What a joy it has been this past week to listen to the sounds of the season and be touched by the children who presented to us a slightly different version of the 3 wise people and the shepherd! The Soup Supper and Christmas Carol sing last Wednesday was a great time to sit down and enjoy a relaxed meal together (thanks to Jim Allardice, Hope Boije and Bill Neely who prepared the food!), and then sing our hearts out together with a wonderful mix of popular songs and Christmas hymns, which Kim so ably played on the piano and organ.

Believe it or not, after having such a fabulous time in Celebration with the children’s presentation of the Christmas story, I went home feeling very annoyed. Why?

Last Sunday in church we talked about being peacemakers. I was doing pretty well until Monday evening when I squabbled with someone in my family. It struck me again as I was stomping away that being truly committed to creating peace does not mean having no conflict with someone, but it does mean being respectful toward that person in the midst of the disagreement. Why is it that when it comes to family being respectful can be so difficult?

In my almost 20 years of being ordained I have never had to call for backup on a Sunday morning! When I knew Saturday mid-day that I would not be able to make it to preach on Sunday morning, I thought about all of our amazing ordained people in the congregation. We are so gifted! Thank you to Vince Mok who responded so willingly to the call for help. What a comfort it was to me to know I was leaving you all in good hands while I missed you!

What a joy it has been and continues to be to walk with you. This past week I have had the privilege of meeting with several of you one on one and with some of you for meals. I never take for granted the invitation to enter your lives in a different and more personal way. The sermon I preached about welcoming others into your homes resulted in enough invitations that I figure if I preach the same sermon once a month, I’ll have it made!