YOU BETTER WATCH OUT!

It doesn’t take much for a song to get stuck playing on repeat in my head.  For those who don’t experience the phenomenon, this is what it feels like: my brain is a radio and I don’t have control over the station (for those who are curious, not having a running inner dialogue where your brain interprets your thoughts as actual sound is called anauralia, a term coined in 2021 by Australian researchers).

When a song is stuck in my head, it feels like I can hear it as if it is playing in the room.  Trouble is, sometimes my brain acts like a scratched record repeating one line or verse of a song.  The other day, I had Santa Claus is Coming to Town playing on repeat in my brain against my will.  Unfortunately, after some time, my brain got stuck on the first line and the song sounded like this:
   “You better watch out, you better watch out!
    You better watch out, yoooouuu better watch out!
    Santa Claus is coming to town!”

Needless to say, my brain’s changes to that song make it much more ominous and foreboding.  Why do we need so many warnings to watch out?  Why is my brain repeating this ONE line?!  At the same time, this is what the holidays can feel like: a foreboding sense of needing to get things done that grows with every day that brings us closer to the holidays.

 To give us all peace of mind, here is my semi-annual holiday reminder:

• Even if the food burns, baby Jesus will still be born.
• Even if the food is terrible, baby Jesus will still be born.
• Even if someone isn’t able to make to the family gathering, baby Jesus will still be born.
• Even if something in the Christmas Eve service doesn’t go as planned, baby Jesus will still be born.
• Even if you lose or break a present, baby Jesus will still be born.
• None of our imperfection can stop the love of God being born to us this holiday season.

So - let us all relax into the human, messy, and joyful parts of this season.
And in case you forget,

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service is at 7:00 p.m.
If you want to come at 4:00 p.m., Congregational Church of Birmingham, UCC
​is having a family pageant service in our sanctuary, and we are invited!


December 28th Sunday Hymn Sing Service is at 10:00 a.m.
with Congregational Church of Birmingham, UCC, Central Woodward, and Troy First Presbyterian.
Come in your Christmas casual attire!
​

Merry Christmas everyone!
Pastor Chris