BAH HUMBUG-A UU Seasonal Greeting?
In the UU minister’s study-preparing the Christmas sermon?
(PeaceBang’s reflections the other day on Buy Nothing Day set off a spasm of comments, mostly about simplifying Christmas. Something about the discussion set off the inner crank. This is what I posted in the comments. Re-reading the comment now, it seems that it paints too bleak a picture of my home church, the Congregational Unitarian Church in Woodstock. Although we do get doses of cold-water-on-the-holidays, there are also wonderful, bright moments. The annual Church School Pageant and the Choir Concert are always eagerly anticipated highlights. And our Christmas Eve Service, packed with extended families, is always moving, beautiful and reverent with its reading of the Christmas story from the Gospels, beautiful music, a touch moment in which a congregation family shares their own Christmas traditions, and the climax-lighting candles hand-to-hand around the darkened sanctuary as we sing Silent Night. On the other hand, I do read a lot of UU blogs and participate in chat lists where I hear plenty of the scolding, harping and grousing which elicited this, my own rant.)
Nothing brings out the latent Puritan in UUs like Christmas. Some years the tisk-tisking and finger waving seems to start as soon as we put away the sugar skulls from our Day of the Dead service. And sometimes the harping and scolding never lets up. Sermons emphasize the “stress of the holidays.” And not a year goes by in our church without our minister giving what some congregants call his slash-your-writs sermon sometime during the season. This is the one where he goes on-at great length-about all of the folks who are depressed and lonely over the holidays. He never says anything that cheers those folks up, but he sure does make everyone else feel guilty if they take a scintilla of pleasure in the season. Spokes folks from a parade of committees light chalices in competition with each other over how austere we should make our holidays in order to save the rain forest or save an African AIDS orphan.
Look, like everyone else I enjoy simplicity in the season. Lord knows the two nickels left in my pocket preclude a consumerist orgy. But I do love the season. Stripped of way too many faux Santa Clauses, there is still something warm and even inspiring in the festivals of light and the sense of generosity and community. I’m already humming carols under my breath and looking forward to the magical lighting of Woodstock Square with carolers singing in the Gazebo this Friday night.
Maybe we should reflect a moment how our Unitarian ancestors rejected Puritan priggishness about Christmas and did a whole lot to make the holiday we celebrate today-Rev. Charles Follen (Christmas trees in New England), Rev. Edward Hamilton Sears (It Came Upon a Midnight Clear), Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day), Charles Dickens (A Christmas Carol), James Lord Pierpont (Jingle Bells), Louisa May Alcott (Little Women), Robert Shaw (too much glorious Christmas music to count), and actress Michael Learned (all those Walton Christmases.) I’m sure I’ve left someone out.
Anyway, have yourself a merry little Christmas. I will.