The Family Letter

(Merry Christmas!)

I may actually come back and blog more later, but suffice to say that yesterday was a good day. The morning servce here at St. George's had four families and 16 people, and the evening Christmas Eve service was packed (I was hearing numbers discussed in excess of 75). The kids did a great job bringing us the word of God and the refrain from "Go Tell it on the Mountain" (with bells). The Advent Bush is now a Christmas Tree, fully decorated and lit. Some people said that seeing it all decorated and lit would make me smile, and as I walked home in the dark from church last night to see it framed in the doorway… They were right.

Last night Zoe and I did the gift thing. Zoe got me a box from Hickory Farms and a 19″ widescreen LCD external monitor, now serving as a second for my laptop. I got Zoe some cat grass (hardly a balanced exchange), but she also did well from the eastern part of the family. Ari, Molly, mom and dad all sent Zoe something this year. She's taking to some of it more enthusiastically than others. I've had to find the fuzzy mouse several times, and she's back at hurling it around the room this morning.

I came away with some neat surprises. An AC/crank/solar powered radio, which will be perfect for those long power outages folloing earthquakes. And just kind of fun to play with all year round, too! A blood pressure monitor that fits on one's wrist (113/68 last night). I'll tuck that in the car and see what my BP is right after a run. I'll put it in the car organizer that came, that will also hold the assorted "stuff" that I'm always moving from the back seat to the cargo area when I have passengers. This way it'll be much easier and neater! There was more, all of it pretty cool.

Christmas, though, isn't about the "stuff" accumulated, as fun as that all can be. It is, primarily about Christ, but also about family. And although those that share DNA with me were thousands of miles away, the St. George's family was together in so many ways yesterday! Zoe's family, too… And as I type this she's abandonded her mouse to come sit, draped over my arm. Purring!

That's one of the great things about being Christian. No matter what earthly family we have, we've all been adopted into that little family that couldn't find a place to give birth, that huddled around a manger to witness the first days of the most wonderful gift the world's ever been given. And, through that gift, adopted into a much, much larger family.

Mele Kalikimaka, blog family!

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In the news, I ran across this article today, and thought it interesting. Some of the points he makes are the reasons I avoid some news services (on TV, mainly) and choose others.

It has been a while since I've put anything down in writing about what's happening with me… The long and short of it is: A lot and not much.

Things have been fairly routine for Advent. The service time change went well, and we've had adults at every adult ed class since we started. The final official visit with our current bishop went very well, and we had a great time afterwards at the pot-luck.

The Advent Clergy retreat happened, and in the end I was glad I went. I learned a lot about the revisions to Title III canons, but even more about some rather, ah, radical notions of ministry being played out in the Diocese of Northern Michigan. Radical because they differ strongly from the model we've been using for a long time, but also nothing new. They strongly resemble the Early Church. And I think I like what they're doing!

I think I'm just about ready for Christmas. I'm a little unfocused as to tomorrow morning's sermon, but that's okay. The service is meant to be a bit more contemplative, so I think I'll give them a few things to think about centered around the Magnificat and leave them to do the thinking. The evening service is at 6 p.m., and the kids are doing the readings and sermon. I may follow up their presentation with a few words, but I've had those ready for about a month.

Yesterday I mailed off over 40 Christmas cards. I know there are some folks who got one this year who didn't last year, and some who got them last year who I missed completely this year. Hopefully I'll remember to tuck the list away for next year so I can start being a bit more consistent. Even as I type I'm thinking of a few more people I want to get them to. Sigh. But at least all the gifts were either mailed or ordered for direct shipping weeks ago, so that's not a worry.

I did buy a 4.5 foot artificial, prelit tree this year. This will be the second Christmas I've had a tree, the first being 2004. That was a real tree that I selected and cut all by myself on an excursion with friends from my last church. The excursion was fun, but the tree itself was more than I was ready for once I got it home. It smelled nice, but made an awful mess and spiders hatched from inside it. The best part was after it went out onto my balcony: The birds adored it, and it was fun for them and me for months.

I've actually hung stockings (by the TV with care) and cards, so the place looks a bit Christmasy. Some people claim I need to go farther. Give it ten years, and we'll see.

Other than that, just sort of hanging out today and relaxing. I might go run, even though I've run the requisite amount this week already. Fighting all the cookies and such (people, take note: give your pastors fruit baskets!). The running continues to be mediocre, sit ups coming along nicely, pushups not so much (hurts the wrists).

I'll leave you all at that! Hope you all are able to relax and enjoy the last two days of Advent. Don't forget that tomorrow is Advent, and not just Christmas Eve!

The Archbishop of Canterbury has issued a statement about the current conflict in the middle east. That's bound to cause a bit of controversy, but on some levels I can't help agreeing. It has made life more, not less, difficult for Christians in that region.

Yep, it is that time again. Past time, actually, but I've been putting it off what with one thing and the other. I've finally gotten my flu shot.

This year I went through official channels. Last year one of our parishioners, a doctor in the Navy, brought it to church for me. Which was great, don't get me wrong. I got it a lot sooner