In these last days of the Christmas season, many of us rush to get all of the special "experiences"... experienced. We want to drive and see the Christmas lights. We want to get in one more special Christmas concert. How about the visit to Santa? And of course, the many visits 'home' - whether that be grandparents', parents', or some other special persons' homes. And all of this hustle and bustle is filled with the hope that in these particular places, we might experience some of the magic of the holidays. But what if the 'magic' of this season is not to be found in a geographic location, but in the less glitzy spaces of our hearts where we've carved out some room for sacred? Maybe the magic of the holidays isn't to be found in a particular place, but in the spaces where we make room for the Christ child. Worship Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muhvS92zzNc

The goodwill of the Christmas Season seems to soften our edges and make us more gentle and generous in many ways. We might drop some coins in the red buckets as we go in and out of stores. We might buy a gift for an underserved child. We might even make some year-end donations to causes we care about. But how might we carry this goodwill and generosity into all areas of our lives and the other eleven months of the year? Maybe if we refocus the lens of our hearts to see all people as God's beloved, we might discover that every person, in every season, reflects the sacred and is indeed worthy of respect, acceptance, love, and grace - always. Worship Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhD236Ww5Ao

Time is a funny thing... We count it as precious, and we waste it without a second thought. It stretches out before us as though it is endless, and we hoard it, monetize it, and treat it like a limited commodity. We label it based on its value and usefulness - break time, bedtime, time to go, spare time, time to get busy. And yet, all of it is a gift from the Creator, given freely and generously for our benefit. What if we thought less about what we wanted to get from time and more about what it had to offer? What if we began to see each moment as holy, reflecting the heart of the sacred? If we did, this might change the way we experience the Christmas season... and all of life. Worship Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWwMMmrMoBU

The Christmas season is one of many joys and wonders. Family gatherings, parties with friends and coworkers, decorations, gift giving and receiving, special food, beautiful decorations, and all the lights, celebrate Jesus' birth! If it seems a little over the top, maybe that's because it is! What else can we do to honor the God of abundant provision, generous love, and beauty beyond anything we could imagine ourselves? As God's goodness shines through the darkness of December in the child of Jesus, may our gratitude and thanksgiving shine God's love into a dark world - in our Christmas observances and in all we say and do through this special season and beyond! Worship Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DARyXapQZhA

When you think of Advent, your mind might not immediately go to John the Baptist, but this saintly prophet plays a pivotal role in the liturgical seasons of Advent and Lent. He was the herald, the forerunner who spoke about Jesus’ coming deliverance. No one does a greater job living for and preparing others for Christ than this saint. His entire life, mission, words, and works were breathing examples that pointed, not to himself, but to Jesus. In the midst of our own Advent journeys, there is no better exemplar who can show us the way. John the Baptist was known for his simplistic clothing as he proclaimed the coming of the Messiah. What will you wear this week, and how will you proclaim the good news as you point the way to Jesus? Worship Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKv1QMj4FtY

The happy season of Christmas is upon us! Everywhere around us is joy and merriment and fun and frolicking! And we are so glad to join in with glad hearts... unless we aren't. For many, the joy around us puts our own pain, heartache, and hurt into stark contrast. For many, loss and troubles seem all the more poignant when placed against all the hype and happiness of the season. The good news of Christmas, though, is that the season is not one of superficial optimism. It is one of eternal, tenacious hope. Jesus came to us not because the world is already full of peace, hope, joy, and love. Jesus came to bring light to those who sit in deep darkness. Be at peace if you are not happy this season, Jesus came especially to be with you. Worship Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CPQmqUY4eE

There is so much to enjoy about the Christmas season! The music, the gatherings, the gifts! And of course, the decorations! Some start to decorate the day after Halloween. Others have traditions of bedecking on Thanksgiving, or December 1, or even Christmas Eve. We put up trees, string lights on the house, and as a way to welcome family, friends, and travelers, we festoon our gates and doors with garland, wreaths, and holly. It is through these entryways that those we love most come home for the holidays, our friends enter and become family, and people join us in celebrating all that is wonderful about the season. When those within and those without come together, love is shared, joy is spread, and we are changed. As we welcome others in - as we are welcomed in - we can proclaim with the biblical writers, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” Worship Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7caXQxZ3G8

The Christmas season is a time of wonder and anticipation and joy... and stress and angst and being overscheduled and underfunded. Especially if you are an adult responsible for so many of the details of the season! Oh, that we could return to the innocence of a child at Christmas and experience the holiday without all the trappings we adults find ourselves wrapped up in. While we can't go back in time, we can let the children around us remind our hearts and spirits of the sweet anticipation and genuine excitement the season holds. This week in worship we are invited to rediscover the significance of Christmas by connecting with the Child of Christmas - and the child-like spirit in all of us. Worship link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPSDiP1v6AM

The Christmas story is one that has transcended time, culture, and context. We return to it year after year to refocus our faith and discover again its message of hope. It's comforting and encouraging to hear each year how God has come to walk through this often confusing, difficult, and uncertain existence with us. It's a theme so attractive, so powerful, that it is retold in countless ways. From "It's a Beautiful Life" to "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" we love to be reminded of how God interrupts our lives, agendas, and plans, to do a new and beautiful thing in us. What is your favorite Christmas story? And even more importantly, how is God telling God's story of hope through you? Worship link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FA5SCcTlje0&t=2060s

It has been said that "music is the literature of the heart; it commences where speech ends." Indeed music has the power to transcend words, whether spoken or written. Most of us have songs deeply embedded in our spirits that connect us to special times and poignant moments. These are the songs that make up the playlist of our lives. And for many of us, it wouldn't be Christmas without the music of the season. As we celebrate this first Christmas together in two years, we look to the familiar songs of the season to rediscover the story of Christmas... the story of love of grace for each of us and the world. Worship link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgQfb5KQDds