This Week at Trinity, Beamsville
Friday, November 26, 2021
Dear Friends,
This week I was sent a link to a video that, quite likely, has been in circulation forever. It’s called “Mum Is Obsessed With Christmas” and, if you’ve seen it, you’ll remember it’s a condensed coverage of a week-long decorating project at a family home. With organization and work that boggles my mind, this unnamed and self-proclaimed elf of all things Christmas décor transforms every space (and I mean, every space) into a seasonal celebration. I’m not sure how I feel about a nativity scene in the bathroom, but you know, to each their own – and who’s to say there isn’t a theological statement in that, with God among us everywhere. It’s probably more about running out of space, but there we are.
Watching the video, I started to think I should have been like that daughter following her mum around, capturing for others the work that it takes to bring their home to beautiful life. I could have been amateur videographer this week, for our church, for our church family. Not just because of the pandemic, but because this is usually how church work happens, there is so much that must and does happen behind the scenes. From this week’s chronicle alone: the narthex is ready with texture and words, to help prepare you for Advent worship, and beyond. The front lawn is ready for Sunday night’s tree-lighting and sign-lighting, with words to guide all who pass by. The choir is ready already (yes you are) for the December 19th concert, with songs and presence to ground us in this exceptional season. We won’t quite reach the decorating capacity of that video above, but in our own way, with dedication and care, elves are doing wonderful things, for the sake of our congregational and community experience.
In the midst of it all, I was sent a photo from another congregation, sharing their sanctuary’s chancel, transformed with gorgeous trees and hand-crafted angels, soft white lights and beautiful colours, arranged just so. I wrote back and said how beautiful it is – and then I said ours isn’t anything like that… at least not yet, and that’s intentional. We’re building each week, as we journey with some of the ancient prophets. We’ll move, with them, from the stark to the exquisite… at least that’s the hope. The staff elves will be busy as we go, as always, but with a special attention to this special birth before us. Consider it our time of nesting, of preparing, of waiting, and trusting. Consider it a beautiful part of a beautiful season, reminding us that, with God in our midst, there’s always something extraordinary about the ordinary.
With Advent love to you all,
Heather
“This is the Hope we search for:
Hope found in times of a new beginning;
Hope for the coming of Jesus is clearly ahead of us;
Hope found in the time of getting ready…”