Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah
Glory to the Light of the World, and all the things that bring us Joy.
Greetings, subscribers:
Merry Christmas and Happy Hannukah! I still haven’t gotten into a rhythm of holiday cheer: so there were not many fun festivities attended, no lights viewing, and I was very late in getting together and getting out my few planned gifts. We also couldn’t afford the high price tag of printing our photo card up and sending them out (when did postage reach 0.75 cents?!), so, I am sharing it virtually with our family, friends, colleagues, and subscribers.
It’s been a challenging year overall, with some really wonderful times, but equally difficult ones. Death is always a stranger no matter how many times you experience it, and from a young age my life has been peppered with it. Each one hits differently, so losing my last sister in September has been unique in the ways the grief has been expressed as well as finding new ways to process it.
Two traditions that I have held close and that are always a salve to my soul: buying a live tree and decorating it, and attending a candlelight Christmas Eve service. Here is my delightful tree, which I received at a discount (along with a free live wreath) because I bought it late in the season.
It is a10-foot tall Fraser Fir! I always dreamed of having a big tree, but never lived in a space that would accommodate one. The house we currently rent has vaulted ceilings, so obviously God made my dreams come true this year. I have been enjoying its light and recalling fond memories of the tree trimming parties I hosted for over 20 years and all the friends who came and contributed their special ornaments. No matter the size of the tree, it’s always a special piece of Christmas for me.
Lynn and I have also changed churches over the last year. The one we attend currently did not have a Christmas Eve service. So, we found one close to midnight (11 pm) at a historic Methodist church in Tuscumbia, which is on our side of the Tennessee River and a short distance from home.
Christmas Eve service at a Tuscumbia First Methodist Church was really sweet. TFMC is a Global Methodist congregation . The Global Methodists have divested themselves from the United Methodist Church (UMC) and its increasingly woke doctrine. This church preaches the gospel of Jesus Christ, salvation and the forgiveness of sin, and adherence to the inerrancy of the scriptures. So, they and other like-minded Methodist congregations formed under the new banner.
It was really a joy to recite responsive reading and sing in unison with the congregation, something I didn’t realize I had missed until doing it again. We were invited to another Christmas Eve celebration which was more modern rock concert with a little Christmas sermonette thrown in. I had little interest in being sung at and preached to—I wanted to unite with the congregation in embracing of Light of Christ and the joy of the season. The sacrament of Communion was also a part of the service, and a bonus blessing.
It has been a season of pressing into the light, even when it felt as though the darkness was closing in. I expressed some of these thoughts over at RedState this morning. Please give it a read:
This Christmas and Hanukkah 2024 Is About Embracing the Light
I pray you are embracing and basking in the light of Christ’s love, the light of family and friends, and the joys inherent in the season, even if we don’t necessarily experience them the way we used to.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!