SPECIAL REPORT: Essential Celebration
Essential Celebration
The year 2020 was marked by a sudden call to reduce our activities to “essential” ones. Pretty much we were told to stay isolated save for grocery shopping and such but as the “two weeks to flatten the curve” dragged on into months – some authorities decided church should remain closed, Fourth of July should be cancelled and now the celebration of great American traditions such as Thanksgiving should cease. But the same “authorities” who banned church attendance said we should “protest.” I will not bother to analyze the “merits” of protest, but rather point out that while most of us dutifully stayed at home, the “protests” turned into cultural vandalism as violent mobs sought to erase the very history of our nation. Meanwhile, churches in California faced government persecution as they simply tried to minister to the needs of their congregations. Enough! It is time to deem our most sacred Celebrations Essential.
Through times of war, pestilence and plague our Sacraments have sustained us. Eucharist, Passover, Incarnation, Resurrection, Christmas! It is these that our essential to our soul – our HUMANITY.
Our Church will not hold our annual Christmas dinner together but we WILL as a group be caroling at the large retirement home. We had Communion last week using Communion Elements packaged in individual containers that looked like coffee creamers. In fact, the Deaconess who handed me one said to me “Don’t dump that in your coffee!” My point is that we need not be reckless as we sensibly continue in our most important traditions. Did you ever wonder why the most sacred celebrations in Jewish tradition are done at home? Sabbath and Passover have been celebrated in homes through times of peace and openness and times of hiding and persecution. We will celebrate Christmas in our homes. We will invite who we will (responsibly, of course), but no government will deny us the foundations of celebration we so desperately need!
Christmas Oranges
A Relatively New Film with a Surprising Twist
Link will redirect you to YouTube site where you may watch the full movie.
