Let Christmas Begin!

I've listened to my Bony M and Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton Christmas music, I've planned the food for the Christmas party tomorrow, and I've heard some amazing carols and readings for Advent. I even got to sing my little heart out to "O Come O Come Emmanuel" (one of my all-time favourite Christmas songs - the whole idea of Emmanuel. God with us. Never ceases to amaze me. My pastor at my church preached on this whole idea on Christmas Eve a few years ago, and amazingly enough, it stuck with me. He just kept repeating the phrase, "God stepped in". That's Emmanuel. God is with us. No matter what. No matter where. Even in the midst of the messes that we make. In the midst of our joys. In the midst of poverty, pestilence, and sorrow. God stepped into that. Among the stinky cows and goats in a stable. God stepped in. And he still steps in. He's with us. Amazing.).

Anyways, I now officially feel in the Christmas "spirit". I am celebrating Advent in my own little way. Until tonight, I don't think I quite was in the advent mood. But tonight at the Anglican Cathedral in town, a small chior led us in "Songs and Readings" for Advent. It was an amazing evening. This small group normally does a service for Lent and Easter and then again for Advent and Christmas. And it's always such a wonderful time of beautiful voices, reflective readings, and just a time to rest in the presence of the Word. The Word who came to be with us. Emmanuel.

Tonight there was the added chior of some of the street children that I mentioned a few weeks ago. It was so wonderful to see these children up there singing their little hearts out - you can bet none of them have ever sung in front of the church to a big crowd like that before! They had such beautiful voices and do so well singing Christmas carols in English - when few of them know much English at all. They started with a song in the local Arabic, though, which I didn't get ALL the words of. But the words I caught were so sad - they were singing "I'm tired, but there's no rest. I'm sick, but there's no medicine. My mother is not there. My sister is not there..." But there was hope in it. And that Hope is... yup, you guessed it. Emmanuel. God with us.

So Christmas has come. Even though it still really hot. I still have an unending list of things to get done before I fly out on Monday. But it's Christmas. Time to prepare myself for the celebration of God coming to be with us!