Advent 3 at St. Mark’s is the Children’s pageant.  On the old calendar it would be Guadete Sunday meaning rejoice.  It would after be a mini-Christmas or feel like it.  You light the pink candle on the Advent wreath.  If you were at the Cathedral they might even have rose altar cloths and stoles.  Not being the Cathedral we have a pink candle.  And given societal changes, like an entire family not being in one congregation any more whether due to moves or disruptions, things that put demands on families need to be done outside of prime time.  So while my childhood pageants were on Christmas Eve, ours are on Advent 3.  My message before the children does some of that reflecting – a bit of nostalgia – before hopefully putting a good frame on the kids presentation.  What Child is This was the theme.  The answer is king and savior, but also ours.  We can proclaim Christ, but it does no good if we don’t welcome him in our hearts.  

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