St. Paul Lutheran Church in East Lansing, Michigan. Member congregation of the ELCA - Evangelical Lutheran Church of America.

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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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