Dear Friend,

As I write this, there are 7 days left until Christmas and 12 days until my kids’ birthdays, so I’m just going to leave you with what is below in hopes that it will bring some joy, spark some creativity, or give you a moment of rest in the midst of a busy season.

With gratitude,
Pastor Sarah

The Most Powerful Muscle in the World

by Stephanie Duncan Smith

I was struck by this article about birth and creation and Advent. I learned something I hadn’t know before (the uterus is the most powerful muscle in the human body), and I began to see creation and Advent differently: it comes from our core, it requires us to expand, to push against the entropy of all things. Here’s just a small taste:

“In the beginning of all beginnings, God is a woman swaying her hips with hope, a woman who says, “Let us stretch. Let us risk. Let us make room.” She stretched and she stretched until her capacity was wide as the night, holding every human soul in the spaciousness of her belonging. And so the circle of the Trinity expands. God is not just with-child, but with-cosmos. Her heart quickens when she thinks of them one by one: Beloved, Beloved, Beloved. In Advent, we hear the ancient echoes of this genesis: Here comes life.”

Read the full article here.

Peace and Joy: A Shaker Hymn

The Rose Ensemble featuring Kim Sueoka (soloist)

This past Sunday was the Sunday of Joy in Advent, so this feels like a very appropriate song to share this week. Here are the lyrics:

Awake for the angels are gath’ring near,
Whispering peace and joy,
Gathering near Christ’s blessing to bring;
Let nothing that boon destroy.

Refrain 1: Happy are they who gather these gifts,
Fresh from the heav’ns the soul to uplift.

Oh, then let us gain ev’ry Christian grace,
Whate’er the toil and strife,
Thus forming here a household of faith
The fruit of the virgin life.

Refrain 2: Let us sing with the angels in glad accord,
Peace and joy are the gifts of the Lord.

5,000 Drone Christmas Light Show

Sky Element Drone Show

I mean … this is impressive and pretty amazing to watch. One has to think that fireworks are soon going to be a thing of the past …

For When You Need a Christmas Miracle