Open Doors

Open Doors

For the last few years the United Methodist Church has had an ongoing ad campaign with the motto, “Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors”. Musing upon this month’s Cadence I found myself cycling through the phrase “Open Doors” on a regular basis. God’s gentle nudges are often the source of great inspiration. I won’t claim the great inspiration side, but enough to help develop a coherent thought for the DRUMBEAT.

Christmas is about Open Doors.

If you were anything like me, you had someone who gave you one of the little Advent Calendars that had the mini doors, with some sort of goodie inside. My youth in Santa Barbara gave me one with little chocolates. I had one as a child with little ornaments that went on the Christmas tree. I would wake up each day, excited to open the door and find out what was inside. Once opened I could take it out and look it over, or eat it, and I could put it back, saving it for the day when we decorated the tree.

The doors of the house were in constant motion, as cold as it got in Bishop it probably would have made sense to have a fully enclosed foyer with double doors on both ends, that might have trapped a little more of the heat from the woodstove. The woodstove was countered by the many trips inside to put wood next to the fireplace, the trips to the market for Advent and Christmas baking, for the myriad parties, and the many friends and neighbors who dropped stuff at the house, with gifts, and goodies galore. The door was always opened it seemed, with someone coming or going. We were a people in motion.

Advent reminds us that the doors of our hearts, too, must be opened, that we can receive the baby Jesus again. The doors of a simple home were opened to Joseph and Mary those many years ago, to receive the Christ child. He was laid in a manger, and wrapped in bands of cloth. He was received by humble parents, to a life on the move, from Bethlehem and Egypt, to Nazareth and Jerusalem. Doors had to be opened, and we are asked each year to open the doors of our hearts to accept and receive the greatest gift of all.

The church doors are flung wide many times during the Advent season. We have celebrations on Sunday mornings, Christmas Teas, parties for youth group, Boy Scouts and Girls Scouts are in full bloom, and the office staff is moving, moving, moving to type and prepare for all of the glorious events.

Our challenge for the time after Christmas is to keep the doors open, the doors to our hearts, the doors to our homes, the doors to God’s church. May they allow us to come and go with freedom. Are your doors open?

Peace,

Pastor David