Annual Rector's Report 2015

                                                               Epiphany 3A 2015

                                     Jonah3:1-5,10; Ps 62; 1 Cor 7:29-31; Mark 1:14-30

Father Adam Trambley

January 25, 2015 St.John’s Sharon

Annual Meeting Report

This morning’s first reading from Jonah describes the amazing transformation of Nineveh based on one day of good preaching.  This part of the story takes place after God told Jonah to go to Nineveh and Jonah said “No” and hopped a boat going in the other direction. Then God sent a storm that almost sank the boat, the sailors threw Jonah overboard, he got eaten by a huge fish, and lived in the fish’s belly for three days before being spit out onto the beach.  That is the part of the Jonah story we tend to remember.  The important part, however, is that after all of that, Jonah finally did what God told him to do, went to this huge city filled with every kind of evil and wickedness, proclaimed that God was fed up with them and going to destroy their city, and the people repented, changed their lives, and God spared them. 

Thinking about this story in light of our annual parish meeting today, this question arose for me:  If one person, doing what God called him to do, could make such a huge impact on an enormous, wicked city, how much of a difference could one church, doing what God calls us to do, make throughout the Shenango Valley and even in other parts of the world?   We may not be living in Nineveh, and most of us, at least, are probably not called to walk around with signs reading “Repent! The End is Near!”  But we have a sense of what God is calling us to do, and if we do it faithfully and prayerfully and effectively, the impact we can make is beyond anything we could ask or imagine, and is limited only by the power of God.

We have a pretty good idea of what God is calling us to do.  A few years ago we distilled God’s call to St. John’s throughout our history in our purpose statement: Worship God.  Care for People.  Grow as Christians.  The strategic directions we discerned at that time are still valid paths that God is calling us to work in: worshipping God in creative, passionate and beautiful ways; building authentic, loving relationships; strengthening youth and families; meeting people’s basic needs; supporting the revitalization of our wider community.  Our guiding principles also describe how we carry out our work when we are at our best: asking for God’s guidance and power; developing loving relationships through our work; being hospitable and welcoming so that we invite newcomers and strangers to join us while engaging the wider community; doing what we do well for the glory of God; and enjoying our work together and having fun while we do it. 

As we focus on these activities in these ways, we live into the ministry that God is calling us to do, and we trust that God will bless our efforts and allow us to bear greater and greater fruit for his kingdom.  More than that, we have experienced God’s blessing on our work, and seen numerous of transformations in the lives of individuals and our community.  Even amid the struggles of being church in a declining area at a time when church participation is generally declining, I doubt a week goes by when I don’t see at least one small miracle occurring through the ministry of those at St. John’s.  One of the joys of being your rector is the opportunity to share so many incredible moments of God working in people’s lives, both with those inside the congregation and with those outside the congregation whose lives have been touched by the ministry and prayer and generosity of so many here.

Last year at this time, I laid out six different areas that I expected the parish to focus on in 2014 beyond our on-going ministries of regular Sunday Worship, the Episcopal Community Services food pantry, our Saturday lunches, our Sunday School and Youth Group, and the work of the Episcopal Church Women.  Before providing an update on those, and looking at some areas of focus for 2015, I want to note a few things that fall outside of those areas.

This past year we have been blessed with the addition of two part time staff.  Samantha Zicardi came on as our nursery attendant and has been a great addition to our Sunday mornings.  More recently, Fred Dickman joined us as our new Sexton.  Throughout the year, between Ed’s leaving and Fred’s arrival, a number of people have helped for a time, and we are grateful to Juan Zamora and Mike Zuhosky for their work, and to Rick Marzulo and especially to Mike Mackalia for his incredible volunteer efforts.  Samantha and Fred join a hard-working, dedicated, professional staff.  I am very grateful, and we are truly blessed, for all the work done by Tina, Ron, Diana and Deacon Randy. 

Our Allen Hall entrance received a thorough overhaul, with color, art, and ambiance.  Quite a few folks spent some time on ladders or otherwise helping out, and I’m grateful for all your work.  St. John’s has a great tradition of people stepping up to make things better, and I am grateful to everyone who has helped keep our buildings and our grounds welcoming and hospitable.  I especially want to thank Bob Verholic for his yeoman’s service in almost every aspect of our building work. All of your volunteer help makes an important difference.

The Episcopal Church Women transitioned their 3 C’s into St. John’s Winterfest, with a slightly different focus that allowed them to still raise money to give away while reducing some of their workload.  We are all grateful for the many ways the ECW supports our parish.  After many years, Glen and Virginia Hull are preparing to turn over the semi-annual rummage sales.  The efforts of them and their family have raised thousands of dollars for our ministries while providing a ministry.  Thank you to them.  If anyone is interested in helping with the rummage sales going forward, please let me know.

Last year, I noted that we had seven weddings in 2013, in addition to some parishioners being married in other places.  This year, we have faced a number of tragic deaths in our parish, of people dying suddenly or much too young.  We remember them all with a moment of silence during our annual meeting, and we recognize that part of what we do as a church is encourage each other as we hold onto the hope of the resurrection.   

Turning to last year’s goals, the first was our Capital Campaign.  We put together a list of $350,000 worth of items that included needed building maintenance, air conditioning in the church, and work in the basement to prepare it for new ministries.  At this point, we have 51 pledges accounting for about $195,000, with a number of pledges still pending.  We should raise the $200,000 that we expect to cover the needed building maintenance costs and any campaign expenses.  I want to thank everyone for their generosity toward the campaign.  You are allowing us to keep our buildings in shape, so that we can continue our work for the next generation.  I’d also like to thank Randy and Jacque Beck, Nick and Missy Baron, Ron and Madge Tamber, Bob King, Laura Peretic, and Donna and Angelo Stamoolis for overseeing the campaign.  I especially want to thank Donna, whose dedication and vision were the driving force that enabled this campaign to succeed.

The second priority was our Natural Church Development work with passionate spirituality.  Natural Church Development is a process for church health and growth that looks at eight different characteristics of every church and helps a church grow by focusing on their minimum factor, or the weakest link that is holding them back.  At St. John’s, that factor was passionate spirituality, particularly in terms of a passion for private devotions and daily prayer.  To work on this minimum factor, a group looked at various ideas and decided to do a Bible study on The Story, which we are doing every Sunday at 9:00am, and to begin a spiritual trainers class where folks could learn about prayer and be able to pass on what they learn.  Both of these classes have had some success, and if you are interested in learning more about them, please let me know.

The third 2014 priority was our healing and prayer ministries’ development of special services for the community.  We held a number of healing prayer, soaking prayer and Taize services, ranging from about twelve to about thirty people.  That group, led by Deacon Randy, is looking on possibilities for the coming year, as well, and is beginning with a Groundhog’s Day Taize service on February 2.

The fourth priority was deeping partnerships.  2013 saw growth with our community lunch partners, a great worship service with the Ballet Theatre Shenango Valley, and both Waterfire and Christmas photos done with the Laurel Technical Institute.  In 2014, we are still working with LTI and had dancers join us for two services, including our family Christmas service.  We continued partnering with St. Jude’s for our Easter Vigil, Christmas morning, and Thanksgiving services. Additionally, we now have three AA meetings a week, and both the model club and a behavioral health initiative are regularly meeting at St. John’s.  This year has also brought Cana’s Corner coffee-house to our lounge two Fridays each month, bringing in 30-50 people for music and fellowship.  Thanks to David Peretic for enthusiastically inviting Robyn Ruth to St. John’s and helping to make that connection. 

The fifth priority was Christian Formation.  Beyond the spirituality classes, we also had a sermon series this summer on the baptismal covenant and classes about the history and work of St. John’s and the wider church.

Finally, last year we hosted a very successful Diocesan Convention in Sharon.    People from the Diocese felt very welcome, things went smoothly, and folks at St. John’s had an opportunity to see more of how the Diocese works.  Thank you to everyone who worked on the Convention.

For 2015, I want to highlight six areas that, in addition to our on-going ministries, our development of strategic partnerships, and our outreach to the community, I think will help us live into our calling over the next year. 

St. John's Pot Luck Dinner (1964)

First, in 2016, St. John’s turns 150 years old.  I think this calls for a party, and not a small one.  So in 2015, I’d like to start to plan what should be a year of great celebrations.  In some initial discussions, people have expressed a desire for a deeper look at our history, for opportunities to invite back extended family and friends from the past, and for a community wide party.  We could do some great things that would not only look back, but also launch us forward, so let’s spend a year planning and dreaming and praying and having a great time putting together some very special anniversary pieces.

Second, we will be starting the actual maintenance work that our Believe and Prepare capital campaign is raising money for.  That work will begin with repointing of the brick on the lounge building, and move forward from there.  As a congregation, we will also be making payments on our pledges so that this work can continue.

Third, we will work further on our Natural Church Development process.  In May, when The Story study and the spiritual trainers courses are done, we will evaluate how to continue those pieces, and see where to look at next.  We will also do another Natural Church Development survey to see if our minimum factor has changed. 

Fourth, we are planning to have a number of people confirmed in the fall.  Due to some rescheduling at the Diocesan level, those confirmations will take place in September instead of May as in the past.  Our two-year confirmation cycle of youth classes will be complete and we expect to confirm six youth.  Additionally, I would expect that a number of adults who are new to St. John’s may wish to be confirmed or received, and we will offer adult preparation classes in the late spring and summer.  Last year we had two adults received into the Episcopal Church, Ron Gracilla and Tony Kropp, and we are grateful for their decision.  I also want to thank Pastor Joie Baker, who has agreed to teach our confirmation students, and for the work Lisa Zamora and Christian Lowery have done over the past eighteen months. 

Fifth, I want to tell you a bit about two development opportunities for me that you are also a part of.  The first is a three-month sabbatical that I plan to take sometime between August and November of this year.  Sabbaticals have been written into the agreements between every rector and parish since Bishop Sean became bishop.  The research shows that if priests in churches with only one priest do not get sabbaticals, they tend to get stuck in their ideas and ministry and move to different churches to get unstuck.  Sabbaticals help clergy stay fresh and be effective in the same parish.  I was supposed to take a sabbatical last year after five years, but wanted to see the capital campaign through.  I was strongly encouraged to take the sabbatical this year, so I am making plans.  I am tentatively planning to attend a couple of leadership development opportunities, take a retreat, and hopefully do an international mission with those working with people groups that have not yet received the gospel in either Northern India or Southeast Asia.  As part of planning for the Sabbatical, I will ensure that we have clergy coverage for all needed Sundays and other emergencies, as well as offering opportunities for the parish to learn about some of what I am experiencing as I go through it.  As the year goes on, I will share more details.  A sabbatical is a great gift, and I hope it will be beneficial both to me and to our common ministry.

I have also just begun a Doctor of Ministry degree with a two week residency at Virginia Theological Seminary.  This Doctor of Ministry is focused on ministry development, both for me as a priest and for the parish around me.  Practically, the degree has nine weeks of residency on campus over a three-year period, and then a thesis that consists of a project that is carried out and then written up and evaluated.  The first major component of the program is a congregation study that I will be working on over the next eight months.  This comprehensive look at the parish will include some interviews, surveys and other work which should provide some insight for helpful next steps in mission and ministry.  I will be asking some people for help with various parts of this study, but, in the end, I’ll get to write the paper.      

Finally, I want to mention our need to continue to pray and be open to new or unexpected opportunities.  Over the past two months, I had a number of people mention an interest by some Spanish speakers in the area to have a mass in Spanish.  I and some others in the parish put out feelers, and I don’t know if anything will happen or not.  Such opportunities to reach people who aren’t currently being reached by other churches are likely to be an essential part of our future ministry and growth, even when those opportunities might not be how we traditionally have done things.  Yet, these opportunities might perfectly fit our guiding principles and strategic directions, and God may want to open some unexpected doors for our work to bear fruit.

So together in 2015 let us continue to worship God, care for people, and grow as Christians.  As we live into God’s call to us, we will also notice how God is using us as individuals and as a parish to make positive differences, and even miracles, in the lives of those around us. 

First Sunday After Christmas 2014 -- John 1

                                                                 First Sunday After Christmas 2014

Isaiah 61:10-62:3; Ps147; Gal 3 and 4; John 1:1-18

Father Adam Trambley

December 28, 2014, St. John’s Sharon

In the beginning was the Word.

In the beginning,

when God created the heavens and the earth,

            And the earth was a formless void

            And the Spirit of God hovered over the deep

In the beginning was the Word.

            And the Word was with God

            And the Word was God.

            He was in the beginning with God.

All things came into being through him:

            Everything made on the first day

            Everything made on the second day

            Everything made on the third day,

The contemporary Christian band Third Day,

            Everything made on the fourth day,

            Everything made on the fifth day

            Even everything made on the sixth day

            even we human beings

came into being through the Word.

And without him not one thing came into being:

            Not the sun, moon, or stars,

            Not the angels and archangels,

            Not even fallen angels,

            Not the plants and animals,

            Not even poison ivy and mosquitoes,

            Not one single human being,

            Not even the most mean, nasty, horrible individuals,

            Not one thing came into being except through the Word.

The Word is life, and that life was the light of all.

The light shines in the darkness

            And the darkness did not overcome it.

This great passage from the beginning of John’s Gospel

            Is called the Prologue to the Gospel,

            Since it tells the story leading up

                        To the life and work of Jesus.

Instead of the nativity story

            With Mary and Joseph

            Or shepherds and magi,

John fills out the story stretching back

            Not to the prophecies of the house of David

            nor to God’s deliverance in the Exodus

But to the very beginning of the creation of the Cosmos,

            To the first instant when still nascent humanity

            Encountered the life that would bring all things into being.

The Word, the Christ, the second person of the Trinity,

            the Son, the only-begotten of the Father,

            The one to be born Jesus from the flesh of the Virgin Mary,

This Word is shown clearly at the beginning of all things

            As the means by which the Almighty speaks

                        All creation into being.

God said, “Let there be light”

            And God’s Word brought forth light,

                        And there was light

                        And it was good.

God said, “Let dry land appear” and

            “Let the earth put forth vegetation”

            And “Let us make humankind

                        In our image,

                        According to our likeness.”

            And God’s Word brought life into being.

                        Making humankind in His image,

                        In the image of God,

                        Male and female,

            And it was very good.

We read this beautiful, expansive, hymn to the Word of God

            During Christmas

            To remind us that there is more to this story

            Than magi, mangers,

and shepherds watching their flocks by night.

The heavenly host starts singing

            And “Gloria’s” resound in the heavens

            Because the Word has come to his own.

            Because the Light shines in the darkness

                        And the darkness did not overcome it.

            Because the Life gave us power to become children of God

                        Who were born of God.

            Because from the fullness of Truth

                        We have received grace upon grace.

            Because the Son has made God known to us.

That Word became flesh and lived among us.

            The Word of God

                        becoming a human in the image of God

                        that the Word himself had formed.

The Word coming to us as the babe in Bethlehem.

The Word coming to us

            With the glory of the Father’s only Son,

            So that we might see the glory of God.

No one has ever seen God.

            The Father made us and sustains us

            Through the Son, His Word.

The Son,

            The one close to the Father’s heart,

            The one held in His Father’s tightest embrace

            Is the one who makes known the Father,

And who reveals his Father’s glory.

We desperately needed to see the Father’s glory

            Because we were walking in darkness.

Creation that had been created very good,

            Saw darkness creep in

            And cause it to dim.

Christ’s own had become so blind

That they could not recognize him

            When he came.

The people created through the Word of God

            In the love of God

            For the glory and pleasure of God

            No longer knew God,

                        And they declined his invitation

                        To get together for dinner.

But Christ came anyway,

            To allow anyone to accept him.

            To allow anyone to receive him.

            To allow anyone to invite him

                        Into their homes and

                        Into their hearts.

When we accept him;

When we ask Jesus to turn on the heavenly Light

            And dispel our own darkness;

When we beg the Word to speak truth

            Into the dishonesties and lies we tell ourselves;

When we steady our sights on the Son of God

            So we glimpse even a glimmer

            Of the Father’s glory;

When we come to his table

            And do what he commanded

 in memory of Him;

When we are baptized

            Not just with the baptism of John

            Who witnessed to the light

            But in the Name of the Father

            And of the Son and of the Holy Spirit;

Jesus Christ makes us children of God,

            Born not of blood

            Or of the will of the flesh

            Or of the will of man,

            But of God.

When we invite the Word of God who created us

            To come and take his rightful place

            As light and life in our lives,

            We become children of God.

We are born of God,

            And we are God’s.

Our identity is no longer in “our people”,

            Who are parents were

            Or who are parents weren’t.

Our worth is no longer

            Whether somebody wanted us

            or whether we felt unloved and unwanted.

Our destiny is no longer limited

            To what we have been told

And come to believe about ourselves

            Or the opportunities we have had

            Or the self-esteem we have developed

            Or the roles we have been prepared to play.

Our being is no longer based

            On what other people say about us.

Our being is based on how God made us as his children.

Our destiny is a place in God’s eternal kingdom.

Our worth is the image and likeness of God.

Our identity is beloved of God.

We are born

            Not for any accident or human reason

            But of God

            Because God wanted us and loves us.

As we,

            God’s children

            Enlightened by the true Light

            Accepting the Word

Grow deeper in the knowledge and love of the Son,

We come to know God.

Nothing else about the nativity means more than this:

That the human being Jesus

            Is the eternal Word of God

            And has made the Father know

            And we can now know Him.

We are here this Christmas to come to know God

            As he comes to us.

We come to his table,

            We hear the word of the Word,

                        And we care for one another 

Because when we do

            We encounter Jesus

And when we encounter Jesus

            We encounter the Father

And when we encounter the Father through Jesus his Word,

            We encounter him as Our Father,

            And we encounter ourselves as his children,

            and he hugs us close to his heart.

             

             

Christmas 2014

                                                                  Christmas 2014

Isaiah 9:2-7; Ps 96; Titus2:11-14; Matt 1:18-25

Father Adam Trambley

December 24, 2014, St. John’s Sharon

Walmart aired an ad this year

aimed at the heart

            Of our anxious age.

The theme was “A Little More Joy,”

            And it perfectly hit the heartstrings both

                        of grandparents who grew up

                        without enough of the creature comforts

                        they now enjoy,

                        and which they want to pass on,

            and of Gen-X helicopter parents who are

                        seeing society slip and

                        stand scared that their sons and daughters

                        might be missing something they need for

                        a long, happy and successful life.

If losing a night of sleep to bake another dozen cookies,

            Or scouring store shelves

in search of a special lego set,

            or just a little more tinsel, or lights, or anything else

could bring a little more joy or a lot more love for Christmas,

heaven knows that we would do it,

and we often do.

It would be easy now to let Linus come in

            And talk about the true meaning of Christmas

            While walloping on Walmart

            And other contributors to our culture

                        Of crass consumerism,

But that’s not what we are here for tonight,

And, in fact, most of what happens

            For the holidays

Even outside of the more religious observances,

            Stems for a longing to share

            In the blessings of the babe in Bethlehem,

            Blessing deeply desired,

                        Even when inadequately understood.

Now I’m not substituting Sam Walton for Saint Nicolaus

            Or advocating excess –

And even Walmart is mostly tongue-in-cheek

            When suggesting buying nine wise men

            For the nativity

if your mantle particularly roomy

or that the doll-making uncle

should have brought two nutcrackers

to avoid a family fight

(and drastically shorten a ballet)—

But I do want to say this:

God’s coming into the world

In his Son Jesus Christ

Confirms everything good in creation,

And those good things in life

Are what we celebrate particularly

During Christmas.

If we had any doubts about God seeing

All he had made and

saying it was very good,

Then Jesus birth amid baby animals

With gifts of gold and incense,

And later his growing up to turn

Water into wine at parties

And being called a glutton and a drunkard,

Should tell us that

Somehow lights and tinsel and

Santa and snowflake cookies

Are appropriate for appreciating

The great gift of God’s Emmanuel

Coming among us.

Jesus, just like us, had five senses,

And was born into a culture with festive traditions,

And was loved by his family and friends,

And he didn’t stand on ceremony

Or refuse to enjoy anything that was good.

So, we also can celebrate the great

Reconciling act of the incarnation

when earth and heaven are joined,

With the measures of joy brought

By the sights of sparkling lights,

                        Of greens and reds,

                        Of silver and gold,

                        Of brown paper packages

                                    Tied up with string,

Of colorful costumes

for Christmas plays and parties

and the graceful, energetic lines

danced by ballerinas;

            By the sounds of choirs and carolers,

And maybe even angels, singing

                                    Songs both sacred and secular,

                        Of bells ringing,

                                    Either for the Salvation Army or

                                    on someone’s sleigh,

                        Of children laughing

                                    Or occasionally squabbling

                        Of stories shared from family

                                    Christmases long, long ago.

            By the smells of frankincense at midnight mass

                        Or of Uncle Val’s cigars on the back porch,

                        Of fireplaces burning

                        Of cookies baking

                        Of the traditional family Christmas

                                    Dinner wafting from the kitchen.

            By the taste of egg nog and wassail

                        Of snickerdoodles and clothespin cookies

                        Of chex mix and cheeseballs

                        Of fruitcakes and spices

                        Of meats and vegetables and

Special once-a-year Christmas treats

            By the feel of snow falling on our nose and eyelashes

                        Of splintery firewood and silky sweaters

                        Of warm fuzzy jammies

                        Of grandpa’s calloused hands and

                                    the baby’s smooth cheeks

                        Of family cuddles while watching

                                    Charlie Brown Christmas,

Of, the with the appropriate person,

                        Lingering, passionate kisses

                        When, baby, it’s cold outside.

We share these celebrations with

            And all God’s children,

men and women of goodwill

                        Throughout the world.

Because the baby Jesus, God’s Son,

became flesh to dwell among us,

            And beauty and delights do bring

a little more joy,

            when we are grateful to our God who made them,

                        and let them unite us

                                    to Jesus who enjoyed them.

           

But Christ also comes at Christmas

            In those times and places

            When joy and beauty are hard to come by.

When people are cold and hungry

            Lonely or afraid,

The same Jesus who welcomed shepherds and magi

            To his manger,

Also reaches out in welcome

Through foodbanks and community kitchens

            Through helping hands

                        And caring hearts

Through those who take time

                        To open their lives and their schedules

                        In a busy season

                        To offer warmth and love and companionship

                                    And maybe even a place

                                    At the Christmas dinner table

            To someone who needs a meal or a family.

Christ also comes at Christmas

            To those who have families

            That may not be quite the families they would want.

            To families that are estranged,

            Families that have hurt each other

            Families that have not loved in so long

                        That they have forgotten how.

When Jesus was in the womb, we remember,

            His parents went to Bethlehem,

Where his father’s family lived

            And no one had a room for him.

            Second cousins filled up guest rooms.

            No one really wanted somebody giving birth

                        On a sleeping bag

Under the dining room table.

            So Jesus was in the cave with the animals,

                        Who may have been better company.

Jesus knows the pain of family separation,

            And he knows the struggle and vulnerability

            It takes to overcome it.

His grace is in every stumbling step forward,

            In every reach for reconciliation,

            In every tentative Christmas invitation.

And his loving presence abides with us

            When we require something stronger

                        Than ourselves

            To bind us back together.

Christ also comes at Christmas

            Into a world racked by division,

                        By violence,

                        By racism,

                        By war.

Jesus was born in occupied Roman Palestine,

            A place at least as troubled as our time today.

As we yearn for a world of justice and peace;

As we stare into the darkness of the night,

            Hungering and thirsting for righteousness,

Christ the bright morning star,

            The wonderful counselor,

            The mighty God

            The Prince of Peace

            The King of Glory

Comes to us

            Opening up a future kingdom

                        Of righteousness and justice

            Showing us the cruciform path to its gates

And suffering beside us

                        Until it is finally ushered in.

Christ also comes to us

            As our celebrations are subdued

            By the absence of loved ones

            who have already gone into the near presence of God.

We had a funeral here yesterday,

            And one of the guest dancers

At the early service

Lost her great-grandmother today.

When we stare into that silent night

            Of sadness and despair

            It is Christ the morning star

                        Who shines into our hearts.

Christ Jesus who walked for days

            To comfort the sisters of his friend Lazarus.

Christ Jesus who reached out to mourning parents.

Christ Jesus who suffered death himself

            And came out the other side to new life

Christ who is the same yesterday, today and forever,

            Who made the world,

                        Who lies in the manager,

                                    and who broke out of the tomb.

Jesus Christ who is with us tonight as a newborn babe,

            And with our loved ones forever

as their Resurrected Lord,

Christ comes

so that this night we might hear the echoes

                        Of the eternal angelic host

                        In the harmonies of O Holy Night.

So that this night we might see the reflection

                        Of the Eternal light of the world

                        In the candles and colorful bulbs

                        Illuminating the darkness around us.

So that this night we might get a taste

                        Of the heavenly banquet

That those we love and see no longer

Are already enjoying

                        As we taste our favorite fudge

                        And come to the altar for our Christmas communion.

Christ comes to every one of us at Christmas

            In whatever way we need him to,

            If we are open to and wait for his coming.

Jesus is present with us in our celebrations,

            But he is also with us

            When the season is more blue than white.

So on this Holy Night,

take the time to look for him,

            With gratitude for the good things

            And with great longing in the struggles.

For Christ is coming,

And not just with a little more,

            But with the overwhelming abundance of joy

            For each and every one of us.