From The Director, Kathy Irvin:

December 2009

It's the week before Thanksgiving and I sit at my computer with my mind churning. OK God, give me some thoughts to guide us through this season into the New Year, this season of birth and new beginnings, this season of dark days and candlelight. What state are we in as we kneel yet again at the manger? A little self-reflection here is helpful, but hard to do with the ever-present cell phone delivering emails, Facebook updates, Twitters and the calendar filling up with "must dos" and invites.

Pushing aside the clutter, I settle on my half hour with the 15 year-old I mentor for confirmation. We met over hot chocolate this past week to discuss her "Statement of Faith" paper that she is required to write as part of her journey towards confirmation at KUC. She did most of the talking as I listened with pleasure and admiration. It was obvious that she has done a lot of thinking about her faith, the Bible, her beliefs. She knows where God, Jesus, and church fit into her life. Our church has definitely guided her on this path. But, I cam away from our time together aware of how important her family has been in the formation of her faith this past 15 years.

So my mind jumps back to the manger, and I wonder what we would write if asked to put pen to paper or fingers to computer and create our own "Statement of Faith." Where does this Christmas story fit into our lives? Is it just some magical play we observe and enjoy for the delight of our children, or does it stir again in us the desire to renew a commitment to this old faith. On the other days of the year, do our lives reflect this Christmas message in a way that has meaning for us and is clear to our children? What do we believe in? What do we let guide us? Perhaps sometime between the 1st of December and dawn of the New Year we can step out of the excitement and rush to chat with our families about why we celebrate, why we believe. If we don't know where to begin, we only need ask our children. We pray together in Chapel every week this prayer. "We know our God is here because he's everywhere. He calls us each by name and loves us all the same. We can go to him in prayer, and he teaches us to care. Amen." Now that is a statement of faith. We only need to believe.

"If you begin to live life looking for the God that is all around you, every moment becomes a prayer."

Frank Bianco