This year for Christmas we did something new. We hosted brunch for a bunch of friends on Christmas Day. The idea came from one year when we lived in Tacoma. We didn’t have any family around and friends included us in their Christmas morning celebration. It was a great time and when the opportunity arose for us to host this year I jumped at the chance because of that memory and because of my love for brunch. A love born from being busy on Sundays and therefore rarely able to take part in the glamorous breakfast/lunch combo.
On Christmas Day as I prepared I wasn’t sure what would unfold. What I found was deep meaning in the gathering of a somewhat random group of people made up of colleagues, friends from high school, people from the traditional church I serve, and members of the new community. Many of the people gathered crossing theses categories and simply were friends at the table. As we ate I was reminded of the motley crew at the stable that first Christmas. Shepherds, animals, innkeepers, and later kings. A group of disparate people all showing up to celebrate something and finding a blessed kinship in the moment.
Maybe it’s just the mimosas talking, but I think this was the best Christmas I’ve ever had. It felt like we were living a real celebration of the body of Christ that morning. Everyone brought something to share, we laughed, met new people, and it was good.
Our little family of three was fortunate enough to be able to travel to Bend that afternoon to celebrate Christmas again with my family of origin. It was bittersweet without dad, but lovely and healing as well.
I’ve learned something about Christmas, which for me is a time for family. The notion of who my family is seems to continue to grow and I am looking forward to many more Christmases with a motley crew gathered at the table, living healing love.
-Eilidh
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| The Crew- not shouting at anything. |
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