On The Table

Hi church,

It's the second week of Advent, in which the Church, in this season of anticipation, traditionally reflects on God's gifts of peace - past, present, and especially future. As we move from last week's focus on hope, we might be struck by the fact that we haven't really left that territory. While we long for peace in our lives and in our world, we remain, at best, in a posture of hope - waiting on Jesus, who still (as someone observed Sunday morning) owes us a lot of plowshares and pruning hooks.

If we reflect further on the deeper meaning of "peace" in a Hebrew (and hence a Jesus-y) context - "shalom" is not just the absence of violence, but a spiritual and relational health and wholeness - we may be saddened by all the promises of wholeness in our lives and communities that God has seemed to make, and not fulfill. Not yet, anyway. With God's help, though, let's remain, together, in hope, expectation, and anticipation of shalom. And let's be receptive and ready for God's call, to us, to bring a little peace to one another.

It's in that mode that we look forward to this Saturday, December 8th, when we'll gather at the Vienna Community Center for what's become a CT holiday tradition: the FACETS Parents' Shop (formerly Sibling Shop), which is an opportunity for homeless and low-income parents to "shop" for a gift for their children, plus craft activities for kids to create a gift for the parents. We'll be helping with setup and driving guests to the event (12-2pm), assisting folks selecting, creating, and wrapping gifts (2pm-5pm, the main event), and with cleanup (5pm-6pm). You're welcome to join us for any or all of this opportunity to help bring a little shalom to our wider community.

Then, Sunday morning (10am), we'll gather for a worship service at Jammin' Java, and we'll continue to compare and contrast the promises of Caesar and his empire one the one hand, and Christ and his kingdom on the other - this time in relation to the promise of peace. We'll look for clues in the birth stories of Augustus and Jesus, we'll bring our hope for peace to God through our collaborative Advent wreath, and we'll sing together of our yearning for the coming of our long-expected Lord. Please join us for a morning of worship and dreaming of God's peace.

Looking ahead, don't forget our annual Christmas Party and its attendant non-competitive competitions related to chili, gingerbread, and whatever else we can throw on the fire. This is a great time to hang out, to catch up, and to see the old friends who always seem to drop by. We'll be holding it again at the Fairfax Railroad Museum on the evening of Sunday, December 16.

We're also excited to be joining forces with our friends at Fairlington Presbyterian Church and some other kindred congregations on December 23 for a Christmas Service. We'll have more details as the planning for the service develops, but if you'll be in the area for the holiday, plan to turn out for this great partnership with our friends Matt and Jan and others.

Wishing you the peace of God that passes all understanding during this liminal season,

Mike Croghan