Still With Us

As baffling as it may sound, there are many people in our midst who actually like winter. Some folks love to go for a run, letting that dry, cold air fill their lungs. Some love to ski or skate, or simply cozy up next to the yellow warmth of a fireplace. No matter how you feel about the season, though, everyone will find it harsh and unrelenting at times. The same storms that give us conditions for play also slow us down and put drivers in danger. Scarce daylight hours can damage our moods. Sometimes the cold is simply too much to handle.

My feelings about winter seem to change with the weather. It can be lovely at times, but I would probably love it more if we could just have a soft blanket of snow on the ground from the moment the last leaf falls to the day the first shoots of spring emerge. When all is overcast and brown, it is hard to get much joy out of a barren landscape. I think this is one reason why so many folks use lights and colorful decorations to liven up the outside of their homes during Christmas. 

So many of us celebrated the good news of Jesus’ life by bringing signs of hope into a world that has turned drab. We brought that hope through decorations, music, generosity, and togetherness. As people of faith, we are called to still proclaim that good news even beyond the holiday season— especially in a world that still feels dim and devoid of vibrance in so many ways. The light of Christ shines in the darkness of night, and we need the warming assurance that Emmanuel is still with us.

This is one reason why we have kept a few decorations up around the building— to remind ourselves that the Messiah we celebrated in December is with us even now. You may have noticed the paper stars in the windows of the Fellowship Hall. We originally chose these because the quilt-like patterns within them worked well with the imagery our Advent devotionals. The confirmation students and I spent a few Wednesdays folding them and progressively filling the building with their color throughout Advent. 

Now that Christmas is behind us, all the stars have relocated to the windows in the Fellowship Hall. We have lifted the blinds to let the light shine through them, filling the space with radiant color. They will probably remain there a little while longer. And while this little installation won’t replace your Vitamin D supplements, hopefully it can lift your mood ever so slightly. And, like the Star of Bethlehem, hopefully these points of color will remind you to continue to seek out the love of Jesus and share that joy with all the world.

Peace, Pastor Chad McKenna