I included a “thank you” in last month’s Crier, as a way of expressing my appreciation for all the support I received from members of Holy Cross, during my father’s recent illness and subsequent death. Now I’d like to reflect on the meaning of that experience.

As a pastor, I am accustomed to providing support for others – listening to people’s concerns, expressing empathy for what they are going through, praying for God to be with them in the midst of their difficulties. I consider this to be not only an integral part of my calling, and also something that is a real privilege. I never take lightly the fact that people allow me to be a companion to them during times marked by grief, illness, anxiety, or fear.

Being on the other side of that equation, so-to-speak, has filled me with a sense of humility. When people surround you with caring and concern, it is humbling because you think to yourself: “Wow, I don’t deserve this.” There is the sense of being treated in a manner that exceeds one’s expectations, goes beyond what one might have hoped for. An experience that leaves in its wake feelings of gratitude and joy.

Putting this recent, personal story of mine into a broader context, I would suggest there a connection with an old adage we might hear this time of year. With regard to Christmas presents, there could well be the reminder: ’tis better to give, than to receive. As is typically the case with such a saying, there is some truth in that statement. In particular, it can be a helpful in cautioning us against being greedy and materialistic.

As we approach our celebration of Christmas, though, we need to think more deeply along these lines. Giving is without question a good thing – whether it takes the form of a gift-wrapped present, or an expression of concern for someone going through a tough time. But in regard to the latter -- when it comes to being listened to, prayed for, cared about -- it is equally good to receive. In this case, it has nothing to do with being greedy or selfish. It has to do with allowing others to be the ones who do the giving. It has to do with being humble – the willingness to accept even a gift you may not feel you deserve.

As important as this is in our relationship with others, it is even more so in our relationship with God -- who is the ultimate Giver. There is no more precious gift we could  be given than God’s Son Jesus Christ, whose birth we will soon celebrate. God himself becoming human, in order to grant us forgiveness, healing, hope, and eternal life. Though we do not deserve such gifts, God graciously gives them. In humility, and joy, they are ours to RECEIVE.

In Christ, Pastor Rich

ASSOCIATE IN MINISTRY REFLECTIONS

Advent is a time of waiting, a season of preparation. Not to be confused with the secular ‘holiday’ preparations, it is instead a holy time of reflection as we join Mary in awaiting the birth of a baby. Not to be confused with the other baby boys, Jesus is the Word made flesh, God’s Son. Not to be confused with gaiety and laughter, it is a time of repentance for our brokenness in order that we might have clean hearts and right spirits for greeting our Lord. Not to be confused with anticipated gifts wrapped in brightly colored paper, we receive this gift into our hearts, the fulfillment of God’s promise of salvation.

My prayer for all of us is that amidst the genuine joy, inevitable busyness, and sometimes sadness that can be part of our preparations for the Christmas holiday, that we would find holy time in this season of Advent, time which makes room for contemplation and anticipation as we await the coming of the precious gift of God’s Son.   

Blessings to you in the name of the One for whom we wait, Jesus the Christ.
Karen 

MESSAGE FROM A COUNCIL MEMBER

As the song goes, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year!” Advent is already here and Christmas is soon to follow. This is the time of year when we become very busy preparing for the birth and celebration of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I know I don’t have to remind you of this, but it is easy to forget why we celebrate Christmas amidst all of the planning, shopping, concerts, work, cooking, and.....have I left anything out?

At this time of year, I always think of past Christmases, the traditions that we had when I was young and the ones that we have now. When I was growing up in Augusta, I have vivid memories of celebrating Christmas Eve with friends and relatives with such great foods as Pepperidge Farm stuffing with clams, sweet and sour meatballs, and all kinds of other foods. We would have our fill, and then go to midnight service at Prince of Peace Lutheran where the pastor would sing Happy Birthday to Jesus at the end of the candlelight service. I have tried to keep this Christmas Eve tradition alive in my home with many of the same foods, including tourtiere, a French-Canadian meat pie which is made with a very closely kept top secret recipe. On Christmas day there was, and will forever be, the opening of gifts and then more food with either a ham or turkey along with side dishes of green bean casserole with the Durkee fried onions on top, stuffing and all the other fixings.

There were many other traditions of the season, such as the decorations, the singing and playing in Christmas concerts, singing Handel’s Messiah with a community chorus and orchestra, the snow, and visiting with friends and relatives and worshiping the birth of Jesus together on Christmas Eve. I try to use many decorations today that I have accumulated over the years. Most of these have a special story behind them and many of them involve my children’s artwork. I am still singing and playing Christmas concerts, and the best part of the season is celebrating Christmas Eve with all of you.

I hope you all have fond memories of Christmases past and have a very Merry Christmas this year.
Yours in Christ,  Chris Cherry, Council Member

“WAIT … LISTEN”
 
By Bishop Margaret G. Payne
Reprinted from the November issue of “The Lutheran Link,” the quarterly magazine of the New England Synod
 
Seasons are going out of style. Or they are so changed that we have trouble recognizing them and the result is a feeling of disorientation. The weather rarely cooperates anymore with the vacations and festivals that we plan around it. Here in the north, it is likely to snow on Easter and there are crocuses at Christmas. Partway through the haying season last summer we had a fire in the fireplace. The year before that we went to the beach on New Year’s Day and watched children build sand castles. In both cases we had fun but felt weirdly unsettled: we could not escape the uneasy feeling that the world is changing in frightening ways. It is inconvenient, but it is true: the way we live is spoiling our earth and air and water.                           

Is there a way to live differently?
 
“Haste makes waste” my mother used to say. (I find it both annoying and reassuring that so many of her words which apparently had been lying in wait in my throat for many years now pop out of my mouth with no warning.) It has been proven to me a thousand times when I have stubbed my toe, or made a mistake in a hurried sewing project, or left items on the roof of the car and then pulled away, or burned grilled cheese because I was doing too many other things. When I move more quickly than necessary, I usually regret it and something is ruined because of my haste.
 
Perhaps living a bit more slowly, with a mantra of “enough” instead of the familiar mantra of “more” could make a difference in our lives and on our planet. Maybe the satisfaction of multitasking is not worth the damage that it does.
 
If we want to try to live differently we have two tools at hand. At this beginning of the Church Year we take up the spiritual discipline of waiting, and at this beginning of our synodical plan “Called to Listen, Called to Live” we are trying to make listening a bigger part of our lives. Waiting and listening slows us down just when the world tells us to speed up. But if we weave these disciplines into our days we will get the feel of a life that is more measured and open. This slower life creates more ways for us to sense God on the journey with us and more opportunities to connect with our companions along the way.
 
Advent is a counter-cultural season, its rich gift of waiting left on the shelf as other seasonal equipment is snatched up in haste. But let’s re-claim that tradition and see how it simplifies our December lives, and let’s listen in ways that we have never listened before.

THE SEASON

When I was young I saw Christmas as the grand prize.  Anticipation was the key word.  What would I get? Who would remember me? Mom and Dad told me to pick four things I wanted.  They said there was a limit so Santa would have enough for everyone.  As I grew older the obligations of the season overshadowed any preconceived expectations. I became Santa's helper in my house because my little sister deserved a day of happiness. A four gift limit was still the rule, but now I was expected to help with assembly.

Minutes after our gifts were opened on Christmas morning a feeling of emptiness would fill the room.  When other families were busy feasting with company, I sat in a room of shadows and a silver tree, with pompom ends to its branches, and a light wheel beaming a rainbow of colors off an assortment of ornaments. I stared out my window at neighbors riding new bicycles or racing down the sidewalk on brand new skates. "Is this all there is? What do I do now?" I asked the empty room.

When I moved into a home of my own, I put up a real tree and spent an entire paycheck on new decorations.  No presents were under this tree since I would not be opening any until I drove to my parents for Christmas dinner.  Somehow the tree seemed hollow and the room empty. No welcoming joy here, even with the wreath upon my door.

I learned not to enjoy the season.  It never lived up to my expectations. People frazzled from too much to do or an over indulgence in celebration long before the special day, were rude, not joyful, impatient, not tolerant, and always buying useless gifts for people they hardly knew. The crowds in the stores in Philadelphia went crazy with the silly season.

Long before the special day, the joy I was looking for in the mobs of holiday shoppers, in the tired faces of Salvation Army workers ringing their bells, and false Santa's with sagging beards did not appear. I began to find solace in empty churches during my lunch hour at work.  In the quiet of the sanctuary, I slowly breathed in the Peace I sought. Joy came when I started going to Christmas Eve service, sharing carols and lighting candles with a crush of other people, singing Silent Night in a candle lit sanctuary with tears streaming down my cheeks. 

Can you contribute funding rather than time?  Please feel free to place contributions in the flower guild envelopes and deposit in the offering plate.  You can specify Christmas use, or just general funding.

Do you have evergreens that need a trim?  Hold off until the week of the greening, and bring your clippings to church by the 22nd.  Pine, fur, spruce, holly, etc. - we can create artful arrangements out of whatever is left for us.  Boughs can be left on the entry deck off the Narthex.  Please bag in plastic if wet or snowy weather is expected.  Thank you!!!

PICTORIAL DIRECTORY

YOUNG AT HEART

Our holiday activity will be held on December 16th with a progressive dinner followed by the Holy Cross Christmas Concert, ending with dessert and a Yankee Swap. The good news is that we have arranged for a ride to come to your home to provide chauffeuring service, door to door, for all of the places that we will be going, and then back home again at the end of the evening. Pick ups will be from 2:30-3:00. Where we are going and who is driving will be a surprise. Bring along a wrapped gift to swap, costing no more than $10. Please sign up in the Narthex by 12/09.

COOKIES FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS

We will be packing cookies for our college students at 9:45 on December 4th. If you have not already given your student’s current address to Karen or the church office, please do so by the 2nd. If you would like to help by donating cookies, brownies, etc., you can either bring your goodie to the church by 9:30 on the 4th or leave it in the kitchen on Sunday, the 2nd. Cash donations for postage are also welcome. Contact Karen if you have further questions.

ALTERNATIVE HOLIDAY GIFTS

Do you know someone who has everything and doesn’t want for anything? Is there someone on your shopping list who is impossible to buy for because they have all that they need or want? Are you tired of supporting our materialistic society with frivolous purchases and extravagant gifts?   Instead, consider making a donation to ELCA Good Gifts in the name of the person for whom you are shopping.  There are “ELCA Good Gifts” catalogues in the magazine rack in the Narthex hallway. They contain many ideas for supporting those in need through donations in the name of your loved one(s). You could buy a goat or a pig for God’s global barnyard in the name of your grandchild. You could support efforts to bring clean water to people in Africa or Peru or China. You could provide meals for a child orphaned by AIDS or help rebuild homes and communities after a disaster. Many more opportunities are listed in the catalogue, as well as gift cards announcing your gift. What a wonderful way to share Christmas with others around the world.

CHRISTMAS THROUGH THE YEARS

On Sunday, December 16, at 6:00 p.m, Holy Cross will present “Christmas Through the Years,” a concert of Christmas music from the Renaissance through the twentieth century.  Admission is open to all, with a suggested donation of $10.00 for adults, and $5.00 for children. Please bring a  non-perishable food item for the York County Food Bank.

 The excellent acoustics of the church will enhance the contributions of choir, brass, woodwinds, and soloists.  Music will be provided by the 20-member Holy Cross Choir, Coastal Brass Quintet, and the Breakwater Flute Ensemble.  Featured soloists include, sopranos Victoria Cherry and  Catherine Schroeder Hammond, altos Ann Doe and Marilyn Anderson, tenors John Manzo and Schuyler White, baritone Alex Pratt, and organist Warren King.  Many of these accomplished vocalists have performed leading roles in concerts and theater productions in the area.  Mrs. Cherry is well-known to every elementary school student in the Kennebunks.  Cathy Hammond, John Manzo, and Alex Pratt have performed to much acclaim at Grissini Trattoria’s “L’Opera per Vigilia Anno Nuovo” (Opera for New Year’s Eve).  Alex Pratt and Cathy Hammond have also performed at the Wells Library’s Opera Nights.  In addition, Mr. Pratt is well-known for his work with Seaglass Chorale and the Arundel Barn Playhouse.  Schuyler White, a senior at Kennebunk High School, has been cast in lead parts in several KHS productions, as well as the Methuen Children’s Theater, the Maine Boys’ Choir, and other venues.