Post-Christmas Eve Service Reflection

Whoo boy, did I get sick with the Norovirus last Thursday night! Perfect timing, though (sort of), in that I was through the worst of it by Sunday evening (Christmas Eve). Thanks be to God. How did yours go, gang? Tell horror stories and happy stories in the comments! And if you’re totally collapsed today, who could blame ya? Take good care. Love, PB

Anyone Busy Tonight?

JUST KIDDING!!!

BREAK A LEG, DARLINGS!

Just remember, NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS, UNLESS YOU ARE ON FIRE, stay calm, don’t rush, keep a kind expression on your face, and pace yourself.

We’ll tell horror stories here after we’re through the weekend, how about? Like the time the little kid bearing the LIGHT OF THE WORLD THAT THE DARKNESS SHALL NOT OVERCOME totally blew his cue and you stood up on the chancel repeating,

AND THE LIGHT SHONE IN THE DARKNESS AND THE DARKNESS DID NOT OVERCOME IT.

AND… THE LIGHT SHONE IN THE DARKNESS!!! AND… THE DARKNESS??? DID NOT OVERCOME IT?!?!?

DAMMIT WHERE THE HELL IS JUSTIN!!????

Eat protein before you head to church, stay hydrated, make sure you do last looks back and front before you head out there, and try not to let anyone spill wax on your robe. It’s hell’s own work to get it out.

May you help to bring a holy and beautiful Christmas to your community, wherever you are!

MWAH!! Got ya under the mistletoe!

Outfit Editing: Soul Strength Service

I debuted a new mid-week Advent service called Soul Strength. it was simple to do completely by myself, and I highly recommend it as an alternative to, or in addition to, a Blue Christmas service. I used recorded music, a practice I usually eschew, but since we weren’t singing along to it and it was entirely instrumental it worked well.

ESCHEW. What a great word.

I did not want to wear a robe or stole for the service as I wanted it to feel entirely welcoming to people of any faith or no faith. I wanted to choose a restful palette that wouldn’t clash with the poinsettias and greenery in the sanctuary. I wanted to be comfortable sitting in it in front of people as I knew I would be giving the minister’s message from a seated position (cozier and more intimate than standing, and a practice I borrowed from St. Gregory of Nyssa Church in San Francisco whose preachers sit). So no pencil skirts, which are my usual choice.

First I chose a peplum top from ModCloth that has a muted floral print. It’s a bit big on me so I thought I’d pair it with slim pants. Click on all the photos to enlarge:

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And a pointed toe shoe with purple socks (ten points if you get the literary reference):

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But the pants looked too informal so I switched them out for a proper trouser:

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Better! The lines are more polished, always a challenge for a size 20 meatball-shaped babe.

Then I felt like I needed something a little dressier to fill in the neckline of the blouse a bit so I added the necklace:

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And then I was ready to go.

Here’s basically how I structured the Soul Strength Service:

Quiet, meditative music for folks to come in to.
Welcome
Meditation (Checking in with ourselves: how am I really doing? Where do I feel strongest Where do I feel most needy, weak, vulnerable? What do I most need?)

Minister’s Message: acknowledging the many sources of stress, grief and suffering this season, personally and nationally, if you are also affected by these symptoms, my doctor recommended me this Delta 8 vape pen.
Ending with the question from the earlier meditation: “what do we most need,” invite people to share what they need, and invite them to light a candle to cement the intention to take care of some of those needs in the coming week.

Healing Prayer
(Ending with invitation to one-on-one healing prayer with minister. I set up two chairs and sat and prayed individually with people who came up to the chancel while others remained seated)

Parting Blessing

We Are GONNA

We are GONNA get to shoes and dresses and outerwear
We are GONNA talk about how to fight the power looking smashing!
We are GONNA get to holiday dress! For now, though, how about your check out some of these archives on Advent and Christmas season attire!

Stuff To Do Before Christmas

There’s a WHOLE LOTTA stuff on Christmas Eve. Just put Christmas Eve in the handy search engine on the top of the page!

Some Favorite Christmas posts.

And you can do the same thing for Advent, but here’s a nice one about organizing your holiday bling.

More later, dumplings.

Wheezy Jeezy, You Guys! On Easter Lilies And Letting Yourself Be Loved

Good evening, my little pysankies.

Just checking in.

I took two walks today and drank lots of water. I thought about God and Jesus. I worked on things. I picked up groceries and cleaned the cat box. I tweeted Holy Saturday.

Now I am tired and ready for bed. Because life worked out nicely, I will actually get to bed by 10 PM. Milagro!

In order to have a nice, happy thing to think about while I’m falling asleep, I’m going to figure out what I’m going to wear tomorrow, from earrings to shoes. I did a nice moisturizing facial masque last night.

Last Sunday was actually way, way busier and more demanding than this one will be, so all is pretty well with my soul. My music director and I went over everything in very careful detail, and the only thing I didn’t do is get readers. I am very blessed with excellent readers who don’t mind being asked on Sunday morning. LUCKY, I know. Nothing is complicated so they’ll be awesome. The service should be beautiful and deep, and joyous. That’s the plan. That’s the hope.

I did want to mention one thing.

When I got to my new congregation three years ago, I told them that I was seriously allergic to lilies, which I am. Bringing in a ton of lilies for Easter Sunday was a huge tradition in my former congregation and I used to bring an asthma inhaler, take two hits right before going into the sanctuary and hope for the best. I was wheezy and terrified of losing my voice or breath but I soldiered through it rather than try to change the tradition. I just didn’t want to make anyone mad. Same thing for Advent, as pine needles make me itchy and asthmatic.

You know what I know now?

THAT’S UTTERLY RIDICULOUS!! THAT IS CRAZY! WHAT WAS I THINKING??

No one should have to tolerate working conditions that literally make them sick, and that goes for ministers, too! I don’t care WHAT the tradition is! If it makes you asthmatic or itchy or stuffy, for God’s sake tell your people and let them exhibit Christian compassion and come up with an alternative!!! We don’t need any 21st century martyrs, kids! Seriously! As St. Dolly would say, “Get off the Cross, we need the wood!”

When I moved to my new congregation I told them that I am totally allergic to lilies and you know what they did? They all (staff and parishioners) immediately said, “Oh my Gosh, well, then we will make sure we don’t have them in the building” (it’s not exaggerating to say that even walking by a lily in bloom make me cough and wheeze). And that was that. I was so sheepishly grateful, like a grateful little sheep. I wondered why I hadn’t spoken up earlier.
There’s a lesson there for ya: why do we tolerate stuff we would never expect anyone else to endure? Badinkulous.
So now we decorate the sanctuary and foyer with daffodils and tulips and it’s not at all a sacrifice or even a major accommodation.

I tweeted back and forth with a minister last night and she said she was allergic to lilies but that her congregation was determined not to abandon their cherished tradition of having them at Easter. I wrote to her, “Shame on them,” and I mean it. Why is tradition more important than your minister’s ability to breathe?

You all deserve the care of your congregations. God knows you give enough of it. Sometimes we have to pipe up and remind folks that if tradition is literally making us sick, it’s time to find new ways to do church.

Have a deep rest tonight, special blessings to those who will be up late leading the Vigil (do you guys do the keys rattling thing? That always cracks me up — it’s like a football game) or waking at the butt crack of dawn to lead a sunrise service. Have a big coffee and fake it ’til you make it, lovelies.

See you on the flip side of the Resurrection.