holidays – katyandtheword

#Advent Day 10, North of Whoville

I think that our Christmas tree looks remarkably like the Grinch one this year

A Decorated (unevenly and crowded) Christmas tree, lit, with a red star on top

When our eldest was little approximately 3
The Grinch Who Stole Christmas–the 22 minute cartoon
became their favorite movie;
it was one of the few things they watched on TV
They would watch it on repeat
(You’ve all had that DVD right the one you were tempted to hide?
What do parents do now with streaming…the advantages of disks)

This meant that I started to read it to them every night as well–
It was not long until I had the entire book more or less memorized.

Every Who down in Whoville liked Christmas a lot…
but the Grinch, who lived just North of Whoville
Did Not

I am spending my first Christmas not working for a church
in 17 years
The isolation is tough,
I am not feeling Grinchish,
but I am feeling a little North of Whoville

All the things I unconsciously hold together
as Christmas are not there
which is hard, because tradition are important
rituals help to make us human
and keep us rooted

And though I long for a church
that is more flexible
open and able to communicate
to the world at large

It doesn’t mean that I do not miss
all the pieces that I cherished
About leading through Advent

All the carefully chosen pieces
that others might not have noticed
but I knew were full of meaning
and nudging people to open their hearts
to teach about the full humanity,
humility and the wonderful
accessible salvific work of Jesus

But I also know that Christmas
doesn’t come from what we do
or say
It comes all the same

And though I’m between jobs
and making new traditions
and trusting in God for these next steps
Somehow or other
Christmas [will come] all the same
as it has come, every time before

In pandemics, wars and God knows what else
and though they are foregoing Christmas in the West Bank
in solidarity with Gaza, and I agree
I think, somehow or other
I have to believe

Christ is here all the same.

Feel free to use/adapt/share with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta “KatyandtheWord”

Advent Prayer for Families that don’t Talk

TW: This is not meant to excuse Toxic/Abusive Behavior (more at the end)

God this is a prayer

for all the family members

who aren’t talking to one another

because I have that right now…

on both sides…and I get that

and honestly, all the sides have some kinds of points

Some bigger, and some smaller…

but it’s really not my job to sort

And the reality is, because it’s a family thing

everyone is involved

(parents, adult children, the adult sibs of course and the niflings* tangentially)

And everyone is just so sad

and angry…that we all know the truth

that no one is going to win

because it’s not really a fight right now

Just a sea of disappointment, and tears

and it hurts to talk about it

and it hurts more not to…

So this is a prayer for the holidays,

for all those family members who have lost touch

or haven’t talked

or can’t talk this year

Because, you know God,

(and maybe only you know God)

what is really going on there.

And it’s times like these, I think that this is why

we don’t read the prodigal son, coin, sheep parables at Christmas–

because even though that are exactly what Christmas is all about

they hurt too much–

they, Holy Spirit here it comes,

hit too close to home.

So sit with us God, the broken families,

wishing our families were whole again,

and help us as the time of advent

waiting

becomes all too real,

again,

we pray.

Amen.

Feel free to use/adapt/share with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta

*Gender Neutral term for nieces and nephews, Nibling is much more common but I like the sound of nifling

Additional Note: Please Note this is not meant to be an excuse or apology for toxic or abusive family members. Also sometimes the only protection some people have is to walk away from family, even if some people miss them. If you need to do that I encourage you to do so! In family systems the only person you can work on is yourself and so a safe action to do is break away from your family system to do the work. Holy Spirit help you if that is the hard work you need to get done. I’m praying this prayer for me and the work I need to do–and not for pity.

Holy Days & Sabbath

On the seventh Day, God decided to relieve the monotony and created Sabbath.

Have you read the studies where if there are no special or memorable days, time goes quickly? And humans remember less? Because human brains are not wired to do the same thing everyday.

How strange is that, if I were designing a creature, I would design it to do the same thing all the time.

And although we prefer a structure and not changing, in reality we do not thrive in this environment.

As evidenced by quarantine: where many are working without stopping and many are stopping without working.

So God created a different kind of day, a memorable day, a holy day.

When I’m stuck, and things seem overwhelming, sometimes I declare a random holiday, to help to bide the time. I will stop everything and turn my focus to crafts or baking or reading a (gasp) new book.

My mom has been marking the silly holidays (Bugs Bunny Day, Hoagie Day, Missing Sock Day), and it has been brightening our otherwise monotonous time.

In Middle Ages the church acted as Union insofar as they declared many, many holidays to give people appropriate rest. 12 days at Christmas, every Sunday and 7 weeks after Easter, plus weddings and funerals. They sometimes would have as much as a half a year off.

The creation of Holy Days and Holy Times is part of who God is, it’s a part of who we are. How are we blessing the ordinary days? What makes things Holy today?

May you find Sabbath, and rest!

Funny thing abo…

Funny thing about pastoring, a way to make your job easier is to be emotionally calibrated to the season…i.e if you are “feelin” Thanksgivingy around Thanksgiving, you will be a better pastor, ditto with Easter, Christmas, etc…..I love my job. I am in essence paid to “do the holiday thing”!!!!

YAY