The Mainline Minister

In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven,    and on earth peace among those whom he favours!’

We're almost there.  It's Christmas Eve Day.  Are we ready for the arrival of Baby Jesus? Of course not.  Fortunately, God-with-us, Emmanuel, comes knowing that we fall short of the mark, that we don't measure up, that we are still made to give and forgive, to be in relationship, to reconcile and repent, to love and be loved.  Here's the Good News for this day: we may not be ready for Jesus, but Jesus is ready for us.

We're almost there.  Christmas Eve is tomorrow.  But while we may be excited about our imminent arrival at Christmas, let's do ourselves a favor and enjoy this last full day of Advent.  Let's take some time to reflect, to sit quietly, to just be.  Le'ts open ourselves to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  Let's enjoy the last bit of this journey.  We're almost there.  But were not there yet - so let's enjoy and give thanks for where we are.

With Christmas just a couple of days away, I'm feeling a bit harried.  There's just too much to do.  However, when I begin to feel overwhelmed, I pause and take a deep breath and try to remember where I am: Advent.  Right until the end of this season we are supposed to watch and wait, be present in the moment so we can be present for the arrival of the Christ child. Too much going on?  Take a deep breath. Jesus is coming.

Today is the winter solstice.  This evening members of the Upper Valley Community will come together to remember those who without adequate, stable housing who have died over the past year.  For many, this is a time of joy and celebration.  But for others, this season of long nights and frigid temperatures is an hour to worry about survival.  As we prepare room for the Christ child in our hearts, let us honor the baby Jesus by rededicating ourselves to finding and preparing rooms for our homeless neighbors in need. N.B. For my Upper Valley readers, there will be a vigil at Tri-County CAP on 57 Mechanic Street in Lebanon to remember those who died over the past year.  Please join us if you can at 5:30.

Yesterday was one of those days when the bad news kept on coming.  The Russian ambassador was murdered in Ankarra.  A terrorist drove into a crowded Christmas market in Berlin.  Closer to home, the final consequential act of the 2016 presidential election took place reminding us of the divisions in our own country.  It was a dark day. Now, as I reflect on this, I contemplate the funeral service I will lead later this afternoon and the conversation I had with the family, which does not belong to the church I serve, and I have hope.   The family members have a variety of different understandings about religion yet their focus was on celebrating the life of their beloved and supporting each other during a difficult time.  In contrast to the darkness, in a moment opened by death, the light shone through.  We welcome the light during this season of Advent because we know its source and we recognize our need.  Welcoming the Christ child into our lives is the way we who foll

I thrilled to watching moon shots when I was a kid.  The countdown before the mighty Saturn V rocket blasted off built a sense of anticipation.  Going into outer space was a big deal.  It still is, even if bumming a ride from the Russians to get to the space station may not have the same romance. Advent can be like this too.  Some of us have been doing it for so long, we've lost sight of how exciting this season should be.  Perhaps we're just too caught up in the details.  But let's not lose sight of the fact that we're preparing for something remarkable.  And it's almost here! So get excited.  It's just five days until Christmas.  Which means we still have some time to prepare for the amazing thing that God has done, will do, and is doing in and through Jesus.

It's icy and slick outside today.  People are going to take extra care as they walk, they'll be alert, looking around to avoid hazards. Advent is a time to be careful, too.  We should be mindful of our journey towards Bethlehem, making sure not to be tripped up by parties or shopping or all of the many ways our society twists the meaning of Christmas. So, be careful - it's still Advent!

Right now I'm watching the snow fall.  I'm enjoying the view and the sense of peace that's descended on the neighborhood.  But what's that I hear in the background?  Yes, it's a snow blower.  Someone is trying to get ahead of the curve.  Me? I'll stay inside where it's warm and deal with white stuff later on. This all seems right during Advent.  I've got a lot to get in order before Christmas Eve next Saturday but I'm determined to live into the Advent moment as long as I can.  To take some time to anticipate, to prepare, to listen. If you can, enjoy the snow today.  Sit back, relax, reflect.  There will be time to clean up later.

When I woke up this morning, my weather app told me it was 6 below zero.  I was lucky enough to learn this from the comfort of a warm bed in a well-heated house.  This is not true for all of our neighbors.  As we prepare for the arrival of Jesus, this Advent season is a good time to think about what we as individuals and as a community can do to ensure that nobody is sleeping outside in the cold.

There's so much information coming our way, so much noise to cut through, that it can be hard to hear what's really important.  What are you listening for this Advent season?  What do you think God might be calling you to do during this season of anticipation?  Listen closely, listen faithfully.  Who knows what surprises may be in store for you!

This morning when I arrived at church there was nowhere to park.  The lot was full, which meant I'd have to look elsewhere for a spot.  An inconvenience? Yes.  But one I was more than happy to deal with.  That's because today was a WIC clinic day.  A couple of times a month, WIC sets up shop in our parish hall and offers vital services to families with kids.  It's a ministry of our church that most members don't get to see, but it's one of which I'm especially proud.  Space that would normally sit empty and unused midweek instead becomes a location where our neighbors are able to get the assistance they need to ensure healthy outcomes for their children. Talk about a vision of what the church should be!  A place where are all welcome, where everyone can find support and succor and nourishment and life.  This is an  Advent vision, and it's what we know is coming with the birth of Jesus.  So let us prepare room for the Christ-child by continuing

There's a nasty virus making its way around the Upper Valley.  Much to my disappointment, it decided to pay a visit to my house.  I was flat on my back on Tuesday, unable to focus.  Among the things that didn't get done was my Advent reflection.  I could have just skipped the missed day but decided I'd try to make it up. Advent is a good time to think about things we'd like to make up, too.  Prayers not prayed, Scripture not read, fellowship not partaken of, service not rendered.  As we prepare for the arrival of the infant Jesus, let's think about what we've not done and get around to doing it.  We may be a day late, but that's okay.  God's waiting for us to give the way of Jesus a try, even if we're running behind schedule.

We've had our first major snowfall of the year here in the Upper Valley, and as a result, a snow day has been declared.  School children are thrilled while many parents are suddenly juggling schedules.  For some, the interruption is a gift, for others, an unwelcome disruption.  Either way, the cancellation of classes and other events is a reminder that for all of our pretensions to being in charge, there are some things that lay beyond our control. Advent is a fine time to reflect on this truth, to think about how it is the God who comes to us as an infant born in a manger who is control of all Creation, and how God wields this control with mercy, love, and grace for all creatures, great and small.

Today is Gaudette Sunday, which takes its name from the Latin for rejoice. In worship, we will hear the Magnificat, Mary's song of thanksgiving and praise which is filled with joy.  What gives you joy?  Think about that, and then thank God.

The seventh day of the week, we are taught in Genesis, is when God rested from his labors.  Created in his image, and following his example, we take a day of Sabbath, too. Or at least we claim to do this. How often do we say, "I'll take a break later?" or "I have no time to rest."  Sometimes, we may be faced with unavoidable demands on our schedules.  But all too often, we simply do as everyone else around us does and in today's society, being busy means being important.  On this Saturday in Advent, I would like to encourage us to do differently, to follow God's example, and to remember that we are important not because of how much we do, but because we are beloved of God.

When I turned on my computer a few minutes ago, everything seemed dull and washed out due to cloudy skies.  But a couple of moments ago, the sun broke through, momentarily filling the room with a warm light. The break in the cover has passed. But the memory of the ray of sunshine remains vivid.  I know it will fade, but it's worth enjoying.  Some pleasures in life are fleeting.  Rather than bemoan their ephemeral nature, we can appreciate them for what they are: bursts of joy. Advent can help us to prepare for these surprises, just as it can help us be ready for sudden, momentary intrusions of God's grace into our lives.  So, during this season leading up to Christmas, keep your eyes open.  You never know what you'll see - like the sunshine that's once again pouring in through the windows ...

Invariably during Advent, there will be a day when too much is going on and I find myself sending out a morning reflection late in the day.  This is one of those days.  I'm running from here to there and back again.  It's at times like this that the value of Advent, with its call to take a moment to stop, reflect, and pray, is so manifest. So, if you're running behind, it's most likely going to be okay.  Take a deep breath, give thanks to God for at least one blessing you've received today, and then jump back into the fray.

Today marks the 75th anniversary of the Japanese sneak attack on Pearl Harbor, which finally drew the United States into the great war that was raging in Europe and Asia.  On this day we remember those among our countrymen who lost their lives and those who were called upon to fight for their nation in the wake of this assault.  As we do so, I believe we would do well to reflect on how in the wake of this day of infamy and the terrible conflict that ensued, two nations that were enemies ultimately became allies, their peoples friends.  During this Advent season, let us wait, let us prepare, for peace, for reconciliation, for God's future come to us in an infant.

At the end of a day of meetings in Boston yesterday I walked by St. Paul's Cathedral on Tremont seat.  When I'd last been inside the seat of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts, the sanctuary was filled with box pews, evoking an 18th Century New England church.  But that changed back in 2015.  I knew the Diocese had run a campaign to revitalize the cathedral but didn't know what they'd actually done. One addition to the church was a small chapel honoring the now-defunct St. John's on Bowdoin Street; I have rich memories of serving dinner to homeless neighbors on Beacon Hill at that church.  The new worship space was simple, but inviting, and strikes me as a great addition.  But what was most notable about the sanctuary wasn't so much the addition but the subtraction.  The pews were gone.  Every last one of them.  Instead, in the middle of the room were stacked chairs on carts, waiting to be set out for the next service or program.  A flexible w

I have to go to Boston today so I've asked a couple of neighbors to look after the dog while I'm out of town.  Advent is a great time for us to reflect on the question of neighborliness.  Who, ultimately, is our neighbor?  Is it the person who lives next door?  Down the street?  In our town?  On the far side of the globe? Tradition tells us that Joseph and Mary weren't seen as neighbors when they were looking for a place to stay.  Instead, they were strangers, people from away.  Give the innkeeper his due: At least the Holy Family were allowed to stay in the manger and weren't sent packing. As we prepare in the coming days to welcome the Christ child into our lives, let us reflect and pray on who is our neighbor, who God might want us to see as our neighbor, and how we might then act with faith and love.

Today we celebrate communion.  For some Christians, this isn't a big deal as the Lord's Supper as shared weekly or even daily.  In our mainline Protestant tradition, though, we do so just once a month, traditionally observing this sacrament on the first Sunday. This is worth thinking on for a few moments as it is a liturgical moment that ties what we are anticipating - the birth of the baby Jesus - with the ministry and ultimate death and resurrection of the adult Jesus.  All we do throughout the Christian year points to, not Christmas, but Easter.  The world-changing event in a manger leads directly to the world changing-event on a cross, the latter infusing the former with its meaning and purpose.  This December, as we anticipate the Feast of the Nativity, let us also make space in our hearts, minds, and souls for the Feast of the Resurrection!

It's hard to believe, but we're already a quarter of the way to Christmas! How has your first week of Advent been.  Are you beginning to feel prepared for the arrival of baby Jesus or are you feeling behind schedule? If we're honest, we'll admit that no matter what we do we're never fully prepared for the arrival of the Christ child.  But we can take cheer from the assurance that it doesn't matter.  God isn't expecting perfection from us but faith.  So take a moment, draw a deep breath, offer a prayer and jump on into Advent.  After all, we still have 3/4 of the season remaining.

As I type this reflection in my study at the church, I'm listening to Charles Gounod's Symphony No. 1 in D Major, which is streaming on WQXR, New York  City's classical radio station. I remember listening to WQXR when I was a kid growing up outside of New York.  Back then, the only way to listen to the radio was with a radio, and one within transmitting distance of midtown Manhattan.  Now, I can listen to this station anywhere in the world as long as I have internet access.  Of course, as I reflect on this marvel of technology, it's worth taking a moment to consider the fact that this music could actually be recorded!  When I was a kid, people listened to LPs (and now seem to be doing so again!), then tapes (including flash in the pan 8 tracks), followed by CDs and MP3 files. Now it's just a bunch of data streaming from the cloud.  But all of that marked a sea change from the experience of most people through history, who could only enjoy music perfo

I find I'm writing a lot about the weather lately.  I don't mean to, but it seems to be so unpredictable as of late.  Warm, cold, rain, sleet, sunshine.  Today, for instance, it's been all over the board, oh so random.  Our lives can take on that feeling too, lending to a sense that things might spiral out of control and that we're at the mercy of an unfeeling, uncaring cosmos.  Advent reminds us otherwise. During this season, we tread a well worn path, one blazed by our forebears in faith as we make our way to Christmas.  We read Scripture and participate in worship to maintain our bearings, engage in service and fellowship to remind ourselves that we are not alone.  We know that we will arrive in Bethlehem and that there God will be waiting for us.  Along the way we may make a wrong turn, take a detour, get caught up in traffic, maybe even want to head back from whence we came.  But if we allow ourselves to be led by the Spirit, we will make it to our d