The day after Halloween, one of my neighbors put their Christmas tree up in their front windows. I saw the twinkling lights lighting up the darkness the evening of November 1 when I was out walking the dog before bed. Not the day after Thanksgiving. The Day after Halloween. Clearly we are all ready for 2020 to be over, but what is 2021 going to look like? What are the lights shining in the darkness that our weary souls can carry into the new year?
Church of the Nativity has been a shining light for me. Our online worship gets better and better. Worshipping outside has been spiritually moving and uplifting in the full glory of God’s creation.
We serve as a light to our community. When others were cancelling their outreach programs and pulling back on funds, you helped out even more. We honored our commitments to the organizations we support, including Rise Against Hunger. I received dozens of calls from you all looking to donate extra funds to help people who might be struggling to pay rent and utilities and buying groceries.
You shine your light toward each other. Yes, the prayer list continues to grow. We are praying for over 100 people now on that list. You want your friends, family, and neighbors to know the love and care of God. You are taking meals to fellow members who are recovering from illness or surgeries. You are making phone calls and checking on each other, reaching out to those who are lonely and scared during uncertain times.
Our children and youth shone brightly as they jumped into Zoom calls for formation, working on the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle farms this summer, and connecting safely this fall in person while most everything else in their lives was virtual. As much as we worry about our kids, they have been lights of hope to us, exhibiting resilience and finding joyful moments as they adapt to every new circumstance the pandemic has given them.
The light shines through our hard-working staff, who keep finding new ways for us to experience church. The light shines through our Vestry as they make decisions about our operations and guide us into a new way of relating to church.
How do we keep the light shining through the darkness? We keep following Jesus. We keep supporting our church community. For all that you have given, through your service, through your financial gifts, and through your prayers, I say “Thank you.” Would you please keep giving that same amount in 2021? If you didn’t make a pledge in 2020, would you prayerfully consider making a pledge for 2021?
You may easily complete the online pledge form right here.
A pledge is a light, and a promise. As always, should you find that you need to pull back from your pledge or make an adjustment during the year, that is okay. It is still light in the darkness. We carry one another as needed.
For those of you ready for Advent and Christmas, here is a song from 2015, and yet still resonant for Advent 2020.