PLANNING FOR CHRISTMAS

 

   I know, I know, we haven't even had Thanksgiving yet and here we are thinking of Christmas, or X-Mass as we Christians would say. In our UCC church recently (Thanks, Til!), we spoke of the bad reactions of some folks to us when we admit to being Christians.

 

   "Oh, I know," one neighbor said to a friend, someone shared in church. "You can commit all the sins you want on a Saturday night, then go to Confession on Sunday morning and have them forgiven." Well, no, actually, that is not how it works, although this is what my dad told me about a Catholic roommate he had when in the army. He was quite anti-Catholic as you may imagine. Good thing he passed before I became Catholic! What a serious misunderstanding of what it means to be Catholic, to repent, and so much more.

   When we lived in England, dear friends of ours followed the British custom of "stir-up Sunday," where you would stir the plum pudding 6 times one way and 6 times the opposite way, whispering a wish as you did so, then putting the cover on the pudding and tucking it away in your cold pantry. These dear ones actually sent a steamed plum pudding to is after we had to leave Britain suddenly back in the day.

 

  So what am I thinking of as I think about Christmas this year, the anno horriblis that Queen Elizabeth spoke of some years back, in this year of war on Venezuela,  ICE raids, detention in inhumane facilities, the steady drip-drip-drip of the Epstein files and the exposure of men in power with wealth who ravaged young girls? (As a survivor of sexual molestation when quite young I get very involved in this whole thing and it also brings up old wounds which I thought were healed.)

   I think we need to start thinking about JOY. 

Remember, joy is not the same thing as happiness which is a fleeting emotion. I dig it. I love being happy, but it comes and goes, or as my favorite Billie Ellish said in her theme song for "Barbie," "I have forgotten how to be happy." Maybe you have too in these dark and troublesome times. But given this, it is all the more necessary to double-down on joy which is in one of my favorite memorized Bible verses:

   "Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks." Joy, for me, is the ground I stand on; it is the certain belief that I am loved by God, that I am held in God's warm, capacious hands; that no matter the circumstances of my life, heaven resides within me now, in this life, and is a foretaste of the heaven to come after I pass.

  I think of the "Gloria" chorus in "The Messiah," and how my legs and feet want me to jump up as that wonderful trumpet blast sounds.

 I believe in some part of the Messiah, King George leapt to his feet and thus everyone else had to follow suit. In my JYA in the summer of 1966, Rick and I heard this inspiring piece of Handel's in the Oxford Sheldonian. What an experience, what a time of joy that could never be taken away from me.That is another thing to remember. It cannot be taken away from you. It is always there, singing in your veins even if you cannot feel it.

  So, given the fact that joy is in me, here are some things I am doing to prepare for Christmas. (Oh, no, another list from Annie!)

1/ I will continue to support our local food pantry, either in cash donations to the Northampton Survival Center (I donate $25 dollars per month in an automatic fashion.) or in concrete cans of beans, tomatoes, shelf-stable milk, rice, sugar, and more which I put in the big chest on the steps of our Williamsburg Grange. Thanks to all who make this possible!

 

2/ I will continue to read Scripture as I prepare for Christmas both at our local UCC church and at our Catholic Church in Northampton. (I have already donated a new shiny girl's winter jacket to the Catholic Church's donation box for winter coats.) Although I now know that the "Infancy Narratives" in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke are probably not authentic, I don't care. I love them, read them over, imagine the shepherds in their cold fields watching their sheep, and then lifting their heads as the Angels proclaim Christ's birth. It could have happened! As the Biblical scholar John Meiell says, these two accounts, which differ in some details, may have some truth as they show "multiple attestations." (Try reading his scholarly, dense book, "A Marginal Jew," to take your brain out for a brisk walk!) Although we now know from scholars that Jesus was probably not born in Bethlehem but in Nazareth where Mary and Joseph were, the Infancy Narratives are still a marvelous and profound story about hope, generosity, and warmth.

3/ I have ordered a small, already-decorated live tree from Breck's, because us oldsters can no longer haul a tree up our 20 steps to the first floor, drag it inside, try to get it straight in the tree holder, pour water in, (quarreling as we do so), and then decorate. I used to adore decorating a tree with so many lovely bits from our kids' past. But I am beyond that now at 80 and need to do something easier. I am privileged to be able to afford this, I know.

 

4/ I must invite a few friends in for some delicious Christmas food, not sure what shape this will take. From my favorite Alana Scott of "A Little Bit Yummy" I might cook a recipe I did before called, "Saucy Beef On Roasted Vegetables." It was very delish although with some time-consuming prep. How is it that recipe creators jauntily say, "15 min. prep" when, after you are done, it turns out to be 45 min."?

5/ My natal family now has a grand tradition of renting the bottom floor of an old house in Florence for our Christmas gathering. Peter and Sandra, bless their warm and big hearts (remember that joy thing I was going on about?) will probably roast a loin of pork like they did last year. I shall make a gluten-free berry cobbler using Monk fruit for those who can eat it, instead of cane sugar. (And incidentally, did you know that out of the 10 top corporate contributors to corrupt Trump, the top one is Domino Sugar?) Others will bring vegetable dishes, bread, lovely deserts from Trader Joe's, high-end chocolates, and more. If this isn't joy I don't know what is! Joy and chocolate are siblings I believe.

6/ Maybe Rick and I will go to Mass on Christmas morning to celebrate Jesus' birth and give thanks.

 Midnight Mass is beyond me now, but morning service I could do. Then we will come back to some kind of delicious, festive Christmas brunch, perhaps a red pepper and broccoli frittata with fudgy brownies for desert. Wish I could still drink champagne in the middle of the day, but that is beyond me now. I would fall flat on my face!

  Hmmm. I seem to be low on the Christian part of Christmas and rather high on the food part. But, hey, that's Annie-girl for you. Sue me, or, as Rick once said, "Ann is very food-involved."

 Merry Christmas when it comes my peeps if you celebrate this holiday. May you find joy somewhere in your life, your family and friends, your partner and pets, and the beautiful trees blowing in the wind outside. Remember that Jesus said; "I will not leave you orphans." He will always be there for us, even when we can scarce believe it.