Pandemic or not, the Rev. Dr. Margie Crawford encourages all of us to continue the countdown to Christmas with hope in our hearts.

MARGIE CRAWFORD
Superintendent, Midwest District

When I was a child, each of my teachers counted the days until Christmas. There would be some kind of display on one of the boards in the classroom. Each day, a student was chosen to add or take away the card which signified that the wondrous day of our Savior’s birth was drawing closer.

It wasn’t that long ago that one could see a countdown to Christmas everywhere. The two major department stores in Cleveland, where I grew up, decorated their display windows with a host of Christmas scenes. One of the stores is actually featured in the film A Christmas Story. 

I can’t remember when the way we counted changed. Instead of keeping track of the days until Christmas, and the annual Christmas break from school, the countdown turned into the number of shopping days. Christmas break became Winter break. Then people stopped saying Merry Christmas. The reason ….? Not everyone celebrates the birth of our Lord and Savior. 

Now we are encouraged to say Happy Holidays. The greeting doesn’t have the same feeling for me. And yet, the excitement of this season is the same as it has always been. The day we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior is now only 10 days away. How is your faith community telling Jesus’ story this year?

Our Book of Worship offers numerous services for Advent, from Hanging of the Greens to Lessons and Carols. My favorite Sundays during this season are the ones dedicated to the Children’s Christmas (not Holiday) service. I love the way they share the story of our Savior’s birth.

I adapted the Las Posadas (Service of Shelter for the Holy Family) one year to happen within the church walls, rather than in the neighborhood. Children were placed around the sanctuary, waiting for Mary and Joseph to ask for a place to stay, only to be sent on to the next person/area.

Of course, the music composed for God’s miracle is precious and inspiring. Whether you like Handel’s Messiah or a handbell version of Carol of the Bells, songs resonate with us as mere words never can. The Gospels of Matthew and Luke share the story of Jesus’ heritage and birth in very different ways. Other books of the Bible herald the coming of the Son of God.

I don’t think there are enough days in Advent to tell and retell the miracle of our Savior’s birth. I realize that we are still under the umbrella of the pandemic. It was difficult to know how to plan for this year, whether we should gather in person, if we are able, to sing our favorite hymns or decorate our churches with giving trees and boughs full of ornaments. 

And yet, whenever two or three are gathered in His name, we can share the story that continues to transform our lives and our souls. With only 10 days left, and all that is happening right now, may we still remember the hope and promise this season brings for all of creation.  And Amen.

Last Updated on December 14, 2021