Permission to throw out that old tree.
Our church year is designed to spend the weeks before Christmas in a season (Advent) of preparation and waiting and then focus in on Christmas and the meaning of Incarnation.
In our American consumer society, however, we have had the decorations up in the stores since October and in our homes since Thanksgiving and we’re tired of them. Even in the church we did all the good Christmas songs early. The Sunday after Christmas is often the lowest attended service of the whole year.
Still, it wouldn’t feel right if we didn’t sing “We Three Kings” on the closest Sunday to Epiphany (January 6th, the twelfth day of Christmas) and indeed, this week we will reflect in worship on the gifts of the Magi and the star that still guides our journey to wisdom.
