Dearly Beloved,Grace and Peace to you.
Today is the tenth day of Christmas. The Christmas festivities are over, the presents have been put away, and families have dispersed. We’ve cleaned up after the New Year’s party, and even the die-hards are thinking about when to take down the Christmas decorations. Today is just plain old Monday. We get back to work, back to “normal.” But it’s still Christmas! The shepherds have gone back to the fields, but the magi are still on their way.
This is the test. What just happened? Was that just a little walk with the shepherds, or will we join the two-year trek with the wise men? Can we live in the “real world” with the same peace and beauty that we felt on Christmas Eve? Can we make our daily lives the same kind of joyful gift-giving that we practiced last week? Are we as deeply aware of the Beloved’s presence in the world as we were when we stood around the manger? Or was that just a winter break?
As we enter a new year my prayer for you is that the birth of Christ may fill your heart all through the year. May deep beauty adorn your heart long after the decorations are gone. May peace and awe be yours all the year long. May the presence of the Beloved enfold you, the Word made Flesh accompany you, the mystery of the Incarnation bless you. May this new year be graced by the unfolding light of God among us. In this new year, may your heart be open and your spirit awake to the song of angels, the dawn of love, the presence of God.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it. May it guide you, bless you, and give you joy.
Deep Blessings,
Pastor Steve
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Steve Garnaas-Holmes
Unfolding Light
www.unfoldinglight.net