Advent and Christmas at Calvary have flown by. As I sift through my memories of the past weeks, so many joyful, profound, and beautiful moments stand out for me: the music, the flowers, the warmth and fellowship of the Greening of the Church, the children in our Epiphany pageant, and above all, the people. Even with the challenges of the weather, parking changes, and surprise of Influenza A all over the place, so many of you, and many, many guests, found their way to Calvary for worship services from Lessons and Carols to this past Sunday’s Epiphany pageant, coming together for the joyful and reverent worship of God, and to celebrate the yearly remembrance of the birth of Jesus Christ.

Our love of Christ was shown every time we gathered, through the welcoming hospitality that each of you participates in, through the sacred welcome of the Holy Eucharist, and through voices raised in beautiful carols and hymns, some familiar and some new. Our individual prayers came together as one common prayer, beseeching God to bring peace, healing, and joy to this broken world, healing and comfort for those who are ill or in any way hurting, and prayers of thanksgiving and joy in remembering the promises of God through Christ of grace, healing and transformation; promises of eternal life.

Now, in January, we turn our attention to the business of the church. On January 11, our guest preacher will be the dean of the Southeast Region of the Episcopal Church in Minnesota, the Very Rev. Cindi Brickson. We will have an adult forum that day in Crawford Hall between the two services, facilitated by our Stewardship Team as they ask for your feedback on this year’s Stewardship program, and your ideas for stewardship programs to come. On Sunday, January 25, Calvary will have the 166th annual meeting of the congregation. We will meet in Brackenridge Hall and, as we have done the past few years, begin the meeting with our worship service and end with Holy Communion, having the business of the meeting as our sermon. The meeting will be live-streamed, and there will be no 8:30 service that day.

Thanks be to God for the beauty of our Advent and Christmas seasons, and thanks be to you for your part in Calvary. Everyone is needed, welcomed, and loved in this place.

Happy New Year,