Main Pastor's Page
December 2006
"Comfort, comfort now my people; tell
of peace so says our God." So begins an
old Advent carol. This is a time of
preparation, yes for the holiday activities
that surround us, the gifts, the gettogethers,
food, family traditions, sweets.
In my family of origin when I was small
we would come to my grandparents or
great-grandparents usually on Christmas
Eve or a Sunday near Christmas. There
were aunts and uncles, and cousins by the
dozens. For us children it was a magical time. We certainly knew
that gifts would be opened on Christmas morning at our own home
but this time when the extended family was altogether, we each got
something. But before that there was the requisite saying of our
parts for the Christmas pageant or singing a solo of a Christmas
carol. And then all of us could sing some carols together, the more
familiar ones from memory, O Little Town of Bethlehem, Silent
Night, and Joy to the World being mandatory. Sometimes this
would be before dinner sometimes after dinner.
But there was always this opportunity to have a feast together.
Grandma would bring around some homemade wine for all the
adults and we would sit down to a meal that was only served on
this special time of the year. It included lutefisk and lefsa for we
were of Scandinavian ancestry. Lutefisk was a lye soaked cod fish
used to preserve it and lefse, a potato based tortilla. These were the
holy foods of our ancestors as they made the journey from Norway
across the Atlantic to settle in the new land called America. We
would eat some of the lutefisk just to please Grandma, only if we
could drown it in melted butter. And we ate much lefsa because
you could spread it with butter and sprinkle sugar on it, roll it up,
and eat it as the sugar ran out onto your plate. Of course there were
piles of potatoes and other dishes, coleslaw, baked beans, relishes
and pickles, roast beef and ham, jello molds and later dessert.
After we would go to church for the Sunday School Christmas
pageant.
Why do I take this nostalgic trip? For one it is fun to bring to mind
enjoyable memories long past, for me some from a half century
ago. But also to be reminded of the events and people who gave me
a solid gift of love and faith. The story of Mary, Joseph, and the
Christ Child were deeply imbedded into my soul and memory. That
was a gift to bring comfort not only then, but now, many years later
to a world that all to often can seem to be without faith and hope.
So I give thanks to my parents, grandparents, Sunday School
teachers, and others who are no longer here on earth. I mention this
too for you parents with little ones and even youth. I hope you have
some family holiday traditions built around both your family and
our Christian faith. It may be hard to see its worth now as the
children may moan and grown about doing certain traditions of the
season, but I believe ultimately they may thank you.
For me, and I imagine for others this time of year, despite all the
activity it is still one which brings us joy. Because we know the
season is about giving. That giving begins with God's gift to us all
in the form of Jesus our Savior. In this season we too try to give
what we are able to both those we love and those who may not
have very much of this worlds goods. We hope this will be a
season of joy for you. For some of us who have lost loved ones it
may be lonely, but we give thanks they are with the one after
whom this season is named and to whom we look forward to his
coming again. It is a comfort.
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