 Pastor’s
Page
Advent and
Christmas are, hands-down, my favorite seasons in the church year. In fact,
they were my favorite seasons before I was old enough to go to church. Like
back when I was little more than a toddler, and just old enough for my eyes
to widen when Mom wrapped a present in bright paper, and I knew it was for
me, or when my Dad plugged in the lights on the Christmas tree, and the
little bubbles in those clear colored tube-lights started to burp and dance,
or Mom baked cookies, and the smell filled the house. For most of us, our
memories of this season are multi-sensory – memories of sights, sounds,
smells, tastes, even touches that make this season particularly dear and
beautiful to us.
My hope is that, no
matter how old we are, or what our situations are, we might recapture some
of that sense of wonder this year. Theologian Sam Keen coined the term “wonderosity,”
by which he means the fountain of wonder and curiosity inside us all.
Coleman Barks says, “I think we all have a core that’s ecstatic, that knows
and that looks up to wonder. We all know that there are marvelous moments of
eternity that just happen. We know them.” Naturalist Diane Ackerman writes
about the spiritual practice of wonder in her book A Natural History of the
Senses, and Mary Oliver reflects it in her exquisite poems. Films like Il
Postino and Local Hero and Babette’s Feast all remind us of the importance
of taking time to notice the wonder of all that surrounds us, in both
familiar and unfamiliar places. Composer Claude Debussy’s La Mer and
Alexander Calder’s remarkable mobiles capture wonder in the patterns of
sound and color they offer.
And however we experience
it, whenever we feel that sense of wonder...the child’s wide-eyed
amazement...the teen-ager’s hope of something wonderful about to
happen...the adult’s “ahhhh” of surprise...we are connecting deeply with the
Sacred. In this Holy season, I encourage you to spend some time remembering
your earliest experiences with wonder. And then, create some new ones for
yourself – looking, listening, smelling, tasting, touching – above all,
noticing what is there, and how truly remarkable it all is. Try this
breath-prayer: Breathing in: “Let me sense...” Breathing out “the world
anew.”
Pause in the midst of all
the holiday rushing...pause and notice...let the Spirit catch your breath
with wonder...feel your own spirit soar...and give thanks. To the One who
has gifted us with life, with possibility, and with the promises of peace,
hope, love, and joy that our Christ brings to each of us.
Blessings, Pastor Sharyl
Time & Talents
Everyone receiving this newsletter, whether you are an “official member” of
the church or not, is invited each year to pledge their Time & Talents to
support the work of our church. There are dozens of different ways you can
serve, from being part of church committees (we call them Boards), to
serving coffee, to folding bulletins in the church office, to participating
in different kinds of mission experiences, to many more options.
On Sunday, December 23,
you will be invited to complete a Time & Talent form in worship, and bring
it forward, as an adult version of your Christmas Gift to Christ. Please
spend some time praying about this – what gifts and talents do you have that
you would be willing to share with our church this year?
And, speaking of TALENT....They are Great!
 Our
Handbells Enrich Us!
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