By Pastor Linda
Have you ever put on a Santa Suit? I mean the whole thing…Big Red trousers, Red coat outlined with white fur, white wig, red hat, fake beard – the whole nine yards. I actually haven’t put on a Santa Suit myself but I’ve many times helped Rich put on his. Something that I’ve learned about Santa Suits, they can be very uncomfortable. I know Rich is always getting that white beard fiber in his mouth and I must bring lots of water because those suits are made for the North Pole not the Pacific Northwest. Another thing I’ve learned is no matter how uncomfortable they might be, you cannot be grumpy when you have a Santa Suit on. There’s just something that happens when a person puts on that suit, they must “Ho, Ho, Ho” and they have to be jolly and nice to people. Now I know all the movies about grumpy Santa’s’, but I think those are actors being paid to put on a Santa Suit and act grumpy. I’ve been a part of the Santa Conspiracy at Washington Cathedral for many years now and I cannot remember ever once encountering a grumpy Santa. It just can’t happen.
This weekend, while Pastor Tim is rehabilitating from his knee replacement surgery, I have the joy of sharing a message with you – Christmas is Gratitude. Maybe every day when we get dressed in the morning, we need to think of putting on our Grateful Suit. When we have the Grateful Suit on, we can’t help but be thankful in all situations. Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 4:15: “All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory.”
The mighty grace of God can fill our hearts with gratitude even in the difficult times. I hope you can join me as we explore more about cultivating a “grateful life” and the benefits we will receive from that endeavor. I’ll give you a hint…it all starts with a Baby in a manger.
Don’t forget to bring some non-perishable food to help fill the food banks at this important time of the year. We will have a special time at the end of the service to bring our food to the alter as an act of gratitude. See you Saturday night at 5:30pm or Sunday morning at 10:30am.
Blessings,
Pastor Linda
PS If you haven’t heard, we are getting ready for Santa Conspiracy on Sunday, December 8th. If you would like to help out, we have lots of opportunities to get involved.
We need more Santa’s and helpers. If you would like to sign up to be a Santa or Helper you can do that on our Santa Website (www.wacathedral.org/santa) or fill out a form at the Connect Center.
We need more Bears. You can see the bear display in the lobby for suggestions. The 8-10” bears are the best for our needs. If you don’t have time to shop, you can make a donation to the Santa Bears fund either put a check or cash in the offering plate this weekend, mark it Santa Bears or go to our App or Online Giving and select the “Santa Bear” fund. We need to order bears no later than Friday, November 29th, so please make your donations before that date.
Food for Santa’s. If you enjoy making a crock pot of soup or some yummy sandwiches, salads or desserts to feed our Santa’s and their helpers when they return from their “Ho, Ho, Ho” visits, that would be a great way to help out. Please email us at santaconspiracy@wacathedral.org and let us know what you plan to bring.
If you have any questions, just give me a call 425-830-7101 or email linda.skinner@wacathedral.org