Christmas Eve

In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for see -- I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people."


It's been another enjoyable day. We got a package of mail from Daughter Mary Mae today with lots of Christmas cards as well as the traditional swag made by the grand-kids. Its arrival means Christmas is truly here --

I spent the early part of the day baking pies. I made a pumpkin pie and a pecan pie for tomorrow's dinner. Then I mixed up a batch of crab cocktails so that it could age overnight. Auntie Violet sure smelled good!

Later this evening we headed over to Glendale for the Christmas Eve services at Trinity Mennonite Church. As we walked into the church compound (the sanctuary, Sunday School rooms, library and offices are all in separate small buildings around a central courtyard), we were guided by rows of luminarias --
 

We were here for Christmas Eve two years ago. The climax of the service has the congregation filing out into the courtyard carrying candles and singing Christmas carols. It's a beautiful way to end the evening.

The Role of Women...

Pastor Hal at Trinity Mennonite Church in Glendale played portion of an audio tape from Meagan Goode of Oregon as part of his sermon this morning. He was talking about some of the beginnings of the "Upside Down Kingdom" when the earliest news of the gospel was shared with two insignificant women. Meagan's audio talked about how you would really NOT want to have been a woman at that point in history.

It started me thinking about the incredible women that we have in leadership roles in my home state of Washington that would not even have been allowed to venture out of the confines of their homes in that day and age. Senators Cantwell and Murray and Governor Gregiore are role models that any little girl can model her aspirations on. My friend Mary is the longest serving Health Secretary in the United States. What a waste of talent and brains it would have been if they were dis-regarded.

I think of the "strong Menno women" (as my daughters and I always described them) of my home church and what incredible role models they were. Now those ladies are the elderly or they have passed on. But, what is exciting to see, is how the younger women of the congregation are stepping up into those same roles. Wives and mothers, teachers and store keepers, nurses and caregivers, writers and scientists, administrators and lawyers.

True, for many of us, it is a good time to be alive and to be a female. We must remember though, that there are still parts of the the world where that is not so.

Whenever you doubt what God thinks of you, a mere woman, remember that not only were Mary and Elizabeth the first to know of the good news, it was also women who were the first to know of the resurrection!