Dec. 3, 2022
Ok. I’ll confess it. I really love to see the lights at Oakdale in St. Petersburg. If you live locally, you probably know what I am talking about. If you don’t live locally, you can look it up online. It is a crazy Christmas light extravaganza. Over done. Over blown. Over the top. Gaudy. Garish. Tacky.
I can’t imagine how much work goes into putting up that display. I understand it takes several people working for several weeks.
And I will also confess that when we were in Germany in October, we went to a town known for its Christmas shops. We went in several. Well! I was on the verge of buying a new suitcase so that I could fill it with Christmas decorations to bring home. The displays were out of this world!
I really go in for Christmas decorations. Once I visited someone who had just started coming to church around Christmas. And in his small house, he had eight Christmas trees up and decorated. Oh, how my heart sang at that! I keep telling my family, one of these years I am going to put up all of our Christmas tree ornaments no matter how many trees it takes!
So, in this season when we are thinking about Seeking Christ, I am wondering about putting as much time and effort into seeking Christ as we do into decorating, or baking, or shopping or entertaining, or whatever it is that typically makes your heart sing time of year. How might we experience the sparkle of love and light, the joy of peace, the newness of spirit, the creativity of acceptance and peace that is being offered to us through Christ? What Glorias are waiting for us in the gift that has the power to transform not just a yard or a home but reality itself!
Prayer
May the lights and festivities of this Advent/Christmas season not be an end in themselves. May they lead us into the deeper joy and renewal of this precious season. May they lead us to Christ – in Jesus, in Creation, in others, in ourselves, and in the world! Amen.
Lakewood United Church of Christ 