Dear Cousin Penny,
It has been such a fun, beautiful, and special season leading up to the celebration of Christmas. There was the children’s program in which we got to hear letters to and from Mary, shepherds, and angels.
There was the Alternative Holiday Fair. Nancy says something like $1,600 was raised for missions ~ and that’s not counting all the shoe boxes that went to Browning, the coin cans that went to Intermountain, and the food that goes to the Food Pantry.
There has been beautiful special music from Ted and Lila and Alex and Dorothy and Lorran and Chris. And Penny, we had “lion and lamb” visiting us every week to light our Advent candles. Someone said it was Heather and Jacquey with puppets. They were wonderful!
And I got crumbs ~ lots and lots and lots of crumbs!! Especially at the wonderful Christmas Brunch with the Holy Bunch. The food was marvelous, and I saw lots of people walking around looking at the unique variety of nativities. Why Penny, I think they even saw my wee mice nativity!
Now, looking toward the new year, we have our church conferences coming up on Sunday, January 8th. Our District Superintendent, David Burt, will be preaching that day and leading the annual church conferences. I think I heard Pendroy’s meeting is at 8:00 am, followed by worship. And ours in Choteau will begin with worship at 11:00 am, followed by a potluck (in which ham and rolls will be provided), followed by our annual meeting. These are always good meetings to look back at what we did and look forward into the future.
Love your cousin,
Chloe
Dear Cousin Chloe,
I got to ride along in the gal’s pocket when she and the guy took the Christmas Shoe Box gifts to Browning. It was so neat to see all our shoe box gifts become a part of all the others that were collected from around the conference. Rev. Barth in Browning was excited as he was loading up his truck later that week and delivering the shoe box gifts.
Chloe, did you know that in 1582 Pope Gregory XIII changed New Year’s Day from March 25th to January 1st? But that’s not all ~ England and the American colonies did not institute the new calendar and New Years date until 1752? So New Year’s Day has been January 1 in this country for only a little over 250 years.
And I remember back at Halloween, I learned that the early people in England and Ireland celebrated the New Year on November 1 ~ which then became All Saints Day. I know that the Jewish New Year is sometime in October, the Chinese New Year is in late January.
And, in fact, there are many other new year’s days ~ like the church new year always begins the first Sunday of Advent, which is the end of November or beginning of December. I think the real point is, no matter when it is celebrated, New Year’s is always a time to reflect and begin anew.
I’m really looking forward to worship on Sunday, January 1st. How often do we get to begin the New Year in worship together?!! I heard the gal say that the traditional Covenant prayer will be a part of both of our worship services. We don’t say that prayer very often. I am excited to begin the year with it this year.
Love your cousin,
Penny
