Pastor Devin Strong

Sprit of Peace Lutheran Church

We have officially entered the secular season of Hallow-Thanks-Mas! For many of us, the last two months of the calendar year are a blur as we move from candy to turkey to presents, with each event covered in more family obligations than the last. 

The church wants to pump the brakes on all this obligation-induced stress with the season of Advent, four Sundays leading up to Christmas, deliberately set aside for waiting and preparing for Jesus’ coming, but for all of our Christian sincerity, I worry that Advent is less and less effective for many folks.

We follow the Black Friday sales much more closely than we do the liturgical calendar, and we have all but lost our ability to wait as a people.

It’s only mid-November, and we are ready for decorations, lights, and cookies NOW!

Still, we must try to speak a word of hope and healing into our frazzled world. I cordially invite anyone who is looking to slow down and breathe during Hallow-Thanks-Mas to join us at Spirit of Peace Lutheran Church, 15985 GA Hwy 144 in Richmond Hill, for our midweek gatherings, Reflections of Advent, Wednesdays, December 4, 11, and 18. We begin each night with a free, homemade dinner at 6 PM followed by a casual worship service with holiday songs at 6:30 PM. It’s a great way to get your bearings this time of year.

What will your holidays be like? The nation is still digesting the results of the recent presidential election. Half of us are elated, and half of us are demoralized. Will your Thanks-Mas meals be more peaceful because Donald Trump is the president-elect, or will the tableside battles over policies and personalities rage?

There is so much anxiety in the secular season and so much emotional energy invested in our families right now, we need to remember our faith. No matter what is happening, our jobs as Children of God are fundamentally the same. If you are thrilled that the Republican won the White House, then you need to listen sensitively to the one who is frightened for themselves and others. If you are despondent that the Democrat lost the election, then you need to pay attention to the good things that those on the other side think that they have gained, celebrate with them where you can, and work hard to support the policies that you believe are important. If the thought of spending time with your extended family makes you anxious, then you need to set appropriate boundaries and do what you can to be a healing, joyous presence for your relatives. If the holidays find you more alone than you want to be, then you need to work hard to put yourself into an intentional community.

Find a group of people who can lift you up this season and join them. Lift them up and celebrate with them!

You are a Child of God not a child of the world, no matter how much the world tries to tell you otherwise. You don’t have to swim in the chaos of either Hallow-Thanks-Mas or national politics. Come what may, your calling is to welcome the stranger, hug those who weep, and heal the broken. More than ever God needs you to be a conduit of grace!