Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) blogs

Explorations in Just Living

Subscribe to this blog feed icon

About this blog

Welcome to the blog of the Enough for Everyone program of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). By "just living" we mean both justice-based living and just simply living – freeing ourselves from the clutter of stuff so we can focus on living faithfully and living well. Join us in the exploration!

About the Author
Bryce Wiebe coordinates Enough for Everyone, a ministry of the Presbyterian Hunger Program. He loves slow food and is fascinated by the way things are made.  He is excited to dive into experiments in simplicity with you.  His sacred cow of consumption: kitchen gadgets.

Recent posts

Categories

Archives

See all PC(USA) Blogs →

PC(USA) Home →

December 15, 2008

In absence, presence

Melanie Hardison

Greenery Each year as Advent begins, I look forward to setting up the Christmas tree. I have a small 4-foot artificial tree that belonged to my grandparents. Many of my ornaments came from them, too. My favorites are the antique European ones—sparkly spheres and teardrops, simple balls in red and silver, and quirky random ones such as shoes and mushrooms—which they acquired while living in post-war Germany during the 1940s and 50s.

 

While I love this little tree, each year I entertain the notion of getting a real one. I long for the heady, comforting scent of a real live Christmas tree to fill my home. Each year I research the options of trees and farms, only to ultimately decide against spending the money and effort. “After all,” I conclude, “there’s a perfectly good tree waiting for me right up the attic stairs.”

 

However, this year is turning out to be different. Somehow when the time came to start thinking about decorating, what came to me was a notion I had never had before: to not decorate at all. To leave the tree in the attic, to leave the ornaments in their trunk, to leave deliberating trees for another year. What came to me was the notion to leave room in this season…for more time…more space…more joy…more quiet. And to see what happens.

 

In the past such a notion would have been outrageous. Decorating for Christmas is just one of those things you do. But this year it felt right to leave the stuff packed away.

 

I did end up indulging one decoration for my home: a length of white pine garland from a nearby farm. At first I was inclined to do what my mother always does—string it with festive lights and tie it with pretty bows. But as I draped the garland along the banister, I realized that to delight each day in this solitary scented garland would be enough. It would be something simple to set the season apart but nothing more. In the absence of all the beloved ornaments and familiar decorations I usually use to fill the space (not to mention the season and my time), the presence of this simple piece of greenery provides a sensory reminder that we are in the season of winter, the season of Advent, the season of waiting.

 

What ways do you engage this season?  How do you simplify the season and open yourself to absence, to presence?