Advent and Christmas
Thoughts on Preparing
It’s the season of preparations. Preparing for Thanksgiving, preparing for Christmas, preparing for winter, preparing for friends and family to join us in celebrations. Anticipation and a bit of panic fill the air. Take a deep breath and settle in to think of a more settled way to prepare for this season or celebration.
Thoughts on Family Traditions
Growing up in a family that retained their Scandinavian traditions December meant the celebration of two saints, St. Nicholas (Dec. 6) and St. Lucy (Dec. 13). Every family has its traditions and every family can shape those traditions for the next generation. So here is your task this month:
Thoughts on Space
December is filled with activity and sound and lights and people. We delight in all the wonder of the Christmas lights on the street, and the music in the stores and seeing friends and family, yet… yet… sometimes it can all be a bit too much. All of us need a bit of space. For our children and teens, this is especially true. All day long they are engaged with others, at school, at recess, and in numerous other activities. As much as we would love to spend time with them when everyone lands at home, they and we need space, time to unwind and regroup. Throughout Jesus ministry we see him engaged with crowds of people and we see Jesus leave. Jesus goes to “a deserted place” a place where he can be alone, perhaps to pray, perhaps to rest, perhaps to just be. In the midst of this crazy busy time of year, make some time for each member of your family to have some space. Even if it means that you may not see much of your teenager afterschool. Downtime may be the best gift you can give them.
Thoughts on Christmas Preparations
The thought of Christmas brings both joy and dread. I love to bring out all the decorations and set up the tree, but it is work, more work on top of the work that I never seem to get on top of. At times it is overwhelming. So at the risk of giving you one more thing for your “to do” list, here are some suggestions for the next week or so 1) Read Dog in the Manger by Tim Schenck , it’s a short, funny and insightful look at the before, during and after of the Christmas season. Tim has a knack for bringing spiritual insights out of daily interactions.
2) Prepare some picture books to read to the younger children in your life. A couple of current suggestions include
Wombat Devine by Mem Fox
Who is coming to Our House by Joseph Slate
Mortimer’s Christmas Manger by Jane Chapman
Songs of the Stars by Sally Lloyd-Jones
3) For older children check out the website Paperless Christmas, http://www.paperlesschristmas.org.uk/
4) Plan a time for your family to give some time to others.
5) Plan some time to play together, whatever that means in your household
I hope you enjoy your preparations as much as Christmas itself.
Thoughts on Advent and anticipating Christmas
Anticipation hangs heavy in the air. Children make up list of things they would like to get, and parents the list of what to purchase. Folks gather to clean and dress up St. Matthew’s for the coming celebration and plans are made for the live nativity. This time of year is a swirl of activity. Here a few ways to slow it down a bit and linger over the heart of the season.
Make an Advent wreath and light it each night at dinner time. Ask each person tell how they were aware of Christ that day.
Set out a nativity. Leave the manger empty until Christmas Eve. Have the wise men travel around the house until Epiphany (Jan. 6th)
Fill the manger. Place a piece of hay in the manger each time someone (adults and children) does a kind deed.
Include Christmas story books as part of your nightly reading.
Check the link for details on making an Advent wreath as well as some wonderful Christmas story books.
Thoughts on Children and Santa Claus
He’s a jolly old elf….. the story on Santa Claus goes back much further than Clement Moore’s poem. In fact the original title of the poem is “A Visit from St. Nicolas”. St. Nicholas lived in the 4th century on what today is the coast of Turkey. He was known for his generosity to the poor, children and sailors. Many of the stories tell of his giving to others and helping them in secret. He was Bishop of Myra and in Sweden, Denmark, Spain and other countries you will see him dressed as a bishop.
Perhaps the best way to honor St. Nicholas would be to follow his example and find way to help other, in secret. Have a family discussion and decide how your family can be secret saints.
Thoughts on Advent
The calendar page had turned. The days are getting shorter, darker and colder. The church calendar has changed as well. We are at the beginning of a new year. The gospel readings have moved from Mark (which my middle schooler refers to as the gossip gospel because Mark constantly refers to Jesus secret and they proceeds to tell us all about it.) , now we are listening to Luke, with his constant reference to all the outsiders, women and children, foreigners and the poor. New Year, new readings, and time for a change, it is Advent. The time for a change, for preparation, we are getting ready for the coming of Christ. While you getting ready for Christmas, buying presents, and decorating your home, and celebrating with friends and family, put aside some time for some other activities. Here are a couple you might consider. There is something for everyone!
Thoughts on Light
As the days get shorter and the nights longer, we become more aware of the light. Light from street lights, porch lights, flashlights and candles in the windows. Dusk seems to come in the middle of the afternoon, but now we have the opportunity to see the stars. The Bible has a lot to say about stars. In Genesis, God creates them (Gen. 1:16), in Job (Job 38:7) the stars sing in praise of God and in the Psalms (Ps. 136:9) the stars are signs of God’s everlasting love, and of course there is the star of Bethlehem that leads the Wiseman to the baby Jesus (Matt. 2:9). Take some time this week to see the stars. Plan an outing to your backyard armed with blankets, hot cocoa and a star map to try to find the pictures in the sky or make up your own dot to dot with the stars, or just wonder at these amazing symbols of God’s incredible and everlasting love for you. (Note: there are a number of apps that provide star maps or look up one here, If it’s too cold or cloudy to see the stars go to www.nasa.gov and look at them through the Hubble telescope. )
Thoughts on a living faith
It’s that time of year when everyone seems to be pulling in a different direction. There is the list of activities and parties from every group anyone in the family has participated in during the last year. There are all the things we need to get ready before Christmas, presents to buy, gifts to mail, cards to write, and then there are the expectations that seem to pile on. Part of me wants to create a picture perfect holiday, part of me wants to pour my energies into all the opportunities to make this time of year better for other, and part of me just want to curl up with some hot cocoa and come up for air sometime in January. Welcome to December. So where are all these expectations coming from? How can we negotiate all of this craziness? Join me and perhaps we can come up with a better way. Grab a cup of tea and turn off the radio. Close the door and pull out a pen and paper ( well, I always think better with a pen and paper-do what works for you). Here are my questions, hopefully they will help you and your family as well. Record the answers as you go along, then ask them of other members of your family.
Now it’s time to look at the month ahead and consider how to prepare for the coming of the Christ Child. Perhaps now I can live my faith and see Christ in those around me just a bit better. Thanks joining me and thanks for the tea.
Thoughts on Christmas stories
I love Christmas story books. I’ve been known to buy 3 or 4 new ones every year. I find it fascinating how each book puts a new spin on the story. In fact the story of Jesus birth is only briefly touched upon in two of the Gospels, Matthew (1:18-2:12) and Luke (2:1-20). The Christmas story books expand on these short stories and give us a new perspective. I can still remember most of Who is coming to our House?, along with my husband’s masterful voices that made each animal sound different. In a way that is the wonder of these storybooks, each one gives a new voice to the story of Jesus, each one opens a door through which we can see God among us in a new way. So here are a few to get you started. Also try out the Library for others and there are a number in the children’s books by the back pew at St. Matthew’s, feel free to borrow some to try out at home.
Some Christmas stories to enjoy:
Thoughts on “Stuff”
One of the things I love to do this time of year is to decorate the house. I have a collection of nativity sets that have to come out and find a home. The garlands weave their way up the stairs and the stocking our hung, the table draped with a festive cloth and the snowflakes on the window along with the candles. Each thing has a place, and each items unwraps a memory. The tacky pink candy ornaments recall the first Christmas in the house my parent’s built, there are ones my grandmother gave us each year, and ones that were wedding gifts, and of course the homemade ones that my children crafted. We are inundated with “stuff” this time of year, asked to buy and buy and add to the pile we already have. Yet… and yet… there are things that capture the power of tradition and the power of memory. There is a rabbi that captures this well, “Much of the power of tradition is in the melodies, the phrases, the candles, the cooking. Sometimes no message is as powerful as the memory of a mother laying out a white tablecloth or the feel of a father's hand on one's head in blessing.” (Rabbi Wolpe) Perhaps it’s because of how much this resonates with me that I belong to an Episcopal Church. I treasure the connections that the liturgy makes between the spiritual and the physical. We use “stuff” to connect us with God. Bread and wine and water and oil and incense and candles, all of it helps us to unite our lives here and now with our lives in Christ. Young children are even more concrete than we are. They live in a world overwhelmingly tactile and tangible. Giving them the feel and sights and scents of the “ churchy stuff” is a great gift. Have a blessed Christmas.
It’s the season of preparations. Preparing for Thanksgiving, preparing for Christmas, preparing for winter, preparing for friends and family to join us in celebrations. Anticipation and a bit of panic fill the air. Take a deep breath and settle in to think of a more settled way to prepare for this season or celebration.
- Choose something you will NOT do this year. What can you let go of to make room for God to bring something new into your life.
- Choose some way you will bring joy to someone. It may be someone you know, or someone you don’t know. It may be participating in a toy or food drive, or baking an extra batch of cookies for the nurses. Let your mind wander and see who Christ brings to mind.
- Choose a why that your household will prepare your hearts for Christ in a different way. Here are a couple of ideas:
- Read different stories of Jesus birth
- Set up a nativity set and have the Wiseman travel around the house until they arrive on Epiphany, Jan. 6th.
- Learn all the verses of a Christmas carol. You can find them here http://christmas-carols.net/
Thoughts on Family Traditions
Growing up in a family that retained their Scandinavian traditions December meant the celebration of two saints, St. Nicholas (Dec. 6) and St. Lucy (Dec. 13). Every family has its traditions and every family can shape those traditions for the next generation. So here is your task this month:
- Choose one of your families traditions.
- Think about why it is important to you. What memories does it hold? What part of it do you want to continue? What part would you like to leave behind?
- Where is Jesus in this tradition? What about it brings joy, light and love? What part of it brings you closer to God?
- Choose how to engage in your tradition. You might add a prayer, or share it with others, or include music that lifts you up to God.
Thoughts on Space
December is filled with activity and sound and lights and people. We delight in all the wonder of the Christmas lights on the street, and the music in the stores and seeing friends and family, yet… yet… sometimes it can all be a bit too much. All of us need a bit of space. For our children and teens, this is especially true. All day long they are engaged with others, at school, at recess, and in numerous other activities. As much as we would love to spend time with them when everyone lands at home, they and we need space, time to unwind and regroup. Throughout Jesus ministry we see him engaged with crowds of people and we see Jesus leave. Jesus goes to “a deserted place” a place where he can be alone, perhaps to pray, perhaps to rest, perhaps to just be. In the midst of this crazy busy time of year, make some time for each member of your family to have some space. Even if it means that you may not see much of your teenager afterschool. Downtime may be the best gift you can give them.
Thoughts on Christmas Preparations
The thought of Christmas brings both joy and dread. I love to bring out all the decorations and set up the tree, but it is work, more work on top of the work that I never seem to get on top of. At times it is overwhelming. So at the risk of giving you one more thing for your “to do” list, here are some suggestions for the next week or so 1) Read Dog in the Manger by Tim Schenck , it’s a short, funny and insightful look at the before, during and after of the Christmas season. Tim has a knack for bringing spiritual insights out of daily interactions.
2) Prepare some picture books to read to the younger children in your life. A couple of current suggestions include
Wombat Devine by Mem Fox
Who is coming to Our House by Joseph Slate
Mortimer’s Christmas Manger by Jane Chapman
Songs of the Stars by Sally Lloyd-Jones
3) For older children check out the website Paperless Christmas, http://www.paperlesschristmas.org.uk/
4) Plan a time for your family to give some time to others.
5) Plan some time to play together, whatever that means in your household
I hope you enjoy your preparations as much as Christmas itself.
Thoughts on Advent and anticipating Christmas
Anticipation hangs heavy in the air. Children make up list of things they would like to get, and parents the list of what to purchase. Folks gather to clean and dress up St. Matthew’s for the coming celebration and plans are made for the live nativity. This time of year is a swirl of activity. Here a few ways to slow it down a bit and linger over the heart of the season.
Make an Advent wreath and light it each night at dinner time. Ask each person tell how they were aware of Christ that day.
Set out a nativity. Leave the manger empty until Christmas Eve. Have the wise men travel around the house until Epiphany (Jan. 6th)
Fill the manger. Place a piece of hay in the manger each time someone (adults and children) does a kind deed.
Include Christmas story books as part of your nightly reading.
Check the link for details on making an Advent wreath as well as some wonderful Christmas story books.
Thoughts on Children and Santa Claus
He’s a jolly old elf….. the story on Santa Claus goes back much further than Clement Moore’s poem. In fact the original title of the poem is “A Visit from St. Nicolas”. St. Nicholas lived in the 4th century on what today is the coast of Turkey. He was known for his generosity to the poor, children and sailors. Many of the stories tell of his giving to others and helping them in secret. He was Bishop of Myra and in Sweden, Denmark, Spain and other countries you will see him dressed as a bishop.
Perhaps the best way to honor St. Nicholas would be to follow his example and find way to help other, in secret. Have a family discussion and decide how your family can be secret saints.
Thoughts on Advent
The calendar page had turned. The days are getting shorter, darker and colder. The church calendar has changed as well. We are at the beginning of a new year. The gospel readings have moved from Mark (which my middle schooler refers to as the gossip gospel because Mark constantly refers to Jesus secret and they proceeds to tell us all about it.) , now we are listening to Luke, with his constant reference to all the outsiders, women and children, foreigners and the poor. New Year, new readings, and time for a change, it is Advent. The time for a change, for preparation, we are getting ready for the coming of Christ. While you getting ready for Christmas, buying presents, and decorating your home, and celebrating with friends and family, put aside some time for some other activities. Here are a couple you might consider. There is something for everyone!
- Do a secret act of kindness for someone in your house that will make the next day easier for them. (Pick up the toys of your brother or sister, do the dishes without being asked, make a picture and hide in under a pillow)
- Smile at everyone you meet today, store clerks, toll takers, crossing guards, teachers, teenagers and little kids. (Preschoolers might enjoy counting the number of smiles they get in return)
- Learn the words to “Joy to the World” or other Christmas carol. See who can sing it the loudest!
- Bake a special treat from your family’s heritage or from a place you are interested in. Find that country on the map and learn how to say “Merry Christmas” in that language.
- Take a walk after dark and see how nature has changed with the seasons.
- Write a family prayer to say when you light your Advent wreath. Say it every night.
- Create a gift basket with ingredients for one of your family’s favorite recipes. Write up the recipe and give the basket to local food pantry. Have the whole family work on a recipe that would work.
Thoughts on Light
As the days get shorter and the nights longer, we become more aware of the light. Light from street lights, porch lights, flashlights and candles in the windows. Dusk seems to come in the middle of the afternoon, but now we have the opportunity to see the stars. The Bible has a lot to say about stars. In Genesis, God creates them (Gen. 1:16), in Job (Job 38:7) the stars sing in praise of God and in the Psalms (Ps. 136:9) the stars are signs of God’s everlasting love, and of course there is the star of Bethlehem that leads the Wiseman to the baby Jesus (Matt. 2:9). Take some time this week to see the stars. Plan an outing to your backyard armed with blankets, hot cocoa and a star map to try to find the pictures in the sky or make up your own dot to dot with the stars, or just wonder at these amazing symbols of God’s incredible and everlasting love for you. (Note: there are a number of apps that provide star maps or look up one here, If it’s too cold or cloudy to see the stars go to www.nasa.gov and look at them through the Hubble telescope. )
Thoughts on a living faith
It’s that time of year when everyone seems to be pulling in a different direction. There is the list of activities and parties from every group anyone in the family has participated in during the last year. There are all the things we need to get ready before Christmas, presents to buy, gifts to mail, cards to write, and then there are the expectations that seem to pile on. Part of me wants to create a picture perfect holiday, part of me wants to pour my energies into all the opportunities to make this time of year better for other, and part of me just want to curl up with some hot cocoa and come up for air sometime in January. Welcome to December. So where are all these expectations coming from? How can we negotiate all of this craziness? Join me and perhaps we can come up with a better way. Grab a cup of tea and turn off the radio. Close the door and pull out a pen and paper ( well, I always think better with a pen and paper-do what works for you). Here are my questions, hopefully they will help you and your family as well. Record the answers as you go along, then ask them of other members of your family.
- What is my favorite thing about December, the one thing I look forward to?
- What do I dread?
- What do I need to do to feed my soul?
- What do I feel like I “have” to do? Why?
- What is the best Christmas I ever had? What was so good about it?
- Is there something Christ is inviting me to do?
Now it’s time to look at the month ahead and consider how to prepare for the coming of the Christ Child. Perhaps now I can live my faith and see Christ in those around me just a bit better. Thanks joining me and thanks for the tea.
Thoughts on Christmas stories
I love Christmas story books. I’ve been known to buy 3 or 4 new ones every year. I find it fascinating how each book puts a new spin on the story. In fact the story of Jesus birth is only briefly touched upon in two of the Gospels, Matthew (1:18-2:12) and Luke (2:1-20). The Christmas story books expand on these short stories and give us a new perspective. I can still remember most of Who is coming to our House?, along with my husband’s masterful voices that made each animal sound different. In a way that is the wonder of these storybooks, each one gives a new voice to the story of Jesus, each one opens a door through which we can see God among us in a new way. So here are a few to get you started. Also try out the Library for others and there are a number in the children’s books by the back pew at St. Matthew’s, feel free to borrow some to try out at home.
Some Christmas stories to enjoy:
- Who is Coming to Our House? Joseph Slate, Ashley Wolff Sandcastle Books
- The Donkey’s Christmas Story Nancy Tafuri Scholastic
- The First Christmas Tomie dePaola – Putnam and Sons
- Wombat Divine Mem Fox- Trumpet Books
- The Gifts of Christmas Mark Bernthal- Lyrick Publishing
- The Baker’s Dozen Aaron Shepard – Atheneum
- Marta and the Manger Straw Virginia Kroll- Zondervan
- The Give-Away Ray Buckley- Abingdon Press (Native American Christmas)
- The Christmas Ship Dean Morrissey- Harper Collins
- The Night of Las Posadas Tomie dePaola- Penguin Putnam Press
Thoughts on “Stuff”
One of the things I love to do this time of year is to decorate the house. I have a collection of nativity sets that have to come out and find a home. The garlands weave their way up the stairs and the stocking our hung, the table draped with a festive cloth and the snowflakes on the window along with the candles. Each thing has a place, and each items unwraps a memory. The tacky pink candy ornaments recall the first Christmas in the house my parent’s built, there are ones my grandmother gave us each year, and ones that were wedding gifts, and of course the homemade ones that my children crafted. We are inundated with “stuff” this time of year, asked to buy and buy and add to the pile we already have. Yet… and yet… there are things that capture the power of tradition and the power of memory. There is a rabbi that captures this well, “Much of the power of tradition is in the melodies, the phrases, the candles, the cooking. Sometimes no message is as powerful as the memory of a mother laying out a white tablecloth or the feel of a father's hand on one's head in blessing.” (Rabbi Wolpe) Perhaps it’s because of how much this resonates with me that I belong to an Episcopal Church. I treasure the connections that the liturgy makes between the spiritual and the physical. We use “stuff” to connect us with God. Bread and wine and water and oil and incense and candles, all of it helps us to unite our lives here and now with our lives in Christ. Young children are even more concrete than we are. They live in a world overwhelmingly tactile and tangible. Giving them the feel and sights and scents of the “ churchy stuff” is a great gift. Have a blessed Christmas.