Dear Parish family:

Retail stores try their hardest to stir up the Christmas season shopping by filling up their shelves and end of aisle displays, and even outside with trees and inflatable santas, etc.

Well as hard as they try, these things do not greatly influence my getting into the Christmas spirit. It’s not necessarily because of the Pandemic, although I am sure it is a factor. It’s not necessarily over the contentious election, or our excitement over two grand babies coming soon, or my upcoming hip surgery, although these are present realities that fill up my attention.

No, each year my Christmas spirit comes when the Lord’s Word and Spirit converge in my heart.
Like John’s Denver’s song lyrics “You fill up my senses”, it is when the sights, smells, and sounds all come together that cause me to think on Christ more.
Christ * ma’s (Spanish adverb meaning more).

Last night, as I soaked in my nightly ritual Epsom salt bath, I played Christmas music and then for at least two hours more until I turned out the light. We have an opportunity to hear great Christmas hymns next Wednesday in our annual Lessons and Carols service (6:30pm).

One contemporary song I really like is You’re here by Francesca Battistelli:
Noel, Noel
Jesus our Emmanuel
You’re here, I’m holding you so near…
You could of left us on our own
But you’re here

Yep, that took me over the top and now the Christmas spirit is upon me.
So a couple of other things that have filled up my senses about this Christmas lately:

From the universe and scientific department: On Dec. 21, the date of the December solstice, Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system, and ringed Saturn, the second-largest, will line up perfectly to look like a double planet in the night sky. The two planets will be so close that they will appear to be touching, separated by one-fifth the diameter of a full moon. It will be the closest they’ve appeared since March 4, 1226.

And from the pictures speak a thousand words department:
Our Saint Matthew’s Take Home Advent Wreath next to a Nativity scene:

From the images on the refrigerator door department:
A Prayer for this season – author unknown:

And finally, from the New Advent devotional department:
‘Waiting Here For You’ An Advent Journey of Hope by Louie Giglio
A Meditation for today:

So Come Lord Jesus, Come into our hearts this Christmas. We need your presence in our lives now more than ever before!

God’s Peace and Blessings always!
Rags+

December 6th, Message from your Rector