On the fifth day of Christmas...

Worship this morning was so gentle and soft - perfect in a gentle and

healing way - especially given the paradox of our family Christmas traditions and the text for the slaughter of the innocents!  A few people who joined us for Christmas Eve were present today, too.  As well as a number of folk without families who were clearly feeling alone and even afraid.  It was truly right to be back in community today.

We will be heading back to the country farm for winter retreat part two late in the afternoon tomorrow.  There are end of the year appointments to schedule, liturgies to finalize and pay checks to be deposited, yes? There is our Subaru to be taken to the shop, too and groceries to purchase so that for the next three and a half days, we can just chill, play music together, read and rest and periodically feed then animals.  Next Sunday we're doing the Christmas/Epiphany pageant and there will be a wonderful gaggle of children involved.

Yesterday as we hiked through an old back road, we came upon two different burying grounds.  In one there was the headstone of the first minister of the Plainfield Congregational Church who instructed over 300 souls in the way of the Lord but also led 50+ men into the full time Christian ministry. We saw the gravestones of children who died all too young and some old timers who lived well into their 100s.

It was a beautiful and tender morning and I am grateful to God for our life together.

NOTE: In the very near future I will post a link to this year's Thanksgiving Eve Concert link.  It came out GREAT - and I want you to have a chance to groove on all the fun.  More soon...