Thank GOD Regina had the good sense not to don tacky Christmas sequins and reindeers in PUBLIC and to have it captured on videotape for her congregation’s holiday greeting. Regina, I am rushing off to the gym so won’t be able to give this the attention it deserves but for the rest of you, hear ye, hear ye. She writes,
My church pastors (I am one,and the only female) recently filmed a Christmas greeting to be aired on local cable channels. We were invited to dress in our holiday finery (read: felt appliques, sequins, beading — gawdy!!). I do own some of these, but couldn’t bring myself to put them on. Probably your influence caused me to question the appropriateness of this kind of dress for this occasion. Your thoughts??
Congratulations! PeaceBang pops a cork for you, Regina, my queen. How WISE of you to understand that while Christmas is a time for tacky excess and sartorial tragedy in the secular world, it is a time for church people to remain calm, cool and centered in Christ. By all means wear a pretty red scarf tucked inside your suit or an elegant snowflake pin, but hold it at that. Why in the name of Balthazar should a pastor wear tinfoil decorations hanging from her earlobes or a big, ugly poinsettia sweater and look like the rest of the frantic, festivity-desperate folks out there when she has the Reason For the Season close at hand and heart every day of the year?
Yes, that was a breathless run-on sentence, but you must understand how ARDENTLY PeaceBang desires you, my reverend pigeons, to remember who and what you are and are not at this season. I learned this lesson most beautifully in 1997 when I was in seminary and went on silent retreat on Christmas Day to grieve the loss of the holiday (I knew that leading two Christmas Eve services would leave me in no condition to travel the next day to spend time with my family) and to transfer my Xmas expectations from presents to Presence.
I spent three nights in silence with the Cistercian sisters in Wrentham, MA, who treated Christmas Day as just another day to praise God and adore Christ. After vespers I went for a walk and saw their only concession to the holiday: at the top of their barn was a simple, pure, 4′ lit-up star.
O Holy Night!
This isn’t to say that I gave up entirely on Santa from that point on, you understand. I mean, a girl can’t give up on Santa. A little bling at the holidays never hurt anyone, and I’m sure a gift certificate to Sephora or Ulta isn’t going to endanger anyone’s immortal soul, either. Everything in moderation, dumplings, even moderation.
Every year a friend of mine has an “Ugly Christmas Sweater Party” where all guests are strongly encouraged to wear the most shockingly gaudy red-n-green monstrosity they can find. Ebay is great for finding them. All sequin/bells/ribbon/embroidery decorated Christmas sweaters should be worn ironically.