Finally!
Here I am, the great lover of this season. I am always on top of things, ready to play carols in November and all that. We finally put up the tree today. Yes, the 23rd of December. It is even an artificial tree that we don't have to put together each year. Today. I am so ashamed. I will have to turn in my official Christmas Lover sprig of holly.


What is worse than this?
We didn't put up our Moravian star until yesterday. Shame upon shame.
Mea culpa- or whatever.

Changes Start
Finished the work I have been doing as a part-time group counselor at a local counseling clinic in preparation for the big move to working for the county. Each step along the process reminds me of the new territory I am entering. I'm not sure what all that means, yet, but we will see.

The Big Night
Christmas Eve is the Big One on the church year. I write a story for the two candlelight services each year. Been doing that for 15 years now. We sing a lot and hand out candles. We light them and let the smell of beeswax surround us. We turn out the lights and let the candlelight bathe us in warmth. It is one of the most sensual services we do. It touches us in so many ways. It is no wonder that so many people want to be there year in and year out.

But I wonder what will happen as the postModern (preChristian) world continues to develop. Will they still be interested in what we are doing? Will they look for even more of the sensual and personal and an ancient-future approach? Only time will tell, of course, and most of what we guess will probably be wrong. If I had tried to make a guess 20 years ago, I would not have guessed what has happened.

So instead I will continue to do what is in front of me. Some of it will look something like it always has- or perhaps looked long ago. Some of it will be all new. Some of it will be a mixture. But if Jesus is at the heart of it- and his mission as the goal- then it will be what He wants it to be.