Ellsworth United Methodist Church

Dear Friends,

When someone says December so many of us can think of only one thing: “The Holidays.” Then we branch off – some making the “to do” lists and worrying there will not be enough time to do all that family and/or church traditions demand. “We’ve got to…..” And yes, perhaps we do, but remember all those holidays will still happen beautifully, even if we forget a tradition or two.

Like many people I am a great fan of Christmas. As Charles Dickens’ wrote in his beloved book A Christmas Carol, and here it is Fred speaking: “I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round — apart from the veneration due to its sacred name and origin, if anything belonging to it can be apart from that — as a good time; a kind forgiving, charitable, pleasant time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. And therefore, Uncle, though it has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that it has done me good and will do me good; and I say God bless it!”

Christmas can do so much good and is often the time when people do the most giving to the needs of others. It is the time when we see a red bucket and hear a little bell ringing and cannot walk away without pushing change or bills into that small slot. Giving is receiving amazing gifts from God. Our spirits become brighter when we rush to buy food, clothes, cleaning supplies for those, who cannot afford them. Inside our hearts grow

Christmas time and we begin singing our favorite carols and hymns. For me five that I need to sing every year are:
In “The Bleak Midwinter” (just re-read verse one:” In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan, earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone, snow had fallen, snow on snow on snow, in the bleak mid winter, long ago.” At that bleak and cold time — snow falling (softly) snow on snow our need is for warmth and lights to fill the skies (that here in Maine are dark by 4:00 p.m.) And then another favorite hymn comes into my mind: “Oh, Holy Night” — “O night divine — it is the night of our dear Savior’s birth.” And like with so many carols — we fill with memories — mine is of Dad playing this song on his violin with all of his heart. Then “What Child Is This?” (written by Henry VIII) wraps itself around me and I am cradled in lyrics and tune. Singing “Silent Night” as we leave the church on Christmas Eve holding little candles. And finally, so filled with the love of Christmas how can I help but singing “Joy To The World”?

My friends, as you prepare for Christmas and New Year’s Eve with your own traditions, pause and allow yourself to sink into their beauty. Flow with the music of God’s love. Rejoice in the glad tidings of Jesus’ birth and prepare for the new start of a new year: 2010!

May God Bless!

Fondly, Pastor Susan Yaruta-Young (or Y-Y to some)