A congregation of the United Church of Canada
Un-Decorating
“Just kidding, mostly.”
Is your street a little darker and less colourful since Monday? Have some of the giant, inflatable Christmas lawn decorations disappeared? We’ve noticed both things on our neighbourhood dog walks this week. It was still Christmassy up until New Year’s Eve, but on Monday many houses took down their decorations and turned off their lights. I was surprised it lasted as long as it did. But I guess when you start Christmas songs on the radio in November, and celebrate Christmas hubbub all through December that by the time New Year’s comes around you’re tired of it.
As people of faith we try to follow a slightly different rhythm, calling December the season of Advent, and saying that Christmas doesn’t actually start until, umm, Christmas! There are famously 12 days of Christmas (although the song doesn’t have any religious meaning). In church, Christmas lasts until January 5th. Every year. Then, on January 6th we celebrate the start of the season of Epiphany. So, to be technical, it’s still Christmas until this Friday – so everybody go and tell your neighbours to turn their lights back on! (Just kidding, mostly.)
I hope you have spent these twelve days of Christmas not just thinking about lords-a-leaping or ladies-dancing (or golden rings), but have also kept pondering, on some level, the wonder of the story of the birth of the Christ Child, and how birthing love and light into the world is a task for all of us, every day. Leaving your outdoor lights on for a few more days is a quiet way to faithfully honour the season of Christmas, and the light of the world, and to remind ourselves of our task. (If you’ve already taken your stuff down that’s ok too.)
At Faith United we’re going to go one better than Epiphany! We’re leaving up our lights and decorations until January 7th. Why? Because we are SO holy we just have to! (Again, just kidding, mostly!) It’s because that’s the day that all of us gather for worship and there are enough hands to help un-decorate the church. And so……you are invited to our un-decorating party! It’s this Sunday after worship. There will even be pizza!!! How holy is that!?!
I hope your Christmas season was peaceful and blessed, and I hope that you were able to carry the spirit of Christmas all through the whole season – right up to this weekend (and beyond). And if you want one more little dose of Christmas spirit, come on Sunday and have some holy pizza.