Ministers Musings
The Reverend Lydia Ferrante-Roseberry
The Work of Christmas
When the song of angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flock,
The work of Christmas begins:
to find the lost,
to heal the broken,
to feed the hungry,
to release the prisoner,
to rebuild the nations,
to bring peace among the brothers,
to make music in the heart.
— Howard Thurman
The weekend after Christmas, we’ll take down the tree and the lights, carefully wrap the ornaments and candles, and return our Christmas angel to her yearlong slumber in the basement. When my mother was a child in Italy, the arrival of the Three Kings, or the Epiphany, was celebrated on January 6th. For us, it’s all wrapped up by New Year’s.
It seems fitting to me to clear out the fullness of Christmas at New Year’s. It’s a physical reminder that the New Year is an opportunity for a fresh start. Of course, each and every moment provides us with that opportunity. But I think there is some power in the solidarity of people and communities, known and unknown, setting their intentions toward something better, be it health or harmony, all at the same time. Our ideals can be buoyed up by the energetic expectations that fill this time of year.
I believe in intentions more than resolutions. Resolutions are like a stake in the ground. Once toppled by my human imperfection, feelings of failure or even shame can be stronger than my will to reclaim my hopeful desire. Intentions are like waves of new behaviors, which over time create something smooth and beautiful out of the unhealthy, jagged patterns of my life. Not every wave will reach its goal, but if I put my faith in the tide that continues to pull me toward my higher ideals, I find I can endure my shortcomings with much more grace.
In the coming months, you’ll be asked to join with others in the congregation to set some intentions for the coming years. Who do we want to be in 5 years? What impact do we want to be making beyond the walls of our congregation? What sort of internal infrastructure do we need to get us there? You are a congregation with a big heart and expansive hopes. We’ve only begun our journey toward a fuller embodiment of our faith in the world. Not everything we dream will come to fruition at once, but if we set our intentions together, and graciously accept our shortcomings, we will live into a vision that may just surprise us all.
May our personal and collective intentions include finding joy and meaning in our lives and healing for our world.
—Lydia