December 2025

A Christmas WishMy mother poured a tremendous amount of effort into Christmas preparations. Every inch of the house would be decorated, a full day set aside with her family and one of her good friends for baking at least a dozen kinds of Christmas cookies, and Christmas shopping for “just the right gift” would begin in earnest in June or July. More than once, she would hand me a bag in February or March and say, “I forgot to give this to you at Christmas. I found it in the closet—I bought it last summer.”
I don’t think she was trying to guarantee that we had the best Christmas ever, but her love of the season shone through. She was determined to make each Christmas the best it could be that year. Some years, when my dad wasn’t working, she wrapped many little gifts so there would be plenty to open. Other years, when resources allowed, the centerpiece of Christmas dinner was a standing rib roast. No matter the circumstances, it was certain that my mom gave everything she had to make our Christmas memories joyous ones.
Those memories came flooding back this past Sunday as some of our Resurrection family gathered after worship to decorate the church’s tree. Our Christmas tree, as you know, is adorned with angel ornaments in memory of loved ones who have passed. I was on the ladder when someone handed me a familiar glass angel. I glanced at the ribbon, and there was my mom’s name. A little while later, someone said, “Do you want to hang your dad’s ornament?”
In that moment, I looked around and was struck by the intimacy of this small Resurrection tradition—decorating the tree together after worship, just before the Christmas Program. Family gathered together, remembering the past, acknowledging the hard things, and preparing with love for the future—a future that will hold many more Christmas traditions, both in our congregation and in our homes.
For some, these traditions will be filled with joy and hope. For others, they may be touched by grief or emptiness. Christmas comes with a complex mix of emotions. My prayer for you this year is not that you experience a “perfect Christmas,” but that your Christmas is as good as it can be--and shaped by the possibility of renewal. Renewal that arrives when light breaks through the darkness and reminds us of God’s promise in the form of a tiny baby.
Be present, no matter what you are doing (mine came while standing on a ladder). Embrace gratitude for what is—even if you have to look hard for it—and make space for hope in what might yet be.
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A Sincere Thank YouWe have just completed a very successful stewardship campaign, receiving more pledges this year than we have in recent memory. This will make the budgeting process easier as your council begins its work next week. Your dedication to the mission and ministry of this church has not gone unnoticed, and I am deeply grateful for the spirit of love and sacrifice you continue to show.
On top of that, I am thrilled that last month’s Harvest Fair raised over $13,000 for our mission partners—for the second year in a row! This is a powerful testament to the heart of this congregation: a heart that gives freely, supports others, and lives out God’s call to love and serve. Your generosity is making a tangible difference not only within our church family but also in the lives of those we serve beyond our walls. Thank you for being such a loving, faithful, and giving community.

Looking AheadCalendar in Brief:

• Holden Evening Prayer – Midweek Advent Service
   Wednesday, December 10 at 7:00 pm.
  
• Longest Night Service
   Wednesday, December 17 at 7:00 pm. A special service for those coping with grief and loss during the holiday season. Stay afterward for warm cider, cookies, and fellowship.
  
• Third Annual Intergenerational “No Rehearsal” Christmas Program
   Sunday, December 14 at 10:00 am. Children of all ages are encouraged to participate.
  
• Christmas Eve Service
   Wednesday, December 24 at 5:30 pm.

In gratitude, faith, and anticipation I extend to you Christmas Blessings,
 
Tom