Dear friends,

I got an early start on the Christmas season this year thanks to my mom and dad who took Steve and me to see A Christmas Carol at the NEW Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis on the day after Thanksgiving.    It had been a LONG time since I had seen the play, and although I thought I knew it pretty well, I still found it to be chock-full of surprises and sweet sentiment!

As usual, I was teary over the tiny Tim scenes – and I found myself deeply touched by the transformation of Ebenezer Scrooge.  I was amazed to witness how his life is changed –fully, thoroughly, completely – by the ghostly visitors who show him his (and others’) past, present, and future.

And I couldn’t help but think about the redemption that WE are given – the transformational possibilities that we are gifted with – that began with the very real birth of a small baby.  Jesus didn’t just visit, but came and lived a human life – as Immanuel – “God with us.”  Jesus doesn’t just show us the scenes of our lives that, even with our best attempts, fall short  – but he lives and walks with us – as a holy ghost – the Holy Spirit. 

Chances are that our transformation will not be as dramatic as Scrooge’s was, but each day we are given the opportunity to live more fully into the new joy that he knew when he declared: 

          “I will honor Christmas in my heart and try to keep it all the year.”

In service to Christ and his church,

Pastor Judy