Dear friends,
On a sunny Friday afternoon in November, Nicola and I put on our masks, grabbed our cell phones and hiked up to Tippling Rock. We stopped a few times along the way—at a field where the grass was brown, at a bridge that leveled out the path, and finally on top of the rock. At each stopping place, Nicola filmed as I read from Isaiah 40, our Hebrew Bible text for the second Sunday in Advent. The text uses vivid imagery from nature to convey the promise of God’s faithfulness. The best part was standing on top of the rock as I read “Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good tidings.” It was powerful to proclaim those words in that place; it was also fun to imagine what the other hikers were thinking!
In a typical year, Nicola and I would never have taken the time for that hike. It never would have occurred to us to film our Advent scriptures “on location.” That afternoon was one of the unexpected gifts of this very unusual year.
This Advent season, I will miss being in our sanctuary. I will miss standing beside the other sopranos as the choir sings our favorite Christmas anthems. I will miss the energy of the Bluegrass Christmas service, the joyous chaos of the pageant, the passion behind the Gifts that Give Fair, and the deep peace of Christmas Eve candlelighting.
At the same time, I am excited by new ways we will experience Advent and Christmas this year. We will read scripture and poetry outdoors. We will decorate the sanctuary for the filming of scripture and carols for Christmas Eve. We will have wonderful music from our choir, On the Fence, and the Willie Sordillo Ensemble (with gratitude to Old South Church). Our young people will light the Advent candles. The pageant will feature families taking on their roles in their own homes. We will have our first ever Illuminated Walk. Seeds of Grace will host a Longest Night service. Our silent auction will raise money for A Place to Turn, and we will celebrate with a virtual Christmas party!
Our holiday traditions are deeply meaningful. I trust that this year’s adaptations of our traditions will open us to new insights into the Christmas story and new experiences of the hope, peace, joy and love of the season.
Peace,
Debbie