Tuesday Eve Service - Zoom Only

Advent Gives Way to Christmas

Advent Ends
A view of the sanctuary with large decorated letters spelling out Hope Peace Joy and Love. In the foreground are four small tables around the altar with Advent candles on them. Image by Rachael Keefe.

With both a giant storm and Christmas approaching, how are you preparing?

4 comments

We are in the last days of Advent with a giant winter storm bearing down. Some of us have a growing sense of excitement and others have a growing sense of dread – both for the arrival of the storm and Christmas. In both cases, if you are in a safe, warm place I encourage you to seek peace amidst the chaos.

As we traveled through Advent, we stopped to look at how God, how faith, can bring hope, peace, joy, and love into our lives in the place where human spirit and Holy Spirit meet. For many of us the journey has been complicated by grief, illness, anxiety, depression, or other challenges. Yet, we are all here in the last moments between Advent and Christmas.

With snow and temperatures falling and the promise of worse weather to come, do what you need to do to prepare in body, mind, and spirit. Do what you can to help neighbors who may not have what they need to be safe. Then turn yourself toward peace.

  • Can you see the beauty in the falling snow?
  • Do you feel a bit of holiness in the strength of the wind?
  • Is there gratitude in being safe and warm?
  • Can you slow down and breathe deeply in the light of your Christmas tree and/or Advent candles?
  • Will you pray for your neighbors, those who have to be out in the weather, and for the challenges in your own life?
  • Will you take time to seek the Babe in Bethlehem who brings holy Light into the world?

Christmas will arrive with all the majesty of a blizzard or as quietly as the first star of night. Either way, it is a renewal of the promise that God’s Love is always breaking into the world, into our lives, if we take time to notice.

And while you are noticing, go over to the post asking for readers for Christmas Eve services and sign up in the comments. You can be a reader from in the room or on Zoom.

Merry Christmas!

About Rachael Keefe

Rev. Dr. Rachael Keefe is the pastor of Living Table United Church of Christ. She was called to Living Table in 2015 after serving in many varied ministry settings since her ordination in 1992. She holds graduate degrees from Princeton Theological Seminary and Andover Newton Seminary at Yale (formerly Andover Newton Theological School). Her ministry and leadership often center around advocacy and accessibility. Her writing has been published by Chalice Press, The Christian Century, Red Letter Christians, Working Preacher, RevGalBlogPals, and others. She is grateful to be in ministry with Living Table today.

Share this Pastoral Notes

post from Rachael

4 thoughts on “Advent Gives Way to Christmas”

  1. Thank you Rachael and Kevin and all involved with making this Advent and Christmas meaningful. We may be small, but we are mighty, and doing what we can to be a Force for good and positive change in the world.

    Reply

Leave a Reply to Doug Federhart Cancel reply