12.8.2023
Roundup Number 006. Cocktails and Carols Edition.
Before Megan and I got married, I lived in a house we named Paraklesis for nearly a decade. I was blessed to live with some of the best men I know during this tenure.
We also had a tradition of throwing a party early each December called "Classy Christmas" (yes, we stole it from The Office). However, during the party's peak, we would gather everyone (sometimes nearly 100 people) into the kitchen and living room (with overflow out the front door) and read the Christmas Story from Luke 2. One of us would then pray a blessing over the people in that room, and we would go on with our party.
When Megan and I married, we wanted to keep up the tradition but also knew throwing a party with 100 people wasn't realistic in our apartment.
Enter Justin Whitmel Earley's Advent liturgy entitled Cocktails and Carols.
In December 2020, we gathered a few couples in our living room, read the liturgy, sang carols, and drank cocktails. We've invited a few more people each year, and this past weekend, we had the largest one yet.
One of our friends gave a toast that evening and told us this event was one of their favorite events of the holiday season because it gave them a sense of rootedness in their community when everything else was changing. It also anchored the Advent season in eternal realities rather than consumption.
I share this not because I think Megan and I are so great (although I would argue that she is) but to encourage you to find rhythms that anchor you in the church calendar (aka God's Story of Redemption) and in a Christian community.
This is my encouragement to you to find some people to do this with.
Cook simple meals, drink wine, tell stories, pray for one another, cry together, laugh together, throw good parties together, and keep reminding one another that the King is coming.
Reading
Good Shepherds - Peter Leithart - First Things - “The good news of [Jesus] arrival is first announced to actual shepherds in the fields around Bethlehem. That’s a clue to the scope and aims of Jesus’s mission, a sign the coming of the Good Shepherd will produce a host of good shepherds.”
The Disintegration Is the Illness What hope is there for those suffering from depression? - Cole Hartin - Comment - “In the case that mental illness persists, God comes to us in the sinews of family life, of community, of the church, buoying us up. It may be the most visible sign of hope for those in the thick of depression. The bodies of our spouses, our neighbours, our children become like sacraments of the goodness of God, even when we can’t feel much at all. Their presence is undeniable. Sometimes their arms literally pull us out of bed.”
Why I Wrote Hundreds of Handwritten Letters in 2019 & 2020 - Shannon Hodd - “We are drowning in electronic communication--much of it is meaningless, and very little of it is of lasting value. None of it is tangible. I write letters because they embody all of the best aspects of communication. Letters are meaningful, intimate, private, tangible, and worth holding on to.”
Listening
Watching
A friend sent this over and at first, I was skeptical.
Now I want to buy a Chevy. Give it a watch and grab some tissues.
Recommending
It’s officially, “I kind of have a cold but I’m not sick enough to stay home so I’m just dealing with it” season.
I’m taking these immune support vitamins daily and I think it’s helping.
Also,
gave us this reminder, which I needed.“I don’t know who needs to hear this, but check on your medicine cabinet/basket/what have you. Throw out unwanted vitamins… toss ointments that expired years ago… buy replacements… replenish bandaids in the first aid kit… stock up on supplements and remedies for winter sicknesses.
You’re welcome.”
Until Next week…
