by Rev. Terry Davis
Delivered at Northwest Unitarian Universalist Congregation on
December 15, 2013
We Unitarian Universalists love our religious holidays . . . we do! And, there’s no better month than December for UUs to honor the inclusive and eclectic nature of our faith tradition. We have Hanukkah (referred to this year by some of my Jewish friends as “Thanksgivukkah” because of its unusually early arrival). There is Advent, Christmas, the winter solstice, and Kwanzaa.
Religiously, culturally and socially, this last month of the year seems to offer us many opportunities for gathering, for reflection, for preparation, and celebration.
This morning’s children’s pageant has been advertised “Battle of the Holidays,” and the drama we’ll see unfold this morning is one that pits some of our most familiar December holidays against one another. Which holiday is the best? We are going to see in just a few minutes how the competition unfolds.
But before we do, I hope you’ll each take a moment now and in the days ahead to reflect on a slight variation of that question. Rather than ask ourselves which holiday is best, I think there is some value in considering What makes the best holiday? Because, when we do, I believe that we’ll find a common theme that transcends the differences of culture, philosophy and religion.
I imagine we’ll find that the holidays offer us an opportunity to crystalize some of our most meaningful experiences of connection and well-being into memory and tradition.
What makes the best holiday is perhaps anything that enables us to bring into tangible existence those intangible concepts of love, peace and goodwill towards others.
Lighting candles, making and sharing latkes and Christmas sugar cookies, hearing and singing favorite seasonal songs, sharing our table with extended family and friends and perhaps a few newcomers, too . . . these are the ways we see, hear, feel, and even taste our most cherished values.
This morning’s tradition of the children’s holiday pageant offers us a tangible moment of connection with all generations of this faith community. Reflected back to us in the young faces and voices we’ll see and hear today will be our own sense of hope, of possibility, and of uninhibited creativity.
My sense is that this morning we’ll not only enjoy our pageant children and adults, we will love them a little more afterwards. In the next few moments, we will be strengthening the bonds of community and creating warm memories that will have meaning for us long after this pageant is over.
So, let’s celebrate this pageant and the tangible opportunity it brings for us to experience the spirit of the holidays and the gifts of the heart. Let’s begin!