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God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven,
was incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.
 
Nicene Creed

Let us rejoice
Within the last week, I've had several people lament to me that Christmas sweater season, or Christmas music season, or Christmas whatever season is almost over. Time to pack it away after the 25th. And I have to keep myself from joyously shouting:
 Christmas doesn't even start until the 25th! 
 
Christmastide - or the twelve days of Christmas - begins on December 25 and ends on January 5th (12th night), the day before the Feast of Epiphany (the celebration of the arrival of the Magi).
 
These twelve days are set aside for taking seriously the Angel's call to rejoice! We worship and we feast and we make merry because the Second Person of the Trinity humbled himself, took on flesh, and became like us that we might become like him. Good news of great joy, indeed!
 
So keep those sweaters out, that tree up, that music blasting, those cookies coming because it's a twelve-day celebration and we haven't even begun to party. 
 
May the Lord grant you a joyous Christmastide.
Pray
O God, who wonderfully created, and yet more wonderfully restored, the dignity of human nature: Grant that we may share the divine life of him who humbled himself to share our humanity, your Son Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Collect for the Second Sunday of Christmas, Book of Common Prayer
 Feast
A feast can be broadly defined as a range of activities which includes consuming food but isn’t confined to it. Think of the discipline of feasting a bit like you think of Sabbath – it’s a time for praying and playing together as family, it’s indulgent (in a good way) and restful, it offers opportunity for connection (both with God and with each other), it makes space to enjoy God’s good gifts.
 
For each family feasting will look a bit different, but a few suggestions might include:
 
- Let each person in the family set a dinner menu over the course of the twelve days of Christmas (dessert and a special drink included!) and/or go out to dinner or order in a couple times the twelve days!
- Have a family Christmas movie night or go see a movie together.
- Take all twelve days off from paid work.
- Give gifts over the twelve days instead of all on Christmas.
- Host family and friends, especially on the 12th night.
- Pray together each day with a focus on the joy of the Lord.
- Take extra time to enjoy your favorite activities (as individuals or families) and delight in the ways those things nurture gratitude for God and one another.  
 

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