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Merry Christmas

11/28/2014

You keep us waiting. You, the God of all time, want us to wait. For the right time in which to discover who we are, where we are to go, who will be with us, and what we must do. So thank you ... for the waiting time.
-John Bell

Merry Christmas,

This Sunday marks the start of Advent, our four-week waiting time for the birth of the Christ Child. Each week in worship, we will mark the passage of the season by lighting a new candle in the Advent wreath along with the one from the week before. The candles represent hope, peace, joy and love and are meant to stir in us a longing for a world more hopeful, peaceful, joyful and loving. By Christmas Day, our longing turns to fulfillment in the birth of a child, Emmanuel-God with us.

If we savor the holy details of this waiting time, if we pause and enjoy the busyness of getting ready…the decorating, the shopping, the baking, the parties, the cards, the gifts and the donations, we may catch a glimpse of the Christ Child among us and within us. There may come a Christmas moment or two of a world transformed, more loving, more hopeful, joyful and peaceful.

At the Highlands, we have planned simple traditions to help get us ready. We hope as you join us week after week making ornaments for the Christmas tree, enjoying a cookie swap, decorating cookies and singing carols that you will find yourself growing expectant and ready. Our worship includes a Hanging of the Greens service, a festive Music Sunday, and a Christmas Pageant. The culmination of the season is on Christmas Eve with services including carols and candle lighting. We hope to see you often.

New this year is a Longest Night Service on Sunday, December 21st at 4:30 P.M. This day marks the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. The service will begin in Fellowship Hall with a gentle yoga class on our Labyrinth. We will then roll up our mats and walk the Labyrinth. This will be a quiet, meditative service lasting approximately 75 minutes. On this longest night of the year, come and see what may be longing to be born in you.

May you and yours be touched by love this Christmas.

Peace,

Rev. Beth

"Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people."
- Luke 2:10

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Thanksgiving Greetings from the Highlands

11/27/2014

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This week is a difficult one in which to strike a note of joy. We watched as the frustration and anger in Ferguson boiled over into violence. And then protests reported around the country. My hope is that something good comes out of this. My prayer is that we find a way as a nation to heal. There is no band-aid big enough to cover the wound of our race relations. But there just might ne a surgery which could make a difference--heart transplant surgery. A change of heart might be what our country needs.
Metanoia is the word translated as repent in the Bible, but what it means in the Green is a change or
turning of the heart. It is a radical reorientation of life. We need this turning in our heartland, but not just out there in Ferguson--here in Melrose as well.

In the link below is a response to the verdict written by Matt Boulton, who is the current President of Christian Theological Seminary. He was a seminary professor of mine at ANTS. I found his words hopeful. I hope you do as well.

Matthew Myer Boulton

Here at the Highlands, we wish you a day of many blessings. As you gather with family and friends for a shared meal, may you be grateful.

Peace,
Rev. Beth

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Happy Thanksgiving!

11/20/2014

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We are just a week away from the Thanksgiving holiday and with it, the start of the Christmas season. This is a time of year when we want to feel grateful and joyful, yet instead may be overwhelmed by all there is to do, overwhelmed by expectations, overwhelmed by memories.

Recent scientific studies show what religious traditions have known for a long, long time. The practice of gratitude leads to health both physical and spiritual. Giving thanks fosters connection. It not only connects us to other people but it also has a spiritual dimension. When we are grateful, we recognize that we are not alone. We find there are others and a power in the Universe which cares for us. The practice of being grateful for simple things--a beautiful sunset, the muted November colors, an email from a friend, a cup of tea or a new microbrew--connects us to the holy dimension of our lives. By pausing and giving thanks, we find the goodness inherent in simple pleasures.

Giving thanks is relatively easy in good times but when you have lost a loved one or are struggling in some way, gratitude can be a challenge. And yet, the practice of gratitude is especially healing in times of struggle. When we can find something or someone to be grateful for in the midst of suffering, we are able to momentarily connect with the Universal, the More that surrounds us. St. Paul, facing imprisonment and death from the Roman authorities, wrote,

"In everything give thanks." For what Paul knew is that we do not know the final outcome of any situation. Giving thanks even in times of struggle can help us to see beyond the moment into the inherent goodness in life, the pull life us towards life, health, wholeness.

We have one week until Thanksgiving. Try, if you will, a simple gratitude practice for just this week. At the close of each day list five experiences, people, places or things for which you are grateful. It will lift your spirits.

See you Saturday at the Highlands Holiday Marketplace!

Peace, Beth

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Fall Musings

11/5/2014

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The elections are over......and whether your candidates won or lost, we can be glad for the end of the ads. Keep in mind that everything pulses between creation and dissolution and what is now will change before we know it. The Universe is always seeking balance.

The first snow has fallen and the days are short and dark. We are settling into the reality of November. The days will keep getting shorter and shorter and colder until the longest night on December 21st. And with this march of days our longing for light will continue to grow. Imagine for a moment what it was like before electric lights. It's no wonder our forebears celebrated this season with Yule logs and candles.

I love how, as the days shorten, we turn inward. Each November, we are given the opportunity to ponder gratitude and consider all the goodness in our lives...I count the Highlands, my two kids: Will and Ada, my friends and family, hot Brazilian coffee,...once you start it is easy to keep going. I recently took part in the Facebook 5-Day Gratitude Challenge, posting three things for which I was grateful for each of five days. It is a worthwhile challenge on dark days. For what are you grateful?

If children are on your list, come to church on Sunday. Our new children's choir will sing. It will make you smile, I promise!

Blessings, Beth

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Rev. Beth Horne

Beth has served the Highlands Church as our teacher and pastor since 2009. In addition to preaching and pastoral care, Beth leads our congregation alongside our deacons and stewards. Beth lives here in Melrose and in Newburyport. She attended Boston College graduating with a B.A. in Philosophy and Management (cum laude). Beth also attended Andover Newton Theological School graduating with a M. Div. (honors). Beth enjoys tilling the soil and planting the seeds to see what might grow.

Merry Christmas

Thanksgiving Greetings from the Highlands

Happy Thanksgiving!

Fall Musings

Rev. Beth Horne

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