End of Year Statement

There is no time for anything fancy, and barely time for this quick note at the end of what has turned out to be a great year. Life has been good; may it continue to be so. But if it cannot be, then may the memories of 2006 be a source of comfort and inspiration. The Lord giveth, the Lord taketh away -- blessed be the name of the Lord.
It is unreasonable to expect every year to be as free of suffering as this past one, but I do hope that whatever 2007 holds, it will be a year in which my wisdom increases, a year in which my love for others grows deeper and broader, and a year in which I am granted (and sieze) many opportunities to participate in what God is doing in the world.
Happy New Year!

Hooray, It's (Yawn) Christmas!

Christmas is almost here, thank God. It isn't that I'm anxious to open presents or to feast. I do look forward to spending some extra time with family, but that's not it either. The reason I'm so grateful that Christmas is almost here is because I am exhausted!
I suppose it is an occupational hazard. It isn't just that there is so much more for a minister to do (which there is); it is also that the stakes are higher, with more people in the pews. Add the out-of-town guests and the two-timers (Christmas and Easter) to the regulars and it starts looking pretty good from the pulpit. But then it gets to you that so many people are expecting you to say something worth the time and effort it takes to listen. Sure, the choir, soloists and instrumentalists bear some of the burden, but believe me it is still stressful.
After twenty years, I no longer worry about coming up with something new to say. People don't want you to preach from Genesis or Revelation, and somehow tie it in to Christmas. They just want the straight stuff, right from Matthew, Luke and John. People want to hear about Bethlehem, Mary and Joseph, no room at the inn, shepherds in the field, wise men with gifts, etc. I just try to find a new way to tell the old, old story. Through the years, I've done okay, but every year I feel the pressure build.
So I guess my psychic weariness is understandable and acceptable. I mask it as well as I can, smiling my way through the Christmas eve service and as I greet the parishioners afterward. But, as my family knows well, when I go home, I am played out. That's why I always schedule a week's vacation right after Christmas. It gives me a chance to recharge and take the right attitude into the new year.
For the last few years, as we have travelled on Christmas day to see family, my wife has thoughtfully prepared an envelope with a card and small tip for the toll taker on the turnpike. She figures the guy deserves a little extra something for working on Christmas day so that the rest of us can use the road to reach our families. As she hands the toll taker the envelope, my wife smiles and says, "Thank you." She's nice.
If I'm driving, the toll taker will be lucky to get even a faint smile from me. I'll still be exhausted.

I Saw Santa

I saw Santa today.
He was in a blue Chevy pick-up, sitting in front of the New Windsor, Maryland, post office, readily recognizable due to his fluffy white beard and familiar red hat. He looked remarkably relaxed, considering this must be his busy season. Evidently, it has been a good year for the elves, and everything is ready to go, or at least ahead of schedule.
I didn't say, "Hi," because I figured he was off duty, and I know a little of what it is like to be bothered on your day off by well-meaning folks who just want to say hello. People don't always understand that this means you have to shift gears and put your game face on. Some days, you just want to blend in, go about your business and be left alone. Of course, if that was what Santa wanted, he shouldn't have worn the red hat.
Sure enough, an older lady who saw him after I did, shouted, "Hi, Santa!" He smiled and said, "Hi," back. She stopped at the window of his truck and they had what appeared to be a friendly conversation. I was inside by that time and couldn't hear what they were saying, but they were both smiling. Maybe she told him what she wanted for Christmas this year, and he said, "You bet!" or "No problem."
I read in a magazine the other day about a Santa Claus convention, somewhere in California, where several hundred men who look like Santa gathered to trade advice and war stories. The article said some of these guys make as much as $12,000 in the month between Thanksgiving and Christmas, playing the part of Santa at malls, in parades and at private parties. But most of them say they don't do it for the money; they just enjoy bringing joy into the lives of others.
I like to bring joy into the lives of others, but I don't think I'd do so as Santa even if I could. As it is, I am at least thirty pounds underweight and I'd have to dye my hair. Besides, my beard isn't thick enough. I'd have the scraggliest beard of any Santa you ever saw. Fortunately, there are plenty of other ways to bring joy into the lives of others. Lately, I've been doing a pretty good job of it with butter spritz cookies.