Last night was the Christmas Tea at Easter by the Lake. Kris and I hosted a table again. I think both of us might have been wondering what business we had doing this. She is preparing for umpteen Christmas worship services in the next three weeks and I have piano recitals and kid's stuff and choir obligations looming.
The reason we do this is grace. Christmas is about God's grace given to us in Jesus. Even in it's chaos the tea is about a moment of grace in a busy time for busy women. It is about taking time to bake and laugh with a friend. It is about sitting down at a candlelit table, set as beautifully as possible to reflect a little with music, prayer and conversation. We try to invite different women every year. This year I brought Bill's mother. I wish I could invite every woman I know--my sister, my mom, and all my dear friends. Kris tries to. . . she inevitably calls me on the way out the door to ask me to bring one more table setting. That's what pastors do. . . keep inviting people even when the table is full.
From the amount of tears I saw falling around me (actually Lutheran women stifle them well in public, but I heard the sniffing) while Jenn Alexander sang her tender songs about the ups and downs of life and death, I know that we all needed that moment to sit and just be.
Even if one person's tea cup didn't match and it took us awhile to actually get everyone served any real tea and I have to say that church basement decaf is really bad, I hope it was moment of grace and a really awesome cupcake.
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