Pastor’s Column for December 1, 2015
“Advent Sights, Sounds, and Smells”
Dear Friends,
Greetings! I do hope this finds you well.
What a beautiful sight! The paraments that cover the Communion Table, pulpit and lectern have been changed to purple. Purple is the color of royalty, personal and communal penitence, and hopeful anticipation of the King. Come on Sunday and witness purple on the Advent Wreath in the sanctuary as well as on the vestments worn by our clergy in worship. Advent is a sacred, liturgical season that covers the four weeks leading up to Christmas Day.
Are you like me, wistfully thinking that a month seems so short a time for a spiritual experience which may impact our lives and is life lasting. Like Mary before us, we are called and commissioned to bear Jesus, God’s gift to the world, so we might have life and have it abundantly! Advent is an opportunity for us to prepare ourselves for the birth of Jesus into our souls, minds, bodies, and workaday routines.
Advent is also a period set aside for confession. Join me and Christians around the earth as we admit that we have fallen shy of who we are called to be and become. Let go and let God take all that separates us from the Holy One, our neighbors, and our selves. By confessing and being forgiven, our souls are freed of whatever clogs the holy connections with God and one another. Then – and only then – can we make room for the gift of Jesus who is, to quote a common phrase, “the reason for the season.”
Make a joyful noise unto the Lord! Sounds of laughter fill the air on our church lawn as children run to and fro around the Christmas trees and wreath making tables. One little boy collected tree branches and built a small fort for himself, chortling happily all the while. While three families from the community got reacquainted and struck up a boisterous conversation between rows of trees for sale, their children gravitated to the open space near our marquee and started a pick-up game of touch football. As families of all shapes and sizes depart with their fresh, green, Grade-A Fraser Firs, many of us volunteering to serve and make new friends hail to them a chorus of “Merry Christmas!”
For several years (this is our 8th time selling trees and wreaths) the number one expression heard ‘round this significant church was the question, “How many trees have we sold so far?” Praise God that has gone by the wayside. This year we are aware that the sale is going extremely well, with a record 392 trees sold in the first four days. Praise God! We are even more aware of how vital it is to be joy-filled; to be cognizant that the relationships we create and sustain are more important than dollars and cents; to allow ourselves to dare to ask not how many trees have been sold but whether we made a new friend, welcomed back a family returning to a source of hope and grace, and/or extended a hand in Christian fellowship. Can I get an Amen?!
Some smells are healthy, so breathe deep! Smell and taste are intricately linked, reviving memories and creating new ones. For example, evergreen offers to the world a delightful smell. So, too, is the aroma of the Bread and Cup of Life. This week over lunch Jolie Rose, who is about to turn six, was drinking a cup of grape juice when she turned to me and exclaimed, “Oh, this tastes like communion!”
On Sunday, December 6, at 10:30 AM we will gather in the Sanctuary for our annual Chrismon Tree Service. Last year our worship leadership team changed the service time from the evening to the morning in order to enable the participation of beloved members and friends who prefer to not drive at night, as well as to support our excellent musicians to sing without the strain of being tired after selling trees on the lawn. On Sunday morning let’s decorate our Chrismon Tree in the context of worship and then gather at the Lord’s Table for Holy Communion. Jesus is the Host; the whole people of God are His invited guests. Taste and see that God is good!
As always, First Christian Church of Decatur, I am delighted to be your pastor. Shalom, James