Colossians 3:12-17

A Christmastide Community

A recent podcast reminded me that there is no such thing as a “neutral” marking of our time—our minutes and our hours, our days and our weeks, our months and seasons reflect the pervasive values of our society. So for the Church, one of the most important reasons for observing the Christian calendar is to learn to live into a different rhythm, a different awareness of what makes the world go around.

In Advent, we are taught to prepare in fast—even as our world’s economic engines whir in turbo-mode for the all-important shopping season. Then, in Christmastide, we are taught to celebrate the incarnation, learning to unpack the fullness of this gift, even as the rest of the world takes a somber turn in anticipation, often in…