Christmas

   The official Christmas season begins at midnight on Christmas Eve and ends with Epiphany on January 6th. Advent, the time to prepare for Christmas, is a whirlwind of activity at All Saints’ Church, starting with the first Wednesday of December when we have the annual children’s St. Nicholas party followed the next Wednesday by the youth group party. Wedged in between is a special Saturday rehearsal for the youth choir the day before they sing at the Lesson and Carols service. Interwoven through these events is the preparation, rehearsal and performance of the Christmas pageant.

   Once the pageant is over and the seven o’clock service wraps up on Christmas Eve, Christmas begins. Christmas Day and the following week are devoted to being with my family; my children, my husband, my extended family. It is a rare opportunity for the family to be together without the pull of work and school, of deadlines and alarm clocks. 

   In our family we have a traditional Christmas dinner on the 25th with our family and friends, then on the 28th is Grandpa’s birthday so we have a reason to gather again and over indulge in beef and chocolate (not at the same time). We have a final celebration on New year’s eve or new year’s day where we gather and drink Champagne and nibble at left over cookies.

   There is no substitute for just being together cooking, eating, napping, reading. Spending time being in each other’s presence working and playing side by side builds strong relationships. It is how Jesus built relationships with his disciples. It is how we build our relationships with God, with our spouses, with our children. We are together working at a task together or playing together, interacting not just existing. Listening to each other and responding. Giving love and receiving it, these are the most important gifts of Christmas.


Peace,
Michelle