“’Tis the gift to be simple, ‘tis the gift to be free,
‘tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,
and when we find ourselves in the place just right,
‘twill be in the valley of love and delight.
When true simplicity is gained
to bow and to bend we shan’t be ashamed,
to turn, turn, will be our delight
till by turning, turning we come round right.”
Shaker song, 18th
century
Simplify. This may be the key ingredient for a holy
Advent and a joyful Christmas. Every
observance has the ability to expand to fill the time, space, and money
provided.
Simplify. Begin by identifying the Advent and Christmas
traditions that are life giving and then put aside the others. When our first child was a toddler, I pressed
myself to make the labor intensive cookies that were the trademark of my family
of origin—only to watch her reach for her usual graham cracker. So I put that tradition aside until later
when we all could gather as a team of bakers in the kitchen.
Simplify. A Christmas tree continues to be life
giving—but more so when taken in stages.
Now we purchase and install a tree, intentionally enjoying it in its
unadorned green state. On a later day
the lights arrive. Yet later the
ornaments appear. It is a tried and true
method for reducing stress and exhaustion.
Do it this way once, and it becomes a cherished tradition.
Simplify. Reduce the gift giving. Give to a charitable endeavor in honor of a
loved one. Be the one who proposes
drawing names or foregoing a gift exchange.
The time spent together is the greatest gift.
Simplify. Leave space on the calendar in these
days. Be selective with time
commitments. Allow time for peace and
quiet. Allow space for serendipity.
Simplify. In this season, we prepare for the coming of
Jesus in a manger in the quiet of a winter night. We await a humble coming of the Holy
One. May our simplicity make room for
the one who is always seeking to come among us.
The Rev. Linda Wofford Hawkins
Rector
