Dear Beloveds,
After church this Sunday we are celebrating Las Posadas and we hope you will join us!
Las Posadas is a wonderful tradition rooted in Latin America that has a beautiful lesson for all of us during the Advent season; the lessons are rooted in the story of baby Jesus, and it is a wonderful way to teach everyone, not just children, about the Christ child.
Las Posadas commemorates the long journey that Mary and Joseph took as they tried to find shelter in Bethlehem. This holds such theological significance, as it weaves the telling of the nativity with the notion of hospitality and hope in the Christmas story.
The baby Jesus was born in a strange land, as a stranger, and was welcomed into this world by people He would never see again; shepherds, magi, and a host of barn animals. The struggle that Mary and Joseph experienced is reflective of the struggle that all humanity has with the uncertainty of our experiences in life. We all desire a place of refuge and hope, and this applies to us spiritually as well. So as we watch Mary and Joseph try and try again to find a place to sleep for the evening, we are reminded that we, as believers, are called to a divine hospitality, to welcome those in need, to open our hearts and homes to those whom we can help, and to open our hearts to Jesus.
Another very important theological message that Las Posadas holds for us is that we belong to a community of faith. We are not in the world alone, if we can let others into our hearts and our lives. After the baby Jesus was born, a rag tag community assembled and worshipped Him together. This new little family was not left alone in the cold and the dark.
Las Posadas can remind us of these things, and can affect our spiritual lives this season when we reflect on gratitude and a mindfulness in seeing God in all things and all events, big and small. It took one stranger and their decision to open their door to a family who brought the Messiah into the world that night. What a beautiful thing to realize!
I hope that everyone will join us this coming Sunday afternoon for a meaningful and life-giving experience of Las Posadas.
With great love for you,
Pastor Grace