More "Random Acts of Christmas!"

Imagine… thousands of beautiful stars in the Sanctuary for Christmas…..what an amazing setting for our Pageants! This isn’t the first time that we’ve had this vision for our Sanctuary….but I’ll talk more about that later.

This year, we want to decorate the Cathedral in stars, and you can be the one to do it! We need you to SHARE your “Random Acts of Christmas” with us throughout this season, by writing your random act on a glittering star and hang it in the Cathedral. We know that so many of you are givers of kindness throughout your day and week. It just pours out of you! You can’t help it! Because you have been blessed with a relationship with Jesus Christ, the blessings from Him just pour out of you onto the people you meet. So let’s hear about them this Christmas season. Pastor Tim would like us to write our anonymous “Random Act of Christmas” for each and every one that you give. Here are a few examples:

• Feed the hungry! “Random Act of Christmas”
• Help your neighbor for no reason! “Random Act of Christmas”
• Give someone a helping hand changing a flat tire on the side of the road! “Random Act of Christmas”
• Help a child do their school project! “Random Act of Christmas”
• Join in with others in the Santa Claus Conspiracy! “Random Act of Christmas”
• Give financially to the church for God to use in the community! “Random Act of Christmas”

There are just so many different ways to bless someone this Christmas! Washington Cathedral is known for how we bless the Community, but I’m wondering if our own church congregation knows what each of us is really doing? Well, it’s time that we all find out. I was so blessed to know that my neighbors (who also attend Washington Cathedral) take it upon themselves each year to give “Random Acts of Christmas” to people who are less fortunate than themselves during the Christmas season. And they do it each and every year! It made me feel so good to know that in my little corner of the world. God has surrounded me with amazing, loving people with huge hearts for the Lord. My neighbors are huge blessings in my life and their commitment to God to be the hands and feet of Jesus inspire me to do the same.

Now back to that vision of thousands of beautiful, glittering stars in the Sanctuary. This truly is not the first time that we’ve dreamed of this beautiful setting for our Pageants. Nope…just ask Pastor Erskine Austin…or visit my office and see the gold star he gave to me to remind me of the “Year of the Stars”. Yes, it was a Christmas season like any other. It was July and I was coming up with the all important “GREAT IDEA” for our yearly pageant. When I painted the picture for Pastor Tim, he was all over it with excitement. “Let’s announce it to the staff” he said.. “This is truly going to be one of the best Christmas Pageants Ever!” So we did. Our pageant producer at the time was Erskine Austin. It was his task to take my vision and make it happen! Well, this is where the crying…and laughing began. First…how to do it? Well, how about rows of fishing line that have gold stars attached to them? So Erskine, with the help of Pastor Michael, set about hanging hundreds of stars thatvolunteers had tied to fishing lines. It really looked amazing! Yep, it was all done…….”Let’s grab the ladders and go” Erskine said, “but be sure and watch the ladders so they don’t touch the lines……….OH NO!!!!!” Yes, you guessed it, the ladder caught the first line and managed to, in one move, grab every other line and roll it all up in a huge ball. It was….well….just awful. And this was just a day before the first Pageant! We were in trouble. Dozens of volunteers were called in to help untangle the mess… and the story goes on and on from there, but suffice it to say, Erskine was not happy with me! Nope! Not happy AT ALL. But……after a long while, he forgave me andpresented me with a gold star….I think mostly to remind me not to come up with that kind of an idea again. But I treasure it dearly.

SO HERE WE GO AGAIN! But I think we have learned our lesson. Plan your “Random Acts of Christmas” now and help us decorate the Cathedral with them. It’s going to be fun!

Love you all,

Pastor Naomi