge we face. He concludes his column with these words:

Because while our embrace of green has finally reached a tipping point, the tipping point on climate change and species loss is also fast approaching, if it’s not already here. There’s no time to lose. “People see an endangered species every day now when they look in the mirror,” said the environmentalist Rob Watson. “It is not about the whales anymore.”

The Sights and Sounds of Christmas

As usual, the lights of Christmas give me joy and peace. I love the light displays, even the tacky ones, which are everywhere. Our Christmas tree especially delights my soul. Its twinkling lights begin my day and provide a calming presence before going to bed. I seem to focus on the rituals of the watch here. The delicious suspense of the waiting and watching for the promise of Christmas to unfold becomes real to me in the reflection of the light. It allows me to believe that the Light will indeed shine in the darkness and that the darkness will never overcome it.

Music, too, is so important to my preparation for Christmas. It allows my imagination to tell the story. I know the familiar words, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” The offerings of our children’s, chancel and handbell choirs have allowed the sacredness of these days to touch my heart. As part of our Advent journey, we also attended the Love Feast at Shandon UMC in Columbia and the Master Chorale concert in Myrtle Beach this past weekend. Both events were wonderful. For me, such music is part of the spiritual pilgrimage we make to Bethlehem. I am convinced that when we let the sights and sounds of Christmas make room for the one who comes to bring the justice, peace, hope and love for which we wait, God is revealed among us.

Nothing But Nets

On Nov. 20 I blogged about Nothing But Nets. Today I read this United Methodist News Brief that might be of interest to others.

"United Methodists can help slam dunk malaria by supporting the global Nothing But Nets campaign through the denomination's second-mile giving program, the Advance for Christ and His Church. An Advance number - #982015 - has been added for Nothing But Nets. One hundred percent of each gift will go to the purchase and distribution of insecticide-treated bed nets to protect families against disease-carrying mosquitoes. Partners in Nothing But Nets include the people of The United Methodist Church, the United Nations Foundation, Sports Illustrated, the National Basketball Association's NBA Cares foundation, Millennium Promise and the Measles Initiative. Gifts can be sent to Advance GCFA P.O. Box 9068, GPO New York, NY 10087-9068 or made online at http://secure.gbgm-umc.org/donations/advance/donate.cfm?code=982015"

Gifts may also be made through our church by contacting the finance office.

Etc.

Rebecca, our Duke intern, visited us this weekend. Everyone was so glad to see her and to have an opportunity to hear about her seminary life. She certainly is becoming more confident in knowing her call to ministry and we wish her well on her continuing journey. What a blessing she has been to us.

Leigh responded to the “Christmas Consumerism” post by telling me about an interesting idea for alternative gift giving – www.historictrees.org. This conservation organization provides saplings from historic trees to those who make donations to their conservation program. As stated by this organization, this effort to preserve historically and botanically significant trees “offers a unique way to connect both our past-and our future.”

So many traditions surround the Christmas story that we can easily forget what is scripturally known about the birth of Jesus. The General Board of Discipleship offers this quiz to sharpen our knowledge.

Nativity

In the beginning was a story. This story of God's relationship with us holds many promises. The promise around which all that we believe in calls us to the manger again and again. Whether it is fine porcelain or rough wood, we display a crèche and let it be a focus of our Advent reflection and meditation on the birth of Jesus the Christ.

Over the years I have collected a number of these depictions of the Nativity. Yet, it is the simple olive wood one from the Holy Land that always has a place of honor. Not only is this done in remembrance of the Holy Family, but also as an act of love for two sons. As I ponder my memories of two young boys playing with the figures and enacting the story, I know that God’s promises are real and have been fulfilled again in our family. So, I have made sure that the homes of my grandchildren have crèches that can be handled and loved. May they know this story of God's promises in their lives.

Christmas Consumerism

About this time each year much conversation focuses on consumerism and Christmas. We try to overcome our habits of overspending and buying of the ridiculous. Yet, we fail and know frustration as Christmas approaches. In an effort to help us make responsible decisions as we prepare for Christmas, our Environmental Stewardship Committee offered some guidelines. I am curious to know if anyone has seriously considered them. When I read this article about how one church addresses this issue, I couldn’t help but wonder if we could do something like this another year. May the conversation about Christmas consumerism continue.

Christmas Cactus

Thirty one years ago Ray Lloyd, a friend in Delaware, gave me a beautiful Christmas cactus. This plant has moved with us and has been used to propagate many new plants over the years. About this time each year, I start watching for blooms. Sometimes I have been careful to put the plants in darkness and limit water in the early fall. This usually results in prolific blooming about Christmas time. Then there are years like this one that I have done nothing special with them. So, I am most pleased to see a few blooms appear on one of the plants. Although the others appear to be healthy, there are no signs of blooming. Perhaps this is like the Advent experience. When we use this time to prepare, we blossom as Christmas approaches. However, if we are like my neglected plants this year, the good news is that through the grace of God we will bloom, but only in God’s time. I know that I will be seeing Christmas cactus blooms from now to Easter. So be it for my spiritual life.

Scottish Blessing

I enjoy the spirituality found in Celtic blessings and prayers. They celebrate God's truth in our day-to-day lives. This one captured my heart today.

"May the blessing of light be on you - light without and light within. May the blessed sunlight shine on you like a great peat fire, so that stranger and friend may come and warm himself at it. And may light shine out of the two eyes of you, like a candle set in the window of a house, bidding the wanderer come in out of the storm. And may the blessing of the rain be on you, may it beat upon your Spirit and wash it fair and clean, and leave there a shining pool where the blue of Heaven shines, and sometimes a star. And may the blessing of the earth be on you, soft under your feet as you pass along the roads, soft under you as you lie out on it, tired at the end of day; and may it rest easy over you when, at last, you lie out under it. May it rest so lightly over you that your soul may be out from under it quickly; up and off and on its way to God. And now may the Lord bless you, and bless you kindly. Amen."

Remembering

December 7 is one of those dates that is forever marked in our memories. Pearl Harbor was before I was born, but during my childhood my parents and teachers would retell their experieces so vividly that the events of that day are permanently etched in my mind. I honor it as World War II defined many of the adults I knew as a child. Their stories became my story in many ways. JFK's death on November 22,1963 was a major turning point for my generation. The dream of Camelot was shattered. May the aftermath of this event be known and honored into the future, also.

I think to have dates on the calendar evoke strong emotions and reflections is healthy. It puts us in touch with those times and places that have been important to us. In the remembering there can be new insight and healing of old wounds. Renewed and refreshed we can move forward to shaping our tomorrows. So be it for you and for me.

Keeping Watch

In these first days of Advent, I find myself once again having an uneasy relationship with Christmas. Sentimentality and nostalgia capture my heart and I begin to despair that we will not have the perfect Christmas. It is easy to become cynical. Therapists say that a common experience this time of year is fear and anxiety. However, in reflection I know that the first Christmas was also a time of despair, fear, anxiety and hopelessness. Then the voice of the angel chorus came with the awesome words: “Do not be afraid!” (Luke 2:10) The prophetic words were fulfilled…and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means, “God is with us.” (Matthew 1:23) With God's presence, the love of God had and does overcome fear. Once again, the babe in the manger is a sign of hope. So, in this time of “keeping watch”, my prayerful request is that the spirit of Christmas full of love, peace and hope capture my heart.

God's Politics

Jim Wallis is the author of God's Politics which has been on many bestseller lists. This has made him an important voice of the moderate evangelicals and of all who want our country to reclaim a moral focus. Therefore, his blogs of the past two days have been most interesting. I have read this book and would be glad to loan it to others to read.

World AIDS Day

A number of years ago I was part of an AIDS care team. This certainly took me beyond my comfort zone, but left me with a sensitivity for those who are HIV/AIDS patients. This experience gave me memories of encounters with persons who were often abandoned by families and were dying. They were persons who needed to know God's love. Our team tried to share this love through acts of friendship during what were often the patient's last days. So it was with interest that I read and heard today's news stories surrounding World AIDS Day. Much has been done to treat and prevent AIDS, but it remains a major health threat throughout the world. It is good to know that The United Methodist Church continues to respond to this crisis.