Local church leaders work to mark the season with religious traditions that honor their congregations' multicultural backgrounds
When they answered their call to the ministry, co-pastors Laurel and Colin Mathewson could never have anticipated what happened next — and how it influenced their Christmas celebrations.
In a nod to their growing multicultural congregation, St. Luke’s will hold two Christmas Eve services and one large church service at 11 a.m. on Christmas, with a community potluck afterward.Incorporating their new populations into church celebrations is nothing new for the Mathewsons and St. Luke’s. They offer Sunday services in English but read the gospel in either Swahili or Arabic while the newcomers learn English.
“He was born the savior, who understands the problems of homelessness and wants us to work together as human beings to solve those problems.”“We don’t take being together for granted,” Rev. Laurel Mathewson says. “What does it mean that Christ was born into the world with refugees and immigrants?” she asks. “His birth in a dangerous and uncertain world means we are called to love as Jesus loved us.
“Statistically, suicides are higher during the holiday season,” he adds. “In my message, I want people to know that even in hard and challenging situations, I have joy because I have the hope that is ultimately found in Jesus.”Ebenezer Scrooge notwithstanding, it can be challenging, even for the most devout, to carry the Christmas spirit throughout the year. So, the Mathewsons make an effort to support their congregants’ lives of faith, beginning with the Feast of the Epiphany in early January.
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