’Twas the day of Christmas, and all across the land, church members were trying their best to understand. Oh, some things were the same — the ornaments and lights, the sweets and treats, packages wrapped merry and bright. But for many folks, it was still hard to believe, that they had not been to church on that Christmas Eve. They had not lifted their candles into the air; they had not raised their voices in song or in prayer; had not been able even to darken the doors, for COVID had prevented this, and so much more. This Christmas, though decorations filled up the rooms, many loved ones were seen and heard only through Zoom, or FaceTime, Google Hangout or some other name, which was better than nothing, but hardly the same. And so, this pastor wondered just what he might say, to his flock watching on their screens this Christmas Day. The more he thought about the truth of what he’d share, he realized, for some, sadness had already been there. For whether there’s a … [Read more...]
Emmanuel, be with us: A Christmas Day prayer
On this Christmas so different from what we are used to, Emmanuel, God be with us. Be with those who long to fill the pews to hear the story of Christ’s birth, to sing “Silent Night” and light candles to shine God’s light through all the church and into the world. Be with us as we gather at the manger in a different way. Emmanuel, be with us. Be with those who will spend this Christmas alone, with those who work helping the sick through the night, with young adults far from their families, with those who cannot gather with their children and grandchildren, brothers and sisters, or their families of choice because the risks are too great. Emmanuel, be with us. Be with those who have lost loved ones this year, because of the pandemic or in other ways, who were not able to visit at the hospital or the nursing home; who didn’t have the funeral or even the chance to hug one another. Be with those who have lost their jobs, their homes, their beloved pets, their plans for school and … [Read more...]
Christmas Eve prayer
O God of incarnate love, we come to this blessed Christmas Eve with the awe of the shepherds who, when they beheld the Savior who had come into our world, praised your majesty and holy name. Your incarnation reveals your glory in all creation. In the nativity scene, we see the reflection of your image and glory — in the child and the family, the animals at the manger, the shepherds and magi who came to worship, following the star in the sky. Help us to know that your image and glory are manifest in each face, each creature, each star around us on this holy night. We remember especially the children who hold the promise of your glory, their wonder and joy. And parents who bear the promised hope, wise people who, like the magi, seek to discern God’s will and who witness to the promise of a Savior for all the earth. Tonight we seek your glory, O God, in all these faces — those with us this evening, those beloved ones who are gone but remain so present in memory, those far away in this … [Read more...]
Battery-operated Christmas
Our congregation returned to limited in-person worship in October. One service takes place in the sanctuary and is broadcasted over Zoom, and another service is held outdoors. Most of the congregation is still opting to worship with us over Zoom. But being back in the sanctuary has given our worship team a chance to think through how we might celebrate Advent and Christmas together, especially since we worship in a hybrid fashion. It provoked the question: What is essential to our worship during Advent and Christmas? Traditions rose to the top of the list — like singing Christmas carols and lighting the Advent candles. At the very top of the list was singing “Silent Night” by candlelight on Christmas Eve. This posed several problems. Singing, for one, is not encouraged. And can you imagine all those people blowing out their candles at the end of the hymn? It’d be an aerosol nightmare! Still, I connect to this feeling that Christmas wouldn’t feel like Christmas without … [Read more...]
A Weary World: Reflections for a Blue Christmas
Kathy Escobar Westminster John Knox Press, 127 pages Reviewed by Lynne Clements Trigger warning: mention of suicide. ‘Tis the season for Advent devotionals. More than ever, considering Advent and Christmas in the midst of the upheaval and uncertainty we are experiencing seems impossible. Who wants to wrestle with tinsel and trees when we are barely holding on? How can we celebrate when we are grieving so many losses? What is the point of presents when we can’t be present with each other? The most wonderful time of the year? Yeah, no. “A Weary World” by Kathy Escobar gives voice to those for whom this time of year is anything but joyful. Drawing on her own awful loss of her son to suicide, Escobar makes space for all who are suffering this time of year, those who are longing for hope, those who are seeking peace, those who are feeling the heavy weight of the world upon their hearts and souls. In her easily readable and profoundly personal reflections, she invites the … [Read more...]
We need a little Christmas, right this COVID-19 minute
In September I had an awful thought: Even if we are back in the church on Christmas Eve, we won’t be able to sing. It broke my heart. After all this year has brought forth, has there ever been a year when we needed to sing Jesus into being on this earth more than in this moment? I was reminded of the song “We Need a Little Christmas,” which says: “We need a little Christmas, right this very minute.” The song is from the musical “Mame,” when Mame begins to decorate her house just a week after Thanksgiving Day because a financial crisis has hit her (and many others as it was the Great Depression). This premature (for the time) decorating is accompanied by her singing that they need a little Christmas right then in that moment. It simply cannot wait. That song has been playing in my head since September and has since inspired my planning for Advent. I am typically a stickler for celebrating Advent and not jumping right into Christmas in worship. We sing Advent hymns and focus … [Read more...]
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