Perhaps this is your favorite time of year. Christmas music has been the soundtrack to your world since Thanksgiving (maybe even before). You’ve got your Christmas movie-viewing all cued up. You are in your element surrounded by fir boughs, red ribbons, and glittering ornaments. Or perhaps this is a painful time of year. Maybe memories of lost loved ones or broken traditions cast a shadow in your life that twinkling Christmas lights are no match for. For myriad reasons, the constant cheery music is a constant reminder of how far away your emotional or mental state is from that of those around you. You feel hopelessly isolated. Perhaps you’re somewhere in between. If you’re on the silver and gold side of the spectrum, I smile imagining your joy. If you are closer to the blue Christmas side, know that you are not alone, and there is nothing wrong with feeling that way.

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Wherever you land on that spectrum, or if you fluctuate widely on it throughout the season, I believe Advent could be right for you. If you are ecstatically busy wrapping presents and baking cookies, Advent is a reminder to take a meditative break, so you don’t get burned out. If you are already sick of all the hollies and jollies, Advent is an affirmation that we wait for joy and don’t always feel it in the moment. Each Sunday in Advent is like the eye of a storm, a respite from the excitement swirling around us. My hope for you in this season of our liturgical calendar is that you find a meaningful way to connect with it, no matter your season of life. Afterall, Advent is the beginning of our Christian year. Our new year is not heralded with a burst of energy. It begins with a pregnant pause, with contemplative anticipation, with the promise of unimaginable possibilities and new life.

 

Blessed be,

Pastor Alison