Emerging Spirit @ The United Church of Canada Emerging Spirit @ The United Church of Canada

 A friend* of mine believes that churches would be in better shape if they treated every Sunday like it was Christmas Sunday: Brought out the good linen, took the plastic off the furniture, decorated, smiled, and just welcomed everybody into church like long lost pals. He has a point.

A good point.

A very good point.

We are probably at our most "welcoming" on or about Christmas. We have the junior choir singing; we have the senior choir with special December members thrilling us; we do pageants and have dinners... lots of applause and all very exciting.

Now, maybe I'm Christmas weary, although I don't think so, I loved Christmas 2008! Same story as 2007, but better carols and better presents from my kids!!

I'm still in the last blush of Christmas. The tree is in a half dressed state, the poppy cock all consumed and thankfully, the turkey's end is reached. There are still a few slices of my mom's fruit cake left. Primarily though it`s the memories I`m still digesting:

• 1. Attempting to attend a Christmas pageant to experience a few bath-robed children singing Away in a Manger but stymied by an unusual snow fall that ground Victoria to a halt.
  2. The gift of conversations with neighbours as we abandoned our cars and walked to the grocery store.
  3. A young child invited to the front of the sanctuary to choose a gift of a Christmas bear from over thirty options. After refusing the pick of the litter, he approaches the tiniest bear, cradles it in his arms and walks towards his parents.
  4. Christmas cards lining the window sills - many filled with a year`s news from old friends and family.
  5. The voice of my three-year-old grandson on the phone early Christmas morning, "Santa really came Grandma and I got just what I wanted. Roller skates!"
  6. Making bird feeders with the Sunday school class appreciating the willingness of the youth to lend advice and nimble fingers to the younger ones.
  7. Watching the advent calendar gradually tell the story of the child's birth.
  8. The filling of the sanctuary with candle light as Silent Night is sung by those who need no hymn books, by heart.
  9. The first words my two-year-old grandson would say each morning as he woke, "Christmas tree on."
  10. Our son`s delight in initiating his partner into all our family Christmas traditions.
  11. The giving of food, shelter, warm clothes, money and time to churches, homeless shelters, hospitals and charities of all kinds.
  12. The gift from our oldest daughter of an ultrasound picture, announcing the birth of another grandchild in June.

Memories feed the spirit and provide nourishment for hope.

It is my hope that your Christmas was filled with memories that nourish and that 2009 will be a year filled with opportunity, challenge and grace.

The other day my daughter popped by with a present from a friend. The huge box intrigued my three year old grandson. We decided to open it together. Wrapped in newspaper, an angel was the first item to emerge. Then came two sheep and a clay figurine wearing a crown. As the menagerie grew, my grandson kept wondering, "What is it?" I responded with the same curiosity, "I wonder."

When the shepherds, manger and other characters in the story occupied the bulk of the living room floor, we wondered what this story could be about. We took each figure and tried to imagine who they were. The angel came first. "I wonder what this could be." "It's a butterfly," he said. "A butterfly, I wonder if it could be a butterfly." We moved on. He recognized the three robed men as kings. The sheep - well that was easy. Mary and Joseph didn't ring any bells for him - simply a boy and a girl.

Finally he picked up the babe. We wondered who this baby could be. Then his eyes lit and he announced, "I think it's Jesus." (That's when my eyes welled up.) Then the words any Christian grandmother longs to hear, "Grandma, tell me the story."