I'm not going to argue here for a return to 'the good ole days.' I like convenience.

I'm not even going to rail against the Christmas carols I've heard playing, well, everywhere already or the red and green themed displays at retail stores. By the way I'm fine with lots of the secular holiday songs, "It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas," or "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas," and so forth; it's the hardcore carols that we sing at our Christmas eve services-"Silent Night," "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" for example-that make me cringe in the dog food aisle at Shaw's.

What I do want to reclaim is the good that comes from waiting. Recently I heard an exchange in a store between a parent and young child who wanted something very badly, and pretty much everyone in the store was in on the exchange. When the parent suggested putting the item on a Christmas wish list there was some degree of calm restored. We teach our children to delay, to be patient. Christmas can feel good. "What if we treated everyday as if it were Christmas?" Why not start early then?

One answer is that the harder it is to get something, the more its intrinsic worth seems to be. A high school diploma comes after lots of study, angst, hard work. We can tell the recipients that we are proud of them, and that rings true. The spiritual work of our Advent Season is wrapped up in the anticipation building, perhaps reflecting on the upcoming birth of a child into vulnerability, to a family without wealth or political power, displaced. In the Philippines thousands of babies are being born to families without reliable food, water, and shelter. That geographically remote reality can bring us back to our own neighborhoods and towns where the same is happening, just more hidden from news reports.

Advent can be a time for recalibration.

But what I really want to turn back to are the cooking and knitting examples with which I started. You can add carpentry or some other activity. There is a simple joy in putting thought and energy into something that takes time to complete, knowing all the while that the crafter feels meaning as the project unfolds, and in thinking about how the recipient will be touched by the thought and effort. All of this has a spiritual counterpart. As days shorten and temperatures turn colder we can draw inward, reflect on gifts given all through the year from God, our own blessings and frustrations that we can hold up to this life-changing, world-changing, reality-changing event of God entering into our world in new, fresh ways.

In Christ,

 Grant  

A huge thank you to all who have gotten your pledge in. If you intend still on turning it in, now would be good. Can't find the pledge form in the pile of mail? Just click   http://www.saintlukesscituate.com download the form (top right of screen), print it out, fill it out, and mail it in or bring it with you on Sunday.

We've not had anyone do this next thing next, but it should work just as well. Download the form to your computer screen; fill it out (may take some finessing with the lines and so forth, but not too much of an inconvenience), save it as a document, and then attach it to an email to: "St. Luke's Episcopal Church" [email protected]. NOTE this is a change in the St. Luke's email address from Verizon to gmail.com; the address before the @ sign remains unchanged.  

 We are also looking for volunteers in the following areas:

 List checkers: Calling those who have taken a tag, and the gift hasn't been returned by 12/15. This job will take place between 12/16 and 12/20, anytime of day or evening. You can do this from home! 

 Santa's Elves: Also known as gift wrappers. Helping to wrap the gifts and attach the tags. Wrapping will take place beginning 12/16 until 12/21. Times to be determined. 

 Santas: Also known as gift deliverers.  Bringing the gifts to Rehoboth on 12/21 or 12/22, which will be determined when all of the gifts are wrapped.

Please contact Stacey Stratton at 781-733-0142 or [email protected] for more information or to sign up!