Thoughts as Christmas Goes On

Dear Friends:

As I write, I am still basking in the afterglow of our Christmas services at St. John’s, and the joy that was shared by members of our congregation and choir, our family and friends, and the many visitors from our neighborhood and beyond who gathered to celebrate the birth of Christ. One of the advantages of officiating at a church service is that I have the best seat in the house when it comes to observing the faces of those who are seated in the pews, and there is nothing like the joy, love, and peace that radiates from them at Christmas. There are tears, too…expressing the full range of emotions that accompany this season.

This gives me a lot to think about.  What journey has led each person to church on this holy night? What hopes and dreams do they carry with them…what sorrow and disappointment weighs on their shoulders? What interests, skills, experiences have they brought into the world…and on this celebration of incarnation, what might God be calling them to bear forth now?

As I reflect upon all of this, it helps me to remember that Christmas is not a single day but rather a season that extends to Epiphany Day on January 6. It is short, for sure, but Christmas is a season all its own, with distinctive characteristics and invitations to do some reflecting. I think of all the traveling companions we are given throughout our Advent and Christmas stories, and imagine them the hours and days after Jesus’ birth, as they do some contemplating themselves, these characters who have traveled far, far beyond their known terrain in order to reach this moment of arrival and welcome.

I think of Joseph, who listened to his dreaming and allowed his life to become undone. I think of the shepherds, the song of the angels forever lingering with them. I think of the Magi whom we will remember on Epiphany Day, those mysterious wise ones who follow a star in search of the Christ child and leave changed, marveling at what they have seen.

I think of Mary, who has brought forth a whole new world through her own being. And I am struck that on a night when, upon hearing shepherd’s words of wonder, she could have laid claim to being the person who made such a marvel possible. But instead, Mary simply savors what has come to pass, treasuring the words, and pondering them in the hiddenness of her heart.

And for you; what are you pondering in these days after Christmas Day? As you look back on your path to now, what do you notice, and what have you gathered in your own heart? Are there questions you are carrying into this new season? Is it possible for you to rest for a space, and to do some dreaming before you dive into what lies ahead? What light might Christ be inviting you to bear in the coming year? 

In Christ,

Amelie+