Clergy Family Confidential

You’d think a priest’s family would be able to remember to light their Advent wreath. We’re now well into the second week of Advent and the candles are untouched. Oh, the wreath looks great, as it sits on our dining room table. It’s just never been used. We got out of the family dinner routine on the first Sunday of Advent — I flew to LA for a meeting immediately after church. But the second Sunday we just plum forgot. That’s embarrassing. Perhaps we should move the wreath into the kitchen which is where we actually eat dinner. Formal dining doesn’t exactly happen a whole lot at our house. Not with the boys jumping up and down like pogo sticks after each bite.

The good news is they both like to say grace. Sometimes, like tonight, they even do joint graces; first one then the other. Of course mocking what the other is saying takes some of the spirituality out of it. But they are learning to pause and give thanks for the blessings of this life before digging in. Or at least just as they’ve begun stuffing their faces. Baby steps…

I’m hoping the third time’s the charm. That is, we’ll light all three candles for the third Sunday of Advent and we’ll be back on track. In our defense, the boys have been fighting each morning over who gets to open the Advent calendar on the refrigerator door. Doesn’t that count for something?