by Rev. Eric Folkerth

 It’s hard to believe that it really has been two full years since we have been together on Christmas Eve. Friday night that changes as we have two in-person worship services. (You can find information about them elsewhere in the newsletter.)  

Our theme throughout this advent season has been “Coming Home.“

“Home“ is such a complicated concept in our lives right now. Many of us will be “going home” to see family members for the very first time in a very long time. Many of the rest of us will not and will spend another Christmas alone. Some of us have large and loving multi-generational families that we cherish. Others of us have painful or conflicted relationships with ours.

And that’s not even counting our worries over the new Omicron variant. I am already hearing that it is playing havoc with some people‘s Christmas plans… Including my own family’s.

So, there’s a lot on our minds, isn’t there?

We have tried our best to plan for a Christmas Eve that will be as safe as possible. We will require people to wear masks. We will sit at a social distance as we have been for some months now. And we will continue to strongly urge people to use the contactless bulletin. Finally, of course, as we have for many months now, we will strongly urge unvaccinated persons to simply stay home.

It’s been a debate among many of our lay leaders and staff as to just how many people will show up on Christmas Eve. For some weeks we have been slightly concerned that we might have a larger crowd than would be safe. My strong hunch is that the news of the raging Omicron variant will now keep some people away in an abundance of self-selected caution. Even still, we expect that we will have a good many visitors with us on Friday evening.

There is one specific thing that you could do to help us be as welcoming as possible for our guests. That would be: to sit in the two “transepts“ of the sanctuary.

These are the two cross sections of seating. (The left transept is where the handbell tables are generally set up. We have taken those down temporarily to create seating for Christmas Eve.)

If you will do this small thing, it will certainly help our guests be able to find a seat more easily and quickly and simultaneously give us the best chance to be safely spread out throughout the sanctuary. Thank you for considering this.

The final thing to remind ourselves about “coming home“ is that within the Christmas story itself the concept of “home” is also complicated.

Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus are not at their home for his birth. Instead, they have been forced by the power of the government, the power of empire, to travel a great distance. They are, quite literally, migrants at the moment of Jesus‘ birth. Even more, as you know, they are not in a regular inn or hotel. They are in a stable. Jesus‘s first crib is a cow trough.

It’s stark imagery, but it reminds us that “home“ is always a malleable and changing concept. And I hope it gives you all some hope and comfort about your situation this Christmas.

Those of us who live alone create beautiful God-filled homes.
Same-sex couples create beautiful God-filled homes.
Divorced families create beautiful God-filled homes.
“Traditional families“ create beautiful God-filled homes.

The point being, the story of Christmas itself helps us understand the complex incarnational nature of our own homes.

God is present with you this Christmas. It cannot be otherwise. However you will celebrate it, however much your plans come to fruition, or are thrown off the rails, God will be there.

Thanks be to God for the wonder of Christmas and God‘s presence among us today. 

See you in person or online Friday evening.

And Christmas Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love to you all.

Eric Folkerth