A Letter from Pastor Gene
Originally written as a poem in 1922, I’ll Be Home for Christmas (If Only in My Dreams) came to prominence through the glorious voice of Bing Crosby in 1943. Released a few days shy of Halloween that year, the song is obviously associated with Christmas and is easily in my top three Christmas songs of all time (along with There’s No Place Like Home for the Holidays and Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer). Crosby scored a gold record, a top ten hit, and was named by the GI magazine Yank as having “accomplished more for military morale than anyone else of that era,” but this year, the lyric that has really struck me is the one that references “preparing the holiday.” Of course, mistletoe, snow, and presents placed (awkwardly) on the tree are mentioned, but what about you? What is required to prepare the holiday for you? Personally, I always enjoy hanging our mistletoe but am mostly met with rolled eyes and exasperated expressions from my family…I will not apologize for sometimes being corny.
A couple of weekends ago, I was struck by Deacon Deb’s sermon encouraging us towards joy in our lives. She noted that what we pay attention to will expand in our lives. Choose to be negative, and that will get bigger, but if we look towards joy and positivity, we will witness that instead. As Christians, each Sunday in Advent, we celebrate a different aspect of the season (Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love), but Joy is special. After all, it gets its own candle (in pink, no less!), which reminds us that Christmas is near. I don’t know about you, but I could certainly use a little more joy in my life. This year hasn’t been the easiest, and I am looking toward 2025 with some hopeful expectation. In the meantime, I am seeking joy where I can find it. I’ve watched some Hallmark Christmas movies with my daughter, had fun decorating the house with my family, played some extra video games with my son (it’s always baseball season in our house), and thought carefully about what to tuck under the tree for Erin. These preparations were my attempt to get ready for the big deal about Christmas, which, of course, is God coming to earth in the form of a baby. Sure, we know that there were sleepless nights for Mary and Joseph in the offing, but I still remember those magical moments of pure blissful bewilderment at the new life, possibilities, and, yes, JOY encapsulated in a tiny body. My friends, that is what Christmas is truly all about.
So, in closing, my prayer for you is to discover your own joy this season and into the new year. May it be a joy-filled time of God’s love for you and your loved ones.
OTJ,
PG