This week my husband Simon and I began to take stock of where we are and what we need to do in preparation for the holidays. Because our house in Lancaster has not yet sold, half of our belongings are there, and half are in our local apartment. I began our holiday preparations with a stoic approach – “let’s not make a fuss, dear,” I said. “Let’s just fly to see your parents in England on Christmas Day, and not worry about the decorations…. or their years of memories…. which are safely packed away six hours from here….”

But the growing darkness in New England began to weigh in on us. The sun sets much earlier here than we are used to, and we need to prepare our home for the lengthening evenings of winter.

So on Saturday we boldly decided to buy a small tree at our local Lexington market….even though we had nothing with which to decorate. And as we walked though that market, I spied a box of local cranberries, and suddenly had a joyful memory of my youth. My three sisters and I would string cranberries and popcorn for our tree every year! And so it was that Simon and I found ourselves that evening with needle and thread at the ready, working through that box of cranberries, and making our small apartment as festive as it could be. And I found a rising tide of joy coming into the room – unexpected – but as welcome as any joyful wave of love and connection can ever be.

The presence of memory and of hope is a powerful thing. We can take the opportunity to shape our intentions for how we choose to be in these days, now during the darkening evenings. We can claim the moments which bring us joy as an audacious moment of hope. It is an act of defiance to declare joy and love and gratitude in this world of worry and fear- an act which I encourage you to consider for yourself.

I hope that you will take time over these next few weeks to claim what you need for your spirit. Our hard working staff will be taking vacation between Christmas and New Years. I am grateful that Brenda Prusak accepted my invitation to offer a worship service on New Years Day that will help us worship with our bodies and our spirits as we explore the ancient practice of yoga under her expert guidance. Come and set your intention for how you want to greet the coming year.

In faith,

Rev. Anne