Many people are busy with many things at this time of the year. Yet, there was much “stewardship in action” on and off the Sacred Heart Campus. Several individuals and families assisted at the Trinity Supper on Friday evening, preparing and serving food to those in need. Our aging creche has been brought back to life with new pressure treated flooring and new roof through the efforts of Mike Chaisson, Bill Parent, Larry Bonetti, Rob Callahan and Tony Claro. Mike Chaisson also fabricated a new audio/visual table in the loft so that the new streaming equipment installed by Rob Russell and Ed Lavallette has sufficient space for those who will be operating the equipment. In the meantime, Phil, Casey, Riley and Rory Goyette cleaned all the wood out of the basement and will cut it up for my fire pit. Now shelving will be installed for storage. It is great to get this all cleaned.
The Advent Conspiracy assists us in recovering the real meaning of Advent in preparation for the Christmas Season. We have looked at worshiping fully by paying attention to the Word of God as we gather each weekend; how to “spend less” not only of our resources, but also our energy, worry and anxiety. This week we focus on “Give More.”
“Give More” sounds contradictory to “spend less.” But it’s not giving more stuff, but giving more meaningful relational gifts; the gift of ourselves. Why? Because what we celebrate at Christmas isn’t that God gave us more stuff, he gave us his Son. Are we able to give ourselves to the people we love? Think about the best Christmas gift you ever received. I am sure you are not thinking about a car, or diamond neckless, or any other material thing. For most of us it is a relational gift. I am thinking of all our family being taken to the Ice Capades as a family Christmas gift. It was the 20+ of us being together in the cars and being seated together, the laughter and joy of watching the show that was the gift. To this day we still share how special that was for all of us to go to Boston for such an event. I am also thinking of a poem a parishioner at St. Mark’s in Sutton wrote for me about my preaching and how much it meant to her. I still have it framed on my desk at home. Whenever I struggle with words or getting a message together, I read her words of thanks and encouragement and it gives me life.
So, take the time to think of the people you love and how you cannot give more “stuff”, but “give more” of yourself as God has given his Son to us. Give a gift that will be remembered for years to come.