Dear Friends,
It is lovely to be back with you after sabbatical, especially since it coincides with the start of Advent! It is a good time to reset ourselves in the countdown to Christmas. I don’t think we ever tire of the annual themes highlighted during this season: Hope and Faith, Peace, Love, and Joy. No matter what we experience during the holidays, we have the ability to set our minds and intentions on these attributes as a reminder of Spirit during busy and possibly stressful moments. The last (almost) three years have recalibrated our priorities and approaches to many of our rituals and
traditions. This time last year, we were so happy to finally be together at our outdoor Christmas pizza party, and our Christmas Eve service was tentatively attended by those willing to venture out while COVID was still very active. (That party is happening again this Saturday—-see details elsewhere in this newsletter!) Even as we are still cautious, we also have a renewed appreciation for the time we spend with each other; the colors are brighter and hugs more tender.
So as you shop and cook and travel and decorate—-any, all, or none of those—-remember that
underneath everything is the steady hum of those seasonal themes. If you listen closely, breathing and waiting upon Spirit, you will hear the echoes of them, ringing down through time and tradition—-and as current and vital as the next breath. That, my friends, transcends religion and ritual and brings us to the very heart of Spirit. Let’s dwell there.
Much love and many blessings,
Rev Jill