Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Christmas Day 2012

This is a quiet day here in Brooklyn, New York where I am with my sister and brother-in-law. I continue to reflect on the season. I presided at the Christmas Eve eucharist at Epiphany Lutheran Church.  Robert Gahagen, the pastor of the church and a good friend preached. His sermon pinpointed all that has happened locally and globally, the issues in the news and yet he reminded us that it is Christmas. Jesus, God incarnate, comes into the midst of what we hear and experience.

It is always good to return to Brooklyn. It is returning to my spiritual roots as I was nurtured in the faith at Epiphany. Many of the people I knew are now in the church triumphant but what they demonstrated in their lives as church men and women of God are still with me and the others who grew up in the parish.

Hodie Christus natus est!

Monday, December 24, 2012

Musings at Christmas

In November I attended and presented a paper, "Black Soldiers, education, and the U.S. Civil War: the Fight for Liberation" at the annual meeting of the Religious Education Association in Atlanta, Georgia. It was good to see old friends and new colleagues in the field. It was my last meeting as a full-time faculty member of the association.

Last week I held my last seminary Fall semester class. I certainly enjoyed the years of interacting with the students and my colleagues. Gettysburg Seminary has been a significant part of my life.

Epiphany Lutheran Church in Brooklyn has also been an important part of my life. Recently, I heard from an old Epiphany friend, Lorrain Nelson. I had not seen her in 50 years. We talked about our nurture in the parish, the good liturgical practices, and our time in Luther League. One month prior, I officiated at the funeral of Fred DeLeon, another Epiphany friend. He and my sister were in the same confirmation class. It was good to see old friends. We gathered in celebration of life that was shared and lived on the promises of God in Jesus. Epiphany helped to nurture us in faith.

I was walking through the Capitol City Mall near Camp Hill, PA on Saturday afternoon. There were the usual crowds and a lot of conversations. In the midst of hustle and bustle of shopping, there was a trio of voices singing Christmas carols. It made me think, the singers helped to remind shoppers the reality of the season. I saw one shop manager stop to listen as the singers were in front of his store...taking moment to reflect.