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December | 2006
‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the church the Altar Guild shouted, “we’re left in the lurch!” Poinsettias were set by the altar with care. In hopes that the preacher soon would be there. Musicians were settled way up in the loft, The women were sitting all primped up and coiffed. Some ladies wore fur coats, boy children wore suits But none of the men were allowed to wear boots. When out in the narthex there arose such a shout. People wondered aloud, “What is this all about?” Ushers threw open the doors with a flurry, Saw folks scatter about in a huff and a hurry. From out in the hall came quite the commotion “Who could it be?” They hadn’t a notion. They hardly believed it, when lamp-light did show A late-arrived preacher already in robes A full-bellied young man, just fresh in from a feast They knew in a moment, “At last, here’s the priest!” His chasuble white, his stole colored the same, Now he whistled and hollered, calling each group by name. Now Ushers! Now Choir! Layreaders! And Gil! Altar guild! Acolytes! A Burges named Bill! Get in the procession! We have no time to waste. Hark, the angel is singing, Now let us make haste. They entered the nave, to a hush and a thrall. Their voices were rising up over the wall. Many voices exclaimed, “Never seen such a sight!” A late-arrived preacher on Christmas Eve night. Now he stood in the pulpit, with a grin and some glee He looked out and shouted, “Folks listen to me.” He took a deep breath, cried with all of his might, “Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!” -Father Jay
Children’s Christmas Pageant Children from the ages of 5th grade down to 1 day olds are welcome to participate, although if your child cannot walk or stand with a group, one of the parents will need to help. To participate, the child needs to be at Church on Dec. 3rd and 10th during the Sunday School hour (9:15-10:15) to practice. Ideally, all the children will be at both of these. On the day of the pageant (Dec. 17), they absolutely have to be here at 9:15 in order to get dressed, organized, and practice. If your child would like to participate, have them here on Dec. 3rd at 9:15. If
you would like to help out, I am sure there is work for you to do. Speak with
Kelly Yeomans or Lesli Herzog to volunteer. Finally, know that all children are
invited to participate, even…no scratch that…especially children who do not
regularly attend St. Andrew’s. If you know a family that might enjoy
participating in the Pageant, pass along the invitation. As It Should Be But as I looked down the table, scanning the faces of all the people I love—even as I felt deep gratitude for a life filled with blessings, I realized that my heart wasn’t all there. Because even though, on the surface, everything was just as it should be, just as it always is, there was someone important missing: my brother, who couldn’t make it home this year. I adore my brother (and my sister, for that matter). When he comes into the room, I can actually feel my heart get a little lighter. Sometimes when we are together, we will laugh until it literally hurts. Not having him there this year changed the whole dynamic. It was as though part of me was missing. And even though every chair at the table was filled, there was... an empty place. My brother will be with us at Christmas, in just a few more weeks. But missing him this Thanksgiving got me to thinking about the mystery of connections between people; between souls. This is one of those questions I will ask God when I get to heaven: How, exactly, are we connected? You know what I mean about connections? Like that friend who is so dear to you that you can go without seeing to him for a year and then the moment you hear his voice, it’s as though you were never apart. Or that friend you suddenly think of for no obvious reason, and an hour later, she calls. It’s the son, the daughter, the mother, the father, the spouse who has died, and yet you can still feel their presence so strongly that sometimes you look over your shoulder and expect to see them there. Almost. It’s that special person in your life who carries a piece of your heart with them all the time. And no matter how far away they are, you are connected, invisibly, amazingly, and always. After the big lunch on Thanksgiving, I went outside and watched my children and their cousins playing. They were still full of energy, running around, laughing, swinging on the swing set… If you could draw a picture of pure joy, this would be it. And then I thought of my brother again…but this time, it wasn’t his absence I felt. It was his presence. There he was, among us in spirit...smiling at the children—each of whom carries a part of his own heart. These human bodies of ours are limited in so many ways, and yet we rely on our senses to dictate what is real, and what is not. If we can’t see it, touch it...then it doesn’t exist. But I could close my eyes, and still see the perfect blue sky, the trees, my family, my brother… I have come to believe that we are much closer than we think to the people we love...to each other. Death may separate us. Life may separate us. But if we could see with God’s eyes for just a moment, everything impossible—everything invisible—would be as simple and understandable as two plus two. So how does it all work? How are we connected to each other? How is it that I felt the presence of the person I love, right there with me on that beautiful Thanksgiving day, even though he was miles away? These are still questions I will ask God one day; and I’m sure the answers will
amaze me. But for now, I am thankful that on this of all days, I came to realize
that it’s not the order of this earthly ‘surface’ that matters most...but what
lies beneath it, in the mysterious truth that we are somehow never really apart
from those we love. Those moments when we feel their presence...even in their
absence…. Those moments are the glimpses of heaven. Need that perfect Christmas
or Birthday Gift for the women in your life? Say Merry Christmas with Stocking Stuffers Make that list and check it twice! Computers for Honduras Write This Down Our dear friends in Christ, |
