Blessings be with you this Advent season,
This season we will be exploring “The Inn: Housing the Holy” we will be looking at what it means to live in stressful times and still find hope in the promise that has been given to us in the birth of Christ.
This is season where it is easy to be so busy that we lose track of the meaning of all the craziness. We set aside this time to remember what God has done for us and to spend time with people who are important to us. This is time of hope and joy. But it is also a time peace and abiding. Hope we find in the promise that has been given to us. Joy has come to us through Jesus, and we see reflected in the children’s faces around us. Peace we may find in quiet moments and advocate for when we see war in our world. Abiding is the presence of God coming along side us but it also our ability to come along side one another.
In this season we also have time set aside to recognize that it is hard to do this season when we don’t have all of our loved ones with us. The Wednesday before Christmas we will have our “longest night” service at 6:00 pm. While this is not the longest night, this year it will be Saturday, this is a time to come together for a service of peaceful reflection as we remember in community God holds us in our loneliness.
We also have our Christmas Eve service at 7:30pm on Christmas Eve. This is our traditional candlelight service. Both this service and the longest night service are great services to invite friends or family to. If you have friends struggling with grief, please invite them, bring them, and take time to be present with them on December 18th. If you have friends or family seeking tradition or building new traditions for Christmas, the Christmas Eve service on the 24th is a great time to bring them with you. Remember it is not just about invitation it also about making sure there is transportation and access to our worshiping community.
If you would like to participate this month, by being a liturgist, advent reader, or greeter feel free to call or text me at (719)299-1086. The season of Advent is a great time to participate.
Many blessings on you during this season,
Pastor Kristina