CELEBRATING IN THE MIDST . . .
As we enter our ninth month (or tenth? I forget) of fear and lockdowns because of the global pandemic, I have been grappling with how can we celebrate the holidays in spite of required safeguards. Not having a clear idea of what to do or how to do it, I attended the Northwest Region of Unity’s October board meeting (via Zoom) and asked what other people were doing. I quickly learned that most of the ministers and spiritual leaders on the Board had already been planning for a Christmas Eve that would look quite different from what we’ve had for many years. Almost every one of them is still not offering in-person attendance in their church buildings. But they have all transitioned to on-line services through either Zoom or Facebook. One minister, Rev. Linda Spencer, already planned to send a package to all her congregants, containing candles for Christmas Eve, an Advent calendar, and a white stone for their end-of-year ceremony. I was super impressed that someone was so prepared!
As I explored the idea with both our speakers’ committee, and our Board of Trustees, it became obvious that Unity of Missoula should do somewhat the same thing. However, we will also offer the Christmas Eve service as an in-person experience for a very limited number of people (maximum 25 at this point). Unfortunately, we will not have our choir sing this year, but Jeannine Fläten, Kathy Frantzreb, and Jeff Haberman are planning a service with some music, an inspiring talk, and candle-lighting. If you know now that you want to attend in-person, please call the church or Linda Andrus and reserve your spot. If you know now that you want a package with candles, a 2021 Unity calendar, Advent booklet, and black stones, please also let us know how many of each and where to deliver them.
In the meantime, please stay well, keep a positive attitude, meditate and pray everyday, and know that indeed, you are the light of God! You can rise above the battleground of the world we see around us, and know the truth is that we are all walking home together. So let us do it with grace, with peaceful hearts, open minds, and–most of all–let’s HAVE FUN!
Love and blessings, Linda Andrus, your Licensed Unity Teacher
