Christmas is in 8 days.  How are you feeling? 
Personally, I have mixed feelings.  Maybe you do too. 

Though one bright spot for me this week was watching this year’s Christmas Pageant: A Pandemic Christmas.  We are so thankful to all of you who took the time to record yourselves being part of various scenes.  And I am especially thankful for the hard work of our church’s Christian Education Director to make this Christmas pageant even happen!  Do you know that it took Nicole 82.5 hours to create this year’s pageant (that includes editing all of our individual videos, creating the slides, finding the music, etc.)?  It was a ton of work, and I think this pageant is a masterpiece!  We hope that when you watch it, it will be a bright spot for you.

As I looked over the script months ago by now, I appreciated that A Pandemic Christmas was honest and real.  One of the scenes has lines like, “I miss my friends.  There’s new kids in my class and it’s so hard to get to know them.  I miss the playground.  Zoom is GLOOM.  I just wanna get out of this box!”  Amen to that. 

It’s good to be honest and real about how we feel. 
To acknowledge that sometimes, some days, this is all just the worst. 
Even as we look forward to Christmas, things are different, far from ideal, and sometimes downright sad. 

I never imagined that I would lead a Christmas Eve service with a small worship team in an empty sanctuary staring into my cell phone sitting on a tripod (usually operated by my boyfriend) and hoping, somehow, that you know that we are in this together to celebrate the birth of the Christ child.  So yes, Christmas Eve will be different and possibly even sad this year.  And, somehow, celebrate the birth of Christ we will.  As you tune into the Christmas Pageant, Longest Night Service, and Christmas Eve Lessons and Carols in the days ahead, I pray that these worship services will help lift your spirits.  They are certainly offered by our church staff to you, our church family, in a spirit of Christian love and hope for brighter days.  Please continue to stay safe and well. 

Love,
Pastor Lauren

(This Week’s Thoughts 12.17.20)