The angels returned to heaven and the shepherds decided to go to Bethlehem. They found Mary and Joseph and saw the baby lying in the manger. The shepherds returned, awe and inpraising God for all they had heard and seen. –Luke 2:15-18
Dear Siblings in Christ,
During the winter months when I was little, one of our outdoor activities was sledding, as there was lots of snow. We didn’t actually have hills so much as slopes to go sledding. I recall we had two Flyer sleds, and boy could they fly. We could get two, sometimes three of us, if we were smushed together, on a sled. A Flyer sled has a wooden ‘guide’ extending out at either side at the front of the sled (probably all sleds of that style did) that you either put your feet on to steer the runners, or tie a rope on each end, or, if you were a daredevil (or ignorant of the risks), guide with your hands when you lay down on the sled.
When we got to the end of the slope, if we made it that far without falling off, which happened more than I’m sure I remember, we had all the energy in the world to run back up and give the next kids a turn. We had a barrel of fun. It never got old. Even now when I think about it, I have such joy in my heart.
As we enter the Advent season, I imagine many of us are recalling prior years of joy in preparing for Christmas. I imagine we pull out lights, pictures, ornaments, garland, and other decorations which are either family items, or items we bought as our own family heirlooms. These memories we recall, and these moments we create, are sacred times. They are times we intentionally choose for joy-making and joy-filling. We take time, time given to us truly to create as much joy, hope, kindness, and love as possible.
If you get distracted with tasks and ‘to dos’ I encourage you to take a deep breath and think “Why am I doing these tasks?” Then revel in the joy in that very moment.
This year the Advent and Christmas season theme at BMUC is focused on helping us see the sacred in everyday events, activities, and people – all of which is deserving of our deep respect and awe in these things given to us from God. During worship, there are things you will see, hear, and sense that we hope will draw you into experiencing the sacred in all that you will do this season. We are making small vials of oil for each of you to take with you and use as a tool to help you stop, breathe, remember, and take in the sacred. Use the oil as a starting point, a slowing down tool, a re-energizing tool, a ‘feel-good at the end of the day’ tool. If you want us to mail or deliver one to you, let us know. We will work together to make that happen. We want you to take your experiences from Advent and Christmas season worship into your everyday lives in the hope that experiencing the sacred will become part of your existence.
We also want to help you spread the experience of joy, hope and love to others who are challenged to do so on their own. We want to suggest, first, that, if you have toys that your kids or grandkids are not playing with any longer, taken them early in the Advent season to a second-hand store so that families might purchase them to give to their own children as Christmas presents. Our Advent and Christmas seasons offering will go towards gift cards for foster youth in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. We learned last year that while younger kids will get toys and gifts, often the youth, especially those nearing adulthood are overlooked. By getting gift cards for them, they receive ‘double-joy’ – one in receiving the gift and one when they get to choose something they really want. If you want to purchase the gift cards yourself, please purchase $25 gift cards which they can use readily, e.g., Target, Visa/MC, etc. You can mail them to us (please consider getting postal insurance), or place them in the offering basket at worship.
You can also bring them or your Christmas offering to Christmas Eve worship at 7:00 pm, on December 24. We will share in the faith-filled story-telling, singing Christmas carols and decorating the Sanctuary Christmas Tree with ornaments. You can bring your own to add to those others have given, or place the ones we have on the tree. We will then close with the joyful and sacred candle-lighting and singing Silent Night together.
I pray and hope that the sacred will be deeply infused in your being and in all you do this Advent and Christmas season.
Blessings and Merry Christmas to you all.
Rev. Pamela Kurtz, Pastor
