Christmas Fair Central

Actually, I didn’t have the time to spend at Simon’s this morning with all the pre-fair activity going on, so breakfast was grab-and-go…

As you’ll see Sunday, our Deacons have done a splendid job garnishing the sanctuary with Advent appointments.  One of them approached me after church on Sunday and asked if I thought it was appropriate to do so, since we expected (and experienced) a good size congregation for Jim Ready’s Memorial service the following day.  Should we have the Advent wreaths up even if people would be in church before Advent actually begins (which is this Sunday)?  Is it too early?  To be honest, there was a time I may have replied Yes.  I remain one of “those people” who don’t listen to holiday music before Advent.  But I think those days are long gone, and not just for the average church member…

To my surprise (and minor horror), some of my UCC colleagues and their churches decided to celebrate the first Sunday of Advent last weekend!  Now this, to me, is a bridge too far.  Their rationale was that a) people expect Advent to follow immediately on the heels of Thanksgiving, so this is what we ought to do.  And b) the fourth Sunday of Advent is also Christmas Eve, and we don’t want to confuse people. (!)  Why some of my colleagues don’t think their parishioners can hold two simultaneous thoughts at once (that December 24 can also be a Sunday in Advent) is beyond me, and you know I am liturgical enough to know better than to mess with the calendar. 

Well, I could keep venting, but I remain grateful that all the hands and hard work and good humor at this weekend’s fair will usher us properly into the season that anticipates the birth of the savior without my having to speed up the process.  Jesus will be born when Jesus will be born, regardless how quickly folks want him to get here.

The link to Sunday’s bulletin and service are here:

Link to Bulletin

Link to Service