All the presents may be unwrapped. You may have started to put away your decorations. 

The liturgical answer to the question: “Is Christmas Over?” is not yet! Christmas Day is the first day of Christmas; the twelfth day of Christmas is January 5, followed by the feast of the Epiphany on January 6, the day we celebrate the arrival of the Magi with their gifts for the Christ-Child, Jesus. 

Howard Thurman wrote a beautiful reminder to us in these days after Christmas Day.  Here is The Work of Christmas composed by Howard Thurman, an African-American theologian, educator, and civil rights leader:

When the song of the angels is stilled,

when the star in the sky is gone,

when the kings and princes are home,

when the shepherds are back with their flocks,

the work of Christmas begins:

to find the lost,

to heal the broken,

to feed the hungry,

to release the prisoner,

to rebuild the nations,

to bring peace among the people,

to make music in the heart.

Please take a moment to listen to this anthem, music composed by Dan Forrest, to remind us of the blessing of Christmas and the work of Christmas that has been entrusted to us. The link is provided here; you will need to press “skip ad” and then listen to the anthem. It is sung by the Stetson University Men’s Chorus: 

I look forward to continuing to celebrate the Christmas season with you this Sunday; our celebration will be through the eyes of Simeon. Please read Luke 2:21-33 to prepare your heart for worship. Please invite a friend or relative to join you.

Peace,

Pastor Cathy