Sunday was a very special day at Middle Church. Our gospel choir performed an amazing concert in the afternoon, and our children gifted us with a great Christmas pageant.

Most meaningful to me among the special moments happened when the children helped me with my sermon. I wrote a child-friendly one. After one of our little people recited a scripture by memory, I used the letters of the word Christmas to talk about what Christmas means. With great respect for their intellect, I was subtle and did not say, “C is for the Child and R is for the Region in which the shepherds worked.” I just preached it with the refrain “Christmas means…”

I was good and theological until I got to the second “S”, at which time I acknowledged that Santa is part of the deal for many. Our children first coached me on all the names for Santa. Then there was a Minority report. One of ours was simply outraged: “Christmas is NOT about Santa. It is about Jesus and it is about love,” he said.

Now as a Christian clergy person, I was totally going there. But this child beat me to my own conclusion! Christmas is about love. And it is about this Child who re-presents Love.

Christmas is also about little children who, if we will listen and let them, will fulfill a prophecy in the Hebrew Scriptures: “A little child will lead them.”

May the little ones be our leaders as we seek hope, peace, joy, and love this season, and in the next year.

Happy Holy-days from me and the Middle Project

Jacqui