Made up or not, these two celebrations are highlights of my year, and especially highlights of the dreary November/December months in the Northwest. They also both serve to remind me of some basic fundamental values that I hope to hold, but don’t always act out: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind, and Love your neighbor as yourself.
Thanksgiving this year was relaxing and enjoyable. Aaron and I slept in really late, made a couple side dishes, and headed over to Alison and Chris’s house. We picked up Tracie, Tony, Jacob, Raina and Keise, and we joined the Flugers and Shemeile and Fikru. It was so fun to be with so many friends, even though they didn’t all know each other. We had a ton of good food, good conversation and some lounging time before Aaron decided to take on Keise at Wii. He’s very proud to report that he beat a 13-year-old. He says he gets his competitive side from his mom 
The rest of the weekend we took it easy and tried to finish up school work. We spent most of Saturday (6hrs) at a coffee shop. Aaron worked with his school partner, finishing up a final assignment, and I sat on the other side of the coffee shop, grading memos for my TA job. I love sitting in coffee shops in Seattle and never get tired of people watching. I watched at least 4 people in the coffee shop fall asleep, with their legs propped up on the window sill and their laptops in their lap. It was the perfect post-Thanksgiving scene.
That night we made chili and cornbread and Matt and Mel joined us for dinner. It was nice to feel relaxed for the first time in a while and enjoy conversation with friends. Mel and I had fun scheming our next adventures, and Matt and Aaron veged out on the couch and played video games.
Today is the first day of Advent. It’s a historical tradition in the church that I think offers some good opportunities to reflect and prepare for the celebration of Jesus’ life and death. This morning we visited Matt and Mel’s church, and the pastor talked a lot about the “mythical” story that we all put our hope in; and how it isn’t the true story of Jesus. He also referred to a group called “Advent Conspiracy,” who I think reflect some of the things that Aaron and I have been thinking about the holidays. In regard to the Christmas season and Advent, their challenge is to: 1. Worship Fully 2. Spend Less 3. Give More 4. Love All
The reminder for me was not just in what we should do more of or do less of, but what the state of my heart is this season. At one point the pastor said, “Children in America wait with more expectancy for gifts on Christmas Day than they do for the return of Jesus.” Ouch. I know that I often also want for material and emotional things more than I want for the presence of God. The complex, heartbreaking and human story of Jesus’ birth is not the fairy tale we hear at Christmas. And God’s blessings are evident when we are both in abundance and in need, not when we have lots of stuff, money, power, etc.
My hope for this season, and in future seasons, is that I would intentionally create opportunities to remind myself of my tendency to worship other things, and find ways to turn my worship back to the one who frees me from all of those other wants and demands.
“our next adventures”??? Thanks for not specifying.
The sermon (and your blog post) also reminded me of what we talked about last night – about focusing not so much on what we’re doing that seems “right” (like volunteering and advocating for justice issues), which can become a false gospel. Doing good doesn’t make me a better person, and it definitely doesn’t ensure that my heart is in the right place. We tend to complicate things a little too much – not just with the Christmas season – but also with what we think loving Jesus is supposed to look like, when really, it should be simple, and doesn’t require a lot.