Friends of The Gathering,
During this season of Advent, I am feeling grateful for the blessings all of you have brought to the ministry of The Gathering. Throughout this past year we have continued to hear amazing stories from ordinary, remarkable people. We have been blessed with the stories of Middle Eastern refugees and Japanese Americans who experienced Internment during WWII. We have worshiped in Evensong services, written in workshops together, shared the creativity of artists, shared our thoughts in book studies, and had table fellowship while sharing delicious meals.
In 1995 I was in a class of Worship and Music at San Francisco Theological Seminary. Our last assignment was to find a familiar hymn tune and write new words. On the last day of class that December, we went into the chapel and together as a class sung every new hymn written by the members of that class. It was a glorious time of sharing. I wrote a Christmas hymn, written as a lullaby to Jesus, and I set it to a familiar tune for the hymn “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus.” (The tune Hyfrydol). I invite all of you if you would like, to write a new hymn to a familiar tune also. Then in the coming year, perhaps we can have our own songfest and share some of the creativity and inspiration rising up in our own community.
This Christmas of 2017 I send you my Christmas hymn from long ago that blessed my life that Christmas of 1995. Click here to read it.
Christmas blessings to all of you…we are so grateful to have you as a part of The Gathering.
– Rev. Judy Davis, Director
