I've been missing in action once again. It is a very busy time of year for all of us. My prayer is that all of you have enjoyed the start of the Christmas season and will continue to enjoy these twelve days leading us to Epiphany. Don't remove your tree and lights until then! Christmas has only just begun.

In the new year, I will be back to my regular weekly posts on the current week's lectionary texts. Until then, I wanted to share some podcasts with you. The first is a podcast from a friend of mine who had me as a guest a few weeks ago. The podcast is called One Thing in which Rev. Nathan Wheeler hosts conversation with others on what the guest's "one thing" is right now. Nathan describes it this way, "What is the one thing you are focused on or find most important currently for the church? The idea is to ask preachers, teachers, elders, professors, and all types of other people to contribute their one thing they want the rest of Christendom to know/think about." I spoke with him about my theological understanding that to be created in the image of God means that we are creative beings.

I wonder how many people will throw out there Christmas trees Monday morning. All this work, all this preparation, all this waiting and he is finally arriving! The Light of the World is bursting onto the scene once again and too many of us are unwilling to savor the time with the baby.

The Luke text this week is well known to many of us because of a boy who couldn't give up his blanket. Linus in A Charlie Brown Christmas recites those verses standing in a single shaft of bright light shining down on him standing on the stage. After being treated poorly, after trying to please everyone and create the perfect Christmas program, Linus steps forward into the midst of chaos and stops it all to remind Charlie of the true meaning of Christmas.

We have waited and watched. We have savored the anticipation. Now, let's go visit that baby and savor this moment as well. The first day of 12 is this Sunday. May we remember to stop in the midst of the chaos and sing with the great company of heavenly host, "Glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”