Dear Friends,

We are at halftime!  Yes, halftime.  For those of you counting, this Sunday will mark our half way point in Advent and point towards Christmas, just a little over two weeks away.

There is more to sports and spirituality than meets the eye. Think for a moment about what halftime is for sports fans:  Whether your team is winning or losing, there is enough of a game left for the outcome to go either way. It is also a scheduled time to take a break from the intense watching and grab a snack and a conversation with a friend. Even if you aren’t a superfan and you went to the game out of duty and/or curiosity, halftime is the place where you don’t have to feign interest in the game. Moreover, if you are a player, halftime is the chance to recharge, reconnect with your team and review the strategy for the second half of the game. The third Sunday of Advent is that kind of halftime for our spiritual lives. We turn away from the challenging introspective reflection of the first two Sundays of Advent and we concentrate on seeing the joy that is always there.  We even light the pink candle to show that this week in Advent is just a bit different. This halftime break is an important time to remember that even in the darkest, most inward journey, there is always a place for joy.  It’s God’s gift to us.

Whether you are at Halftime at a sporting event, or halftime in Advent, joy causes us to forget about ourselves for a while. It allows us to bask in God’s great love and then return that love by sharing our joy with others.  I look forward to seeing you on Sunday to dwell in this joy and send some of it back out into a world that needs it.

Love,
Cheryl