Las Posadas

 

Today, December 16, marks the start of "Las Posadas."  A Mexican tradition, posadas means shelter and in an imitation of Mary and Joseph and their journey to Bethlehem and seeking shelter, people go from home to home singing Christmas carols and seeking a safe space; only to be refused and to eventually return to the church where they are welcomed in (don't you wish that really was so????) to a party with hot chocolate, cookies, candy and a pinata filled with even more goodies!

Searching for something new that would emphasize and offer a teachable moment for our call to be hospitable and welcoming to all, I held Las Posadas several times at congregations where I served as pastor.  The first couple events, we had someone in the congregation who knew someone who provided a donkey to make it very realistic!  Those were major successes as a group of people walking a donkey around a small Pennsylvania urban or suburban town was sure to draw attention. Once we got back to the church, the kids took turns riding the donkey, petting the donkey, taking photos of the donkey and feeding the donkey on occasion carrots, yet, mostly cookies and pretzels.

Of course, part of the event was choosing what kids would play the role of Mary and Joseph. We followed the ol' Biblical tradition of drawing names.  Worked.  I confess to one whiny child who "never got picked to do anything" (I wonder why....) I did drop the, "hey, it's Biblical...." quieted him right up.

One year in Erie, we planned the event and the woman who had the donkey bailed on us the day of. The chair of our children's ministry team suggested that I be the donkey (feel free to insert, well, you are an ass comment here) and made a very impressive donkey head piece with ears and a belt with a tail and then face-painted my nose black and the rest is Las Posadas history. I carried Mary on my shoulders and held Joseph's hand as we walked the neighborhood. 

In the Las Posadas event, we'd approach a home and the resident would come to the door and we'd start to sing carols, one of the adults in the group would whisper to the homeowner to answer, when asked if they have any room for us, "No. Sorry. I have no room." Of course one woman just didn't get it. When Mary and Joseph asked, "Do you have any room for us?"  She answered,  "Sure, I do!  You all can come in!  There's a pot of coffee on, I can make some hot chocolate, I'll get out some cookies....don't worry about the donkey, you can tie him up to the railing."  As she is going on and on, I the pastor, am waving my arms as if trying to land a plane, shaking my head vigorously and doing my best Nancy Reagan impersonation as I mouthed to her the words, "Just say no."  ....it's hard to know how to be helpful sometimes....

We the Innkeeper????

 

I wager a case of...M&M's.... that 95% of churches have on their sign board ALL ARE WELCOME.  Great sentiment, something a person driving by likes to see in front of a church building.  Lovely. Makes me all warm and tingly.  

Unfortunately, the majority of churches don't live the signage, far from it.  My experience has been the welcoming spirit of many congregations are as wooden and frozen as the sign upon which the words are printed.  Admitedlly, we don't welcome well in our communities and are seemingly unaware of the global community which we can no longer ignore nor pretend does not impact us.

Foundational to the entire Hebrew and Christian scriptural narrative is the call to be hospitable to all, we notice, we invite, we are genuine with the invitation and then, most importantly, we welcome in, receive, provide care and involve in the life of the community.

Our world confronts many crises; to name a few: ever increasing poverty (in the USA with our incredible wealth, tonight 1 in 6 children live in signifcant poverty and hunger), a shocking lack of adequate, acessible and affordable housing, and a raging refugee movement on multiple borders around the world. 

The Hebrews were refugees, the Law commands "welcome the stranger, for you were once strangers in the land," the entire Advent narrative culminates in a young couple seeking shelter and being denied, closed off, shut out. 

Pope Francis called the response of the "faithful" to the refugee crisis "a culture of indifference." I call it we just don't care.  In both instances....shame...shame...shame on us, the faithful.

Recently, I find myself more and more convicted. You?

Specials

 

'Tis the season...so who or what is your must see Holiday special character? Are you a Rudolph and Hermey?  A why mess with a classic...it's the Grinch! Do you sing along with the Heat and Cold Misers?

As we know, I could've listed many, many more....as many as there are Holiday Specials filling our viewing hours on nearly every channel.

When this pandemic began...sigh.....I checked-in on my crew of self-advocates to let them know I was thinking of 'em and to make certain they were doing OK. In the Spring of 2020, Jan, a person with cross-disabilites shared, "So long as my collection of Christmas movies holds out, I suppose I'll make it through." 

Her answer as to why she watched Christmas specials in the spring is similar to why we watch them year after year:

• They are famiiliar, consistent, known 
• The endings are always happy 
• They call us to our "better angels"
• They connect us back to our innocence

Consider in the midst of a pandemic and how scary and unsettled and upset and worried ---- Jan's choice of watching Christmas specials was a great idea, a comfort.

Enjoy your favorite Chrismtas special.  May the lessons iimparted, the positive energy and hope received be what we embody and share all year round....off the screen and in our lives;