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When my parents retired and moved out to southern California from Chicago, I noticed something different about their New Year’s celebration. But one time I talked to them about New Year’s party that their retirement community had and they mentioned how they had been in bed by 10 PM. “Wait,” I said, “you just told me that you saw the ball drop last night out in Los Angeles. How could you be in bed by 10 PM?”
No, my parents explained, we didn’t see the ball drop from Los Angeles, we watched the one in New York City which being three hours ahead of California meant that the midnight ball drop in New York was 9 PM in California – perfect for their schedule.
I guess the lesson is it’s always midnight somewhere. It’s funny how differently we can look at the same thing. Ball drop in New York, celebrated in Los Angeles at the same time, er… three hours earlier. I believe there might be a good lesson in that for us in the church.
We have just come out of the most traditional times of Advent and Christmas. Familiar carols, beautiful Scriptures, wonderful decorations – we love them all. But now we’re in the New Year and it can be a different time in the life of our churches. Just as my parents still celebrated New Year’s but just at a different time, we can find the joy and blessing of Christ but just in a different way. That’s exciting. I can’t wait to see where we may find the same Christ but in all sorts of different times and places.
Yours In Christ,
The Rev. Ted McCulloch
Stated Clerk
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