The United Methodist Church of
Merced is many things, but I relish the fact that one of UMC Merced’s titles
could be “Home of Bazaar Christmas.” It was like someone shot the starters
pistol. The moment I was back from my Thanksgiving vacation the church was a
new place. There were people bustling around the halls at the earliest hours in
the morning. I was shocked by the level of intensity in everyone’s eyes. I was
impressed by the seemingly unspoken organization that gave structure to
everyone’s activities. I noticed that I am seeing Christmas. In every community
Christmas has its own shape. It’s more than a season. It’s a culture that runs
deep: living in memories, modeled for generations, revered and dripping with
hope, pride, expectation, and sacrifice. Is it any wonder that as a newcomer
I would call it Bazaar Christmas. Where
would we be if not for the Bazaar?
This year we are holding the 83rd
annual Bazaar. The United Methodist Women weren’t even United Methodists when
this started, since the name United Methodist was created in 1968. The Church
wasn’t on Yosemite Parkway when it started. In fact, it was before the church
at 19th & M too. This all started on 20th and H
Street. Why? All of these decades of Bazaar Christmas have been dedicated to
raising money for mission in the community and around the globe – often as much
as $10,000. It is people gathering in response to God’s grace; seeking to make
an offering of time, talent, treasure, witness, & prayer. It is a
fermenting Christmas hope; hope that fills the hearts and lives of the workers,
hope that overflows and enriches the community, hope that encourages and
supports and reveals a Christmas meaning so deep that the absence of this event
would create a profound void in the community.
I got the chance to ask people all
week what inspired hope in this time of year. Questions like this attempt to
engage us in the enduring presence of hope. They remind us of hope’s
persistence throughout the years. They alert us to the hope waiting for us on
the horizon. I was so touched by the comment of Jim Macedo. Even though he is
struggling through another round of Chemotherapy, unable to eat without the
assistance of a feeding tube, he shared profound image of hope with me. He
said, “I am so glad to be here for Thanksgiving with family. It’s sure
different when you can’t eat, but I was able to listen for the laughter. It’s
all about the laughter. That’s living and I love it.” Hope overflowed from Jim
and I was drenched in it. Life is always changing; maybe Bazaar Christmas is
the new normal.
For many people that I talked to we
noticed that life has changed so much, we don’t even know how to anticipate and
participate in the hope of Christmas anymore. These words echoed in so many
conversations. “I am much older than I use to be.” “Things just aren’t the way
they use to be.” “I don’t look forward so much anymore.” “So much is changed
with the loss of (My wife, my husband, the children).” “That’s a hard one.” Yet
hope has never abandoned us. We’ve had precious opportunities to celebrate
together, to remember, to create Christmas memories during this Bazaar
Christmas. Singing carols with workers has filled me with joy as I remembered
my childhood singing with aunts and uncles and learning harmonies. We shared
the fragrance of the Noble Pine and I remembered the smell of Lake Tahoe where
I received the gift of my first child Kaela. (Joy to the world). We prayed in
the hallways and I remembered how moving work can be when we take time to dwell
in the spirit of life. Even when hope is hard to apprehend, it flowed so freely
and so often – Bazaar Christmas indeed.
You can’t imagine how grateful I am
for a Bazaar Christmas. I met people in new ways and we recalled the legacy of
the event with warm hearts. I was in the “Christmas Room” with Michelle Moore.
She is brand new to our community and participates at every opportunity. She
showed me the hand stitched snowman ornaments that she made and so many other
detailed ornaments. New talent is a blessing. She was in the room that smelled
like pine because Donna Hall has been dedicated for years to weaving nature
into Christmas reminders of God’s glory.
Jane Matthews
was smiling away in the Jam & Jelly Room. This year we named this room for
Margaret Freed who passed this summer. We can’t help but remember the passion
and spirit of Margaret. She made a mission out of this Bazaar stuff; platooning
people into pomegranate crushing for her famous jelly, personally eradicating
the concept of idle hands. Yet we give thanks to God that Jane would give
herself so freely to a labor of love that honors a legacy so freshly left.
It occurs to me
that if we had to try to store hope in a container, the container would have to
be legacy. Charlene Smiley found a hand stitched Christmas stocking at home. It
has an adorable little mouse peeking out of the top. Suddenly she was awash in
the memory of Dorothy Shiely who made crafts in so many years passed. Connie
Jones was moved to make the poured mint candies in honor of Enid Olive. ( I
just received my invitation to Enid’s 100th birthday party in
January) Connie tells me that Enid has been a continuous supporter of the candy
room for decades. This room is now staffed by hearts and hands – a group that
includes Joyce Hambley who just discovered that she can make candy too. After
the annual one-pound cheese ball making extravaganza, Laura Warner laughed out
loud remembering the eager children; like Anna Durbin, who would bite into the
cheeseball as soon as it was purchased every year, enjoying the rest of Bazaar
Christmas with more cheese face than cheese ball. Our Hmong congregation has
found the spirit irresistible; creating a special room for egg rolls and
special Hmong handicrafts. The legacy container never seems to empty. One group
recalled the tea room where tea accompanies delicious desserts for weary
shoppers. Mattie Rose can still be pictured serving tea; until the picture in
our mind changes to her daughter Mary Fran Rowe. Suddenly the picture changes
again to her granddaughter Claudia Speziale and I am sure some of you have even
pictured her great granddaughter Kaytie Rose holding tea and pie as well. An
event like this is not something I’ve ever seen before – this is Bazaar
Christmas.
Where would we
be without the Bazaar? We would be missing something precious. We would be
missing something overflowing with hope. We would be missing something
Christmas. What a blessing!
Hope: It’s
what’s for Christmas.
Enjoy God,
Pg
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