Tips to De-Stress the Holidays
Holidays got you frazzled? Here are some tips from Pastor Elizabeth for a less stressed and more joy-filled Christmas and New Year.
Christmas Memories from Pastor Jim
This is a season that lends itself to reminiscing. There are so many memories embedded in the music, customs, food, and festivities of Christmas.
Together we will remember the journey of Mary and Joseph as they traveled under the stars from the Judean Hills to the little town of Bethlehem. We will recall the wonder of the shepherds as they are visited by angels, the desert journey of the Wise men, and a teenage mother who “treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.”
This is a season that lends itself to reminiscing. I can remember visiting the Christmas tree lot with my Mother as we attempted to find the perfect tree. I am quite certain that my Father never got involved in Christmas tree shopping. I remember the year that my Mother had our Christmas tree flocked purple. I am quite certain that my Father never understood this.
Christmas was a special time in my family. The children took part in Christmas Pageants at little Trinity Lutheran Church, we shopped on the decorated streets of downtown DeKalb, we threw snowballs at cars, and we had our yearly encounter with Lutefisk: the piece of cod which passes all understanding.
But Christmas belonged to my Grandma Elliott. In many ways she was my best friend—we had a common enemy after all. She was a tiny stick of dynamite, who walked with a noticeable limp. My brother and I were with her the day she broke her leg. He ran for help and I stayed with Grandma.
That Christmas Eve scene at my Grandmother’s is among the most vivid of my childhood. The Christmas tree adorned with tinsel and lights was placed in front of a large picture window. That window looked out on a snow covered Illinois landscape. Wrapped packages were piled high, a nativity set was close by, fondue pots filled with boiling oil and creamy cheese, oyster stew, and plates of sweet delights. The celebration would not be complete without the reading of the Christmas story, a Christmas carol or two, and plenteous laughter as toxic clouds of cigarette smoke filled the room.
Every Christmas Eve the family gathered; a more dysfunctional family than I realized as a child. Vikings don’t show a lot of emotion, but they carry axes. Norman Rockwell never showed up at Grandma’s house.
They are all gone now: grandparents and parents, aunts and uncles too. The family homestead gave way to an apartment building, the cousins and some of the siblings are no longer talking to each other. The story is neither good nor bad; it is just a story—a human story.
Perhaps no story in history has been more romanticized than the Christmas story. How romantic to be young, poor, away from home for the holidays, giving birth in a stable, facing an uncertain future, soon to be refugees fleeing to the land of Egypt. How lovely to raise a baby boy who will never really belong to you, a boy who will become a man, spend way too much time with tax collectors, and die as a criminal on a Roman cross. How is that for a Christmas card?
Take time to reminisce this Christmas. Take time to make memories. The customs, carols, food, and festivities are there to help you. Take time to thank God for human stories and for the gift of celebrating Christmas at TLC.
My love to you! And don’t forget to wear that Christmas sweater this Sunday!
Pastor Jim
The amazing gift of water!
Most mornings when I come to the office, things are fairly quiet for the first hour or so. But not this week! This week Vacation Bible School is in full swing with over 80 students and more than 40 volunteers. The halls and classrooms are bursting with activity. There is a “holy roar” coming from the sanctuary as the children learn new songs and sing about God’s amazing love. We are having so much fun this week.
The theme of VBS is “The Wacky World of Water.” This morning we opened our time together by singing, “Water, Wacky, Wacky, Wacky World of Water!” As we gathered together in the sanctuary at the end of the morning to close our time together, we sang it again. But this time the kids moved into the aisles and danced. I can’t tell you how much fun it is to dance with these kids!
Water is one of God’s amazing gifts to us. We couldn’t live without it. The Bible is full of stories about water. This week the children will hear Bible stories that have water in them: the story of Creation, the story of Noah’s Ark, the story of Jesus walking on water, and the story of Jesus calming the storm. We drink water, we bathe with water, we cook with water, and water makes our food grow. And of course we are baptized with…water! Every day we are blessed with life-giving water.
But in some parts of the world water is scarce. And problems of poverty are closely linked to access to clean and available water. In many parts of the world, women and children travel many miles just to obtain enough water to make it through the day. Water filtration systems improve the quality of water so that it is safe for drinking and cooking. The VBS children, in partnership with Lutheran World Relief, are raising money for a water filtration system for the people of Nepal. The cost for one water filtration system is $190.
Before VBS started, the VBS leaders set a goal of raising enough money for one system by the end of the week. On Sunday morning, we had one generous donor write a check for $190. Before VBS even started we had met our goal. Thanks be to God. So now we have a new goal! We have another, anonymous donor who will match what the VBS students bring in, dollar for dollar, up to $190. So we are hoping to have the money for three water filtration systems by the end of the week.
Oh, and we have a special treat on Sunday. The VBS Singers will bless us with their singing during worship. I can’t wait!
What a privilege it is to serve beside you, dear people of TLC. Day in and day out, your generosity and your love of the Lord show the world that we are “blessed to be a blessing.”
Joyfully,
Pastor Elizabeth
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