Yikes!

Lent. It's hard to focus on Epiphany and really get into the spirit of "the light shining" when breathing down our necks is...Lent. So close.

Need
to
get
Lenten
planning
done!

Must
get
organized!

Must
NOT
freak
out!

Aah, yes, Lent. I recognize it by the smell of pastorly anxiety and anticipation in the air.

Christmas From the Eyes of the Children

At the largest of the three churches in the parish, the Christmas Sunday school program was on Dec. 23rd during worship. The little lady in blue on the right is Lil' Princess, playing Mary. The youngest girl and the youngest boy get to be Mary and Joseph, and did she ever take her job seriously! In case you were wondering, the white blobs in front of the manger are sheep. Poor things were pretty abused by the end, the older boys enjoyed using them as projectiles and pummeling objects.

The boy on the far right is a bit of a cut-up, and decided to wring all the dramatic potential out of being one of the wise men. When they brought their gifts to the manger, he did a full face-on-the-floor bow, and paid some serious homage to the Christ child. It made me giggle!

Montana Adventures Come to an End...For Now!

We're safely home after a lovely visit with the relatives. This was one of those warm fuzzy times of life, and I look forward to whenever we get to repeat the experience. That said, it will feel so good to sleep in our own bed tonight!!!

We got home around 5 pm. Unloaded. Cooked supper. Wrote some dates in my new 2008 calendar (yikes!). Gave Lil' Princess a bath, snack, bedtime stories and a big kiss.

And then it was right back into the parish to-do list. Sigh. The most pressing thing at this moment (and the reason I'm blogging and procrastinating) is my Annual Report. Due ASAP. So I guess I should just stop dithering and get it done. Then maybe I can clear my mind and start getting some thoughts for Sunday's sermon.

"We three kings of Orient are, bearing gifts we traverse afar..." The Gospel of Matthew is so very Jewish-orientated, it's interesting that this is the one that tells us the story of these three Gentiles from far away who show up, make trouble with their questions to Herod, and then skedaddle out the back way after delivering some unique baby shower gifts. Huh?!? We'll see what rabbit hole this one leads me down.

Unfamiliar View from the Pew

I had the rare pleasure of being a worshiper in the pew at my brother's church instead of worship leader today.  This happens only 2 or 3 times a year, so I try to put the "pastor-leader-critical evaluative" part of me towards the back, and be the open receptive worshiper instead.  This, I am reminded of again today, is hard.  When you so rarely get to NOT be the one making sure things flow smoothly, the one preaching the message, the one staying aware of what is coming three steps ahead, it can be a challenge to JUST BE in worship.

At least it is for me, worship nerd that I am.

Here's an example of what was going on in my head:

The music is being beautifully played and its a joy to sing (man, I wish I had musicians in my area!)

The liturgy is being spoken  (I wonder why he chose to cut out all those parts?  I wonder where they got that confession, I like it.  Too bad they had to cancel the baptism today, that could be a bear to reschedule.)

The sermon is being delivered (boy, he really does need to work on his delivery!!, but I really like how he's tying in how the difficult text of the murder of the innocents and the flight to Egypt shows us Jesus really is Emmanuel, God With Us in the reality of this world, which is a dark and violent place.)

And so on.

I and my Rev hubby did appreciate worshipping together as a family (normally we aren't even in the same county on Sunday mornings) and we were able to BE worshipers pretty much.  It was nice, and nice to be with my family.

The highlight of the service was the children's sermon.  Their director of youth and children's ministry called the children up, and Lil' Princess went up with her cousins.  The director pulled a figurine out to show to the kids, and asked them who they thought he was.  She got guesses of "Jesus" and such, which is what she wanted.  But then, my little sweetheart piped up nice and loud.  She said, as she bounced up and down in excitement, "It's Joseph!!!"  Which was exactly right, God love her.  But this was not what the director was expecting.  She was planning on giving them a number of clues, and was going to help lead them to figure out that she was going to tell them about Joseph.  But she hadn't planned on my girl.  It was like someone spilling the punch line of your favorite joke before you'd gotten the first line of the joke out.  The director recovered pretty well, she showed them some of the clues she had been planning on using to help them figure out that it was Joseph, and then skipped ahead to her little lesson about how Joseph was so great because he listened to God.

My hubby and I smiled at each other and murmured "That's our girl!  Leave it to the preacher's kid."

So it was a nice Sunday morning, the Gospel was preached, God was praised, and worship did not go as planned but was just fine nonetheless.  

Not that I was analyzing it, or anything!  ;)

Christmas Bliss

So I'm at my brother's place for my side of the family's Christmas celebrations.  My hubby and dad just got done with a wild wrestling session with the three grandkids, and now my dad is telling my daughter and my two nephews stories about when he was little boy.  They are enthralled!

My mom, brother and sister-in-law are cleaning up the kitchen after a wonderful meal.  They're letting me be the bum on the computer.  Late tonight my other brother will fly in, and we'll all be together for the weekend.  

So many things went wrong this year, so many things wait for us at home to deal with, but at this moment, on this weekend, it is just so good, so blessed.  I'm so glad that we get to end the year this way.  It helps put things in perspective.

So I am grateful.  And meditative, and hopeful for the new year despite it all.  

Have a great New Year's celebration, and Happy New Year!  Thanks be to God.

Merry Christmas!

It's been a lovely Christmas day. The service responsibilities were over last night (3 services, finally got home for good at 9:30 pm). Today, we slept in, lounged around in jammies until after noon. I learned how to use my new Belgian waffle maker, which is fun and easy (even for me!) so we had a yummy brunch. Lazed around, watched Lil' Princess play with her new toys. Had a turkey dinner with stuffing, peas, cranberry pecan orange bread, and sparkling apple cider around 3 pm. Watched my Christmas present, The Sound of Music. Had a late snack of pears and apples in the candlelight. And now our sweet girl is drifting off to dream land while dad and I continue to try to digest.

Sigh.

Earlier today I told Lil' P that tomorow she and I would spend our time packing what we need for our big trip to her cousins' while daddy went to work for a little while in the morning. Her repy to this was, "I always have what I need in me, Mommy. I have love."

It just doesn't get any better than that.

Sermons, sermons everywhere

So I have three different sermons whirling around in my head.

I have a funeral sermon to deliver on Friday morning based on Luke 15:3-7 (parable of the lost sheep).

I have a Sunday morning sermon to deliver 2x based on Matthew 1:18-25 (Joseph's dream of angel telling him to marry Mary).

I have a Christmas Eve sermon to deliver 3x based on the theme of the nativity scene of Mary, Joseph, angel, and Baby Jesus.

For the funeral: Among many things, this man was a sheep farmer. I'm thinking of tying and weaving together the lost sheep parable, the shepherds watching their flocks by night who are led to Emmanuel, and the life of this farmer who was a hard worker and very kind man. Not sure how, but that's the germ of an idea.

For Sunday: Going to tell the very funny story of our first Christmas tree and of how I had planned such a perfect first Christmas together, and how it all fell apart. Then connect it to how Joseph must have had expectations and plans for his life too. He had it mapped out, but then the angel visits, and blows him off that map. I'll reflect on how "God With Us" does that, takes us off our small finite human maps, and puts us in God's cosmic plan. Can be exhilirating, frustrating, frightening, overwhelming, joyfilled, etc. It opens us to a wider a world and a greater vision, but also often means in practical terms that we are called to be faithful in the "small" day to day stuff. Which doesn't seem big, or to matter, but it does. Marrying a girl who is carrying a child that isn't yours is not glamorous. Hauling a pregnant girl across the countryside so the oppressors can tax you more effectively isn't a thrill ride. But it is about trust, and trying to be faithful, and surrendering to another's will.

For Christmas Eve: Something about how this manger scene, and this story, is our story. It is for us, for us all. Imagine the animals rustling and making their noises. Imagine their smells. The feel of the rough wood, the rope to tie up the donkey. The feel of a newborn baby's skin. (involve all the senses) Imagine it, and place your self there. This is our place too, because he came for us. We carry this scene, and this place with us through the rest of the year.

Well, something like that! Some first thoughts, anyway.