| I am drinking coffee out of my special Christmas mug, unpacked at this time of year and put back in storage after a few weeks—along with lights, ornaments, wrapping paper and other Christmas things. These connect me to the traditions of Christmas that have been part of my life since childhood: gathering with family, taking time off work and school for games and meals and giving presents. I call myself a secular Christian or a cultural Christian because I was raised with Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny: traditions coinciding with the religious holidays of Christianity, but whose meaning was all about family togetherness and very little about religious belief. At some point I rejected the mainstream religious notion that Jesus died and was born again, and the notion of being saved somehow by or through Jesus. However, I later embraced the figure of Jesus as a teacher and a healer, as a prophet who preached radical love. In honor of Christmas, I uplift the message of that Jesus that I believe in: that everyone is worthy, rich or poor; outcast or noble; that we should love one another. Merry Christmas. If this is a holiday with meaning for you – deep religious meaning or the equally important meaning of family tradition – I hope you enjoy it. If Christmas is completely outside of your religious identity, I hope you enjoy the quiet of a day when almost everything is closed. And may we all be blessed by the message of love and hope that is at the core of the Christmas story: a baby born in difficult times giving hope to his family and to others. Prayer May every child born be blessed and honored as special, as the child of God, as a holy being sent to bring hope, love and peace. May each of us see ourselves in that child, represented in the Christian tradition by the baby Jesus. May we be wise enough to see universal wisdom and truth in the stories and holidays of many religious traditions – those we were born into, and those we learn about later in life. May Christmas be a day of peace, love and joy for the whole world with no exceptions. Amen. Rev. Andrew Frantz |
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Rev. Andrew FrantzUUFCM Minister Office hours:
In-person and via Zoom: Tuesday 10-noon Wednesday 1-3 & 8-9pm Office Hours Zoom Link Outside of Office Hours, Drew is reachable at any time via text, phone, or email. Day off: Monday Contact for emergencies only minister@uufcm.org Phone/text: 440-935-0129 Pastoral Care Concerns
For support with life’s challenges, please contact Drew during his office hours or make an appointment with him. For specific needs such as rides to medical appointments or meals for people recovering from illness or surgery, please contact the Arms Around team via Gisela Moffit at gbmoffit@gmail.com or 989-772-1602. Every effort will be made to lessen the burden on the individual or family who is dealing with a difficult circumstance. Archives
November 2023
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