Today is the last day of that 12-day season and I am ready. I am ready for Christmas to be over. I am ready to take down the tree and all the decorations. I am ready to get back to routines and to begin our new year with communion in worship tomorrow.
I am ready because it was such a wonderful Advent and Christmas season--our first here at PCMK. I am ready because I have reflected on each event and I feel renewed spiritually as I think of them. So I thought I would do a quick review of Advent/Christmas 2012 before we move on to 2013.
Christmas Fair The season began with the hustle and bustle of the annual women's Christmas Fair that brought out seasonal items, gifts and food to get us in the season. It also raised significant funds for our mission and social justice outreach.
Family Fun Night. On the first Sunday of Advent we gathered in the evening to eat together and make Advent wreaths for family worship. I love those opportunities to get to know children and their parents a little better.
Advent Worship. Each Sunday of Advent I enjoyed planning with Terry Flanagan. Each week the themes of Hope, Love, Joy and Peace were proclaimed in music and message. I particularly like watching the families light the candles on the Advent wreath as the excitement built week by week.
Christmas Pageant. What more can I say? Watching those kids sing, dance and act their hearts out as they told the Christmas story once more before a packed sanctuary. It doesn't get much better than that.
Lessons and Carols. After months of planning and preparation by our musicians we had a beautiful evening of hearing the story in Scripture and song. One comment afterwards was, "This was our first time to attend and now it will be a Christmas tradition for our family."
Christmas Eve. After all the waiting and anticipation Christmas had finally arrived. There were over 50 excited children (I know because I had 50 ornaments to hand out) and hundreds of adults present to share the light of Christmas with the singing of Silent Night as we held candles. It's just not Christmas without that moment.
As we left that service there were beautiful luminarias lining the sidewalks all around the sanctuary. Then it began to gently snow. As worshipers arrived for the 10 pm service our church looked like something out of a Christmas movie. I went home to celebrate with my family with a sense of true peace.
It had been a busy Advent season, but a truly blessed one as well. I can't thank enough our office and custodial staff, our musicians and Christian Ed team, and all the other volunteers who made it happen.
I then spent most of the 12 days of Christmas enjoying my son and daughter before they needed to get back to their busy lives.
Be sure to check out the pictures of the Christmas pageant on the front page of our website (Click on the slide show at the bottom of the page).
I leave you with some picture that taken by Lisa Flanagan on Christmas Eve.
No comments:
Post a Comment