Old fashioned...

Some old fashioned things are good and I think they're good because they often bring back memories of times when various people were still alive.  At least, that what is is to me.

Sunday evening we held an old fashioned Advent Celebration.  Some of the women of the church hosted it.  We sang the old favorite carols with just the organ playing, read the Christmas story and ate Christmas goodies afterward.  Brought back memories of when the children were small, of former pastors that had ministered at Gateway, of men and women and young people who are no longer here but left a part of them with us even after death.

Yes, I love old fashioned things.  They make me thankful and appreciative.

I like new things also.  It shows me that not everything stays the same...customs change, music changes, people themselves change over time.  Even our thoughts and opinions on various things change over time. 

Yes, we change.

Now, on any given Sunday morning at church we have some folks playing guitars or drums.  The piano has become the main instrument for worship leading, as opposed to only the organ (although we are fortunate enough to have both!!!) and we now have others leading the singing also...not to mention an actual person who runs the sound system.  I never would have imagined such things twenty years ago!!!

Other things though stay the same...we celebrate Advent...we light purple and pink candles, we talk about the birth of Jesus, we remember his example left to us...to love our neighbor as ourselves, to seek justice, to love kindness and to walk humbly with our God.

So, as we go through life, we find that things do change.  We must humbly accept that fact or cling greedily to our own ways.  Some changes are difficult for me to accept but I suppose I need to ask myself the question..."How does this affect me and my friends and what kind of attitude will I have if this change comes into effect?"  I think that sometimes we feel our whole world will be turned upside down if we don't get our way!  Ego.  It can so possess us!!!

I trust that this Christmas season will find me with a sense of hope...that I can be everything that Jesus was..which of course is a pretty tall order.  But I want to try.

 I will first need to change my own ways......

Tracy had the sanctuary decked out for Advent...lovely!

Clara led the evening Advent Celebration.

Birdie played the organ for the carol singing.

Melody led the evening singing.

And one thing that doesn't change is the appetite of the Blue Jay!