It would appear that we will probably be having a green Christmas this year. And while it will certainly make travelling to visit family and friends much easier, it is just not as nice as waking up to sparkling snow on Christmas morning. And it is hard to believe that there are less than two weeks left in 2018. Where did the year go? I can remember my Mother saying that the years seemed to fly by faster as she got older, and I used to think ‘ya, sure they do’. But now that I am ‘older’, I might have to agree with her?
A big thank you to everyone who helped with our family Christmas dinner last Sunday evening. Nearly 150 people attended, including our friends from Ancora House and four refugee families. It was a great success. The 31 children in attendance were thrilled when Santa arrived. Santa’s elves, Sadie and Maggie Muir, did an awesome job of stuffing the gift bags and in assisting Santa to distribute them. Great job all around!
A reminder that December 31 is Wesley’s year end, and the cut-off date for givings and donations in order to receive a tax receipt for 2018. If you prefer donating online by credit card, you are now able to donate to Wesley’s General Fund or the Mission and Service Fund through CanadaHelps. https://www.canadahelps.org/en/" href="https://www.canadahelps.org/en/">https://www.canadahelps.org/en/ Type in Wesley United Church, Cambridge, and you will be taken to our page. You will receive a tax receipt by email.
Our Refugee Committee will be meeting soon to make some decisions around which family(ies) we might support, and what that support might look like. At present, we are working closely with the YMCA to connect us with a family who is already in Canada, but who require support and assistance to navigate some of our complex systems. If you have an interest in helping with this, please let us know. And stay tuned for updates and opportunities to participate. We are hoping that some, or all, of those who attended our family Christmas dinner, will join us for church Sunday morning and Christmas Eve.
Please join us on Sunday morning for our Christmas service with the theme of love. And if you come early, you will be able to participate in the carol singing prior to the service. And if you come really early, you get to listen to the choir practising their anthem, which is just like a free concert!
On Monday evening at 7:00 p.m., we will have our traditional Christmas Eve candlelight service. Our Worship and Music Committee has been hard at work getting the candles ready, and there will be readings and carols. After the service, you are invited to gather in Ainslie Hall for cider and cookies and to share Christmas good wishes with each other. We are looking for donations of cookies. They do not have to be home made. You may drop them off Saturday morning, bring them to church on Sunday, or bring them with you on Monday evening.
I was listening to one of our Ancora helpers today as we were preparing for the seniors lunch, and I was reminded that Christmas is a very stressful time for many of us. We have an ideal of the perfect Christmas that is far removed from the reality. Many do not have happy memories of Christmases past. I encourage each of you to stop amid the hustle and bustle, and think about what is really important; family, friends, health, and being part of a community of faith that seeks justice, loves kindness, and walks humbly with our God.
Hope, peace, joy, and love to you and yours this Christmas.
Anne Tinker
“Christmas, my child, is love in action. Every time we love, every time we give, it’s Christmas.” - Dale Evans
