This is Christmas...this year...

 I know I'm definitely not the only one who has a list prepped for next year...all the things I've missed...the caroling, school concerts, cookie decorating parties with friends, pictures with Santa...but I can't say that the lack of hustle has been all bad.

How many years have we lamented the way the business of the season gets in the way of the real reason for the season? Yet we've always felt helpless to do anything about it? What an opportunity many of us have had to dive into the advent books and richer discussions around the dinner table!

But for many needing to worship from home for a variety of reasons during this season has been a big block and has left us feeling isolated from our community of faith. 

So, we did a thing.

This year we put together these Jesus Birthday Kits, which serve as a take-out-church alternative to our typical in-person Christmas Eve service. We had help from those who attend our Spanish service to translate the printed materials so they'd be available in both English and Spanish. The kits were for anyone who wanted one, regardless of their age or whether they regularly attend Mesa 1st Church. We planned the contents keeping in mind that some families would be needing to "see" each other over Zoom this year on Christmas Eve, so we gave suggestions for adapting the activities to work over a video chat.

To build the kits we started with cake boxes, which we filled with some essential birthday party items.

Each had a cake mix, frosting, and a game.

 The game was a scavenger hunt (which could work over Zoom), which leads you through the story of Jesus' birth.

We included a card with a link to the English and Spanish YouTube videos of our Pastor, and our Spanish language leader reading an enormous Christmas picture book.  www.mesanaz.org/ChristmasEve or www.mesanaz.org/nochebuena. 

The card also included some basic questions that work for a variety of stories, age group and experiences. We hope they lead to some meaningful conversations about the birth of Christ and what that means for each of us. 

We finished the boxes off with a beautiful "Happy Birthday Jesus" ornament, and then one of the most creative ladies I know gussied them up with bows and a card.

We'd been so sad that we'd had to cancel all the usual outreach events. It still feels so counter-intuitive to not want to gather a crowd together. So, in place of a crowded gathering, we extended invites to the eight streets closest to our church so that they could come and pick up a box on distribution day as well. Distribution was come and go and included hot chocolate, and a family photo op. 

The biggest bummer was, I had to make the hard call and get tested following a COVID exposure, plus mild sinus-type symptoms so I was in "COVID-jail" the day of our distribution. It was so disappointing to hand over the rest of my responsibilities and not be able to see the faces of our friends as they picked these pretty boxes up. In my past life I probably would've tried to push through, but with all we know about pre-symptomatic spread, I just couldn't bare to be "that person" that should've known better.  Life's extremely unfair these days. But I trusted it was all in very good hands that day. Plus I'd left sticky-notes galore because I knew this might be a possibility for any of us right now.

The finished boxes were gorgeous and I can't wait to see and hear how families used them and were able to connect with others during an otherwise kind of lonely time for some. I've had the opportunity to drop off a few on people's front porches today, and it's a joy to think of us all "attending" the same big birthday party for the most important birth in history, even if that party looks a little different this year.