From Pastor Lee
December 8, 2022
Happy Birthday!
Normally we only think of Christmas as being just one day, December 25th. Though it does fall on that one day, most of us began preparing and celebrating Christmas long before that day. For many of us that includes observing rituals or traditions we’ve kept over the years. I don’t know how many years ago it was when Vickie introduced our household to the door/wall hanging decoration which contained twenty-five slots. Each slot contained a small piece of paper with each paper folded so as not to reveal what was written on it until the appropriate day. Vickie had planned it all out and had recorded those plans, one for each of the twenty -five days, for our family to observe. It was a way of calling the family together each day to do one thing which pointed toward Christmas. Most of the things we did were free of cost and could be simply watching a Christmas cartoon together to wrapping gifts to singing Christmas carols around the tree. Each year some of those observances might have changed a little but most of what we did became tradition to our children, Vickie, and me. One of the twenty-five traditions we observed was to watch Frosty the Snowman one night. In that cartoon when Frosty has that hat placed upon his head his first words were, “Happy Birthday.”
As I think about all the preparations most of us are probably already involved in, along with our traditions, those words from Frosty are a great reminder to bring us back to focus on what it is all about—Jesus and what we might call his birthday into our world. Advent, like the family tradition holder hanging on our door or wall, also has traditions we participate in together as a way of reminding and preparing us for Jesus coming as we celebrate his birth. We have traditions such as the Advent wreath, the Chrismon tree, sanctuary decorations, the Christmas Cantata, the Singing around the tree, the Secret Santa, White Christmas, and the children’s Drama. As Christmas Day approaches I pray and hope that you and I are not so rushed or overwhelmed with so much stuff that we breeze through the traditions or rituals without thought, deep thought, about our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Vickie and I wish each and everyone of you a very Merry Christmas. Happy Birthday!
Lee
