Is It Christmas Yet?

I find myself very conflicted this week about Advent and Christmas. Every year at the Lessons and Carols Service, I make a statement about my personal conflict of juggling the season of preparation with the season of celebration. The formal liturgical “PASTOR” side of me wants to be an Advent purist. Advent is about waiting; churches are bedecked in purple and blue. The singing of Christmas hymns is forbidden in favor of Advent hymns in darker minor keys (Isaiah the Prophet Has Written of Old and All the Earth Is Waiting are my favorites). I wish my young children would let me wait to put up the Christmas tree and just have the Advent calendar and the Advent wreath out.

The “COLLEGE” side of me knows that we celebrate Christmas on campus in the week between Thanksgiving break and finals. Music and Spiritual Life work to fit all of the concerts and events in the ten days we have. Spiritual Life offered Carols by Candlelight and the Tree Lighting over the last few days, and the Gospel program Night of Worship is Saturday night. Students go home after finals, campus parking improves, and we rush to close out the semester and the calendar year.

The “CHAPLAIN” side of me wants to make sure any student can celebrate his or her holiday. LC Hillel is having the Hanukkah party on Friday. We will get the dreidels out and hang the star of David in the window at Spiritual Life alongside the little tree. I keep asking students if anyone wants to lead a Kwanzaa celebration.

The “MOMMY” side of me wants to make the season fun for the kids, wrap packages, bake cookies, and incorporate as many traditions as we can. I get entrapped by the secular trimmings. Santa is really fun with little ones…or with Mr. and Mrs. Eccles-Claus. I haven’t gone “Elf on the Shelf,” but you can play the social media seek and find the Elf at Drysdale (#FoundDale15).

As I sit a bit chilled in my office looking out at our third straight day of gray-ness, I just want some hot chocolate and a bit of blue sky. But my Christmas/Holiday Wishes for our community as College Chaplain are that we all travel safely, we all celebrate with loved ones, that we all get rested and that that we all experience great joy. Whatever your journey between semesters and wherever you travel (good luck to our classes going abroad over J-term), my prayer is that you are safe, that you know love and that you pray for peace.

Please pray that I get my wishes and I will pray for yours as well.

Blessings, Stephanie