A postcard for Christmas 2022
My version of an Advent wreath.
Merry Christmas, y’all!
Christmas is not a day, it is a season. You can keep right on saying “Merry Christmas” through January 5 (a.k.a. The Twelfth Night). Then is the Feast of the Epiphany, where we remember the coming of the Magi from the East and their acknowledgment of who Jesus was.
I am so very thankful for the cards, gifts, and treats. I was well-fed on my journey on Christmas Eve. It was wonderful to celebrate Christmas three times over with the good folks at St. Barnabas in Roanoke, Messiah in Heflin, and Holy Spirit in Alabaster. It was a joy-filled day.
At the beginning of Advent, I shared a prayer by Howard Thurman. As we are in the midst of the 12 Days of Christmas, it seems appropriate to share another Thurman prayer:
I will light Candles this Christmas,
From “The Mood of Christmas…” by Howard Thurman
Candles of joy despite all the sadness,
Candles of hope where despair keeps watch,
Candles of courage for fears ever present,
Candles of peace for tempest-tossed days,
Candles of grace to ease heavy burdens,
Candles of love to inspire all my living,
Candles that will burn all year long.
A sermon for Christmas Eve offered at the Episcopal Church of the Messiah, Heflin, Alabama, 12/24/22:
Principal texts: Luke 2:1-20
Notoriously Episcopalian 