Sometimes I play the story in my head of Christmas on fast-forward:
Early December: Angel announces birth to come
December 24th:
- Joseph & Mary head down to Bethlehem
- Quick labor pains, baby Jesus is born
- Laid in manger
- As he is born and laid in manger, angels sing to shepherds
December 25th:
- Shepherds high-tail it into town and worship
- Wise men have been following star and show up with gifts.
Christmas is over.
Whew – what a ride! The holidays come and the holidays go. How have I been present and in what ways have I missed it all? At the end of Luke’s Christmas story, there is this verse:
Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. ~ Luke 2:19
In my haste, I miss these words. And, I miss the treasures and I forget to ponder. I want to ponder, I want to treasure and I want to hear the Good News all over again. For this reason, I am so looking forward to a special experience we have planned at the end of January. (I know, it sure seems like I’m trying to speed things up, but hear me out!)
On January 28 and 29 we will be honored by learning from Terry Hershey – pastor, author, speaker, theologian – on what it means to be present and ponder the here and now. Yet even though hearing Terry is still a month off, his topic is impacting my Christmas now. Here are some words from Terry that we can begin to take to heart RIGHT NOW:
I invite you instead to give yourself the permission to. . .
Regain the foolishness of wonder
Embrace the sacred in the daily
Celebrate gooseflesh
Go human
Radiate compassion
Find God in the ordinary
Live playfully
Spill laughter
Invite serendipity
Allow your Spiritual Renewal to be a journey
Savor the moment
Practice the Power of Pause
Delight in life, knee-deep in the sights, smells, sounds and textures of the day
And remember that Grace is a gift given to all. Without exception. Period.
Christmas blessings,
Vikki
ps: find out more about Terry at www.TerryHershey.com
Posted on
Wed, December 21, 2011
by God's Grace Community Church