Today’s Word from Pastor Jim…
Let’s make it the Merriest Christmas that we can this year! I think that it is safe to say that this will not be a traditional Christmas, but it will still be Christmas. Through the centuries the birth of Jesus has been celebrated in the midst of war, famine, natural disaster, and pandemic. Christmas comes offering hope in a season of darkness, in a world that is often without sleigh bells or hot chocolate. In 1981, just days before Christmas, my Grandmother died. Just like that, the woman who taught us all to treasure the traditions of Christmas was gone. At her house, where we gathered every Christmas Eve, there were presents under the tree for each of us. She had placed them there; her handwriting was on each Christmas tag.
Christmas was different that year, there were lots of tears. We did not gather at her house, that would have been too much for my heartbroken grandfather, but we did gather and Christmas did come.
Let’s make it the Merriest Christmas that we can this year! On Sunday, December 20 at 4 pm you are invited to gather with your church family in the TLC parking lot. There will be Christmas caroling, and hot cider. We will keep our masks on and be socially responsible. It may feel strange, but it will be a taste of Christmas past. We would encourage you to bring your own mug for the cider, and non-perishable food for our local foodbanks.
Christmas week will be pandemically festive. On December 23 the youth of our church will share a video Christmas card with you, and that evening there will be a replay of Christmas Eve 2019. No masks in 2019, we had no idea what we were in for. On Christmas Eve 2020 we will have a special Candlelight service beamed to you from our sanctuary. On Christmas morning Karl will be singing lullabies, and I will join him by the fire to reflect on the scene in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago.
On December 26 you can revel in the story of Christmas as told by a TLC original, The Time Machine 2019.
This was a hard year, but I am confident that next year will be better and that Christmas will indeed come this year. So, let’s get rid of our humbug and make this the Merriest Christmas that we can.
Ho Ho Ho!
Pastor Jim
