My Christmas Chalice Lighting, Dec 23rd, 2018

Below is the text I created when I led the Lighting the Chalice ritual at our UUC in Groton, the day before Christmas, 2018. Since it was the Christmas service, I skipped over some of this during the actual presentation in the interest of time.

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It is such an honor to be here this morning — to share with you my perspective and my excitement about this very special and important time of year...

For many of us, it's a time to experience our extended families - we see people we love, and we rekindle fond relationships. Maybe there are folks we're happy to see only once a year — but even that keeps us in touch, and it replenishes our thirst for connections to our past, present and future.

So in many ways, this is The Season of Joy.

Indeed, one of the great joys I have already experienced this year happened because my wife made an off-hand comment about "The Clapper" as we were trying to unravel the mysteries of all the lights on the Christmas Tree.

So I did it — I succumbed — even though I vowed I'd never buy "The Clapper" because I thought it was only for really old people ... Now just imagine the joy when this (clap, clap) makes all of the holiday lights go on, and (clap, clap) makes them go off. Pure Joy!

But as Elea reminded us last week, let us acknowledge that the road thru our yearly Chanukah and Christmas celebrations, albeit paved with the best of intentions, is not necessarily a smooth passage.

It could be fraught with memories of previous seasons where all did NOT go well. Maybe we have lost loved ones who have left us yearning to be with them again. Or maybe this season especially reminds us of regrets too numerous to elaborate. You all know what I'm talking about.

For that reason, many of us set out to "Be on our best behavior" — pretending that everything is OK, even when it isn't... so we avoid "making waves" — a kind of a "hiding out"... Sometimes that "works"... but I would like to suggest an alternative.

Be open to the positive side of everything that happens, whilst still acknowledging the reality of our situations. Fully experience whatever happens and look for the blessings, in gratitude.

In my men's circle we use phrases that articulate "ways of being" — ones that we aspire to hold. Here is one called "Feel the Burn" — I brought this picture to illustrate the point. I know this is too small for most to see; if you're feeling brave, Google "picture, burning man".

Recently I found a much better way to say this... In her cyberspace blog called "DailyOM ", Madisyn Taylor writes in her article called "Honoring All Experiences":

• It is important when pain comes our way to honor the experience, as it is usually a great teacher.
• Honoring the experiences we have in our lives is an invaluable way to communicate with life, our greatest teacher.
• We do this when we take time at night to say what we are thankful for about our day, and also when we write in a journal.
• Both of these acts involve consciously acknowledging the events of our lives so that they deepen our relationship to our experiences.
• This is important because it brings us into closer connection with life, and with the moment.
• Only when we acknowledge what's happening to us can we truly benefit from life's teachings.

So I light the Chalice this morning for each and every one of us — that we fully appreciate who we are, and that we totally bring our present selves into these holidays... as they unfold thru New Years.