Merry Christmas!
A Meditation by Rev. Cameron Trimble
“Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.” — Luke 2:19
Do you ever wonder what happens the morning after the angels leave?
The shepherds return to their fields. The sky goes quiet again. Mary wakes up sore, tired, and hungry. Joseph realizes he still has no plan. The child cries because that is what children do.
Life resumes.
And yet everything is different.
The first Christmas morning is not triumphant. It is domestic. Jesus sleeps, eats, needs changing, needs holding. The holiness of the day hides inside the ordinary work of care.
That is the joy of Christmas.
We imagine joy as something loud and obvious, something that interrupts life from the outside. But Christmas joy arrives quietly, from within. It shows up as relief after fear, tenderness after pain, presence after loneliness. It feels less like fireworks and more like warmth returning to your hands.
I imagine Mary that morning watching the light move across the floor. I imagine Joseph noticing how small the child’s fingers are. I imagine them both realizing that nothing has been solved, and yet something irreversible has begun. Love has entered the world in a way that will not be taken back.
This is why Christmas is good news.
It doesn’t fix everything, but it changes what is possible. Suffering doesn’t disappear, but God chooses to stay. The world doesn’t suddenly become safe, but it finally dawns on us that it’s beloved.
Today is not about urgency or responsibility. Christmas Day does not ask us to respond correctly. It invites us to delight in the simple fact that life is still being gifted, that love still finds a way into flesh and breath and ordinary rooms.
So we celebrate the way people always have. We eat together. We laugh at familiar stories. We rest when we can. We hold one another. We let joy be imperfect and real.
The child is here. Love has entered the world. Nothing will ever be only ordinary again. That is worth celebrating.
Merry Christmas, everyone!
We are in this together,
Cameron
Reflection Questions
Where did I notice joy arriving quietly today rather than dramatically?
What ordinary moment feels newly precious to me this Christmas?
How does it change my understanding of God to imagine holiness living inside daily life?
A Prayer for the Day
A Prayer For Simple Joy
God of morning light and quiet rooms, thank you for entering the world without spectacle. Thank you for choosing closeness over control and tenderness over power. Help us notice the joy already present today. Teach us to receive it without fear and to trust that love does not need to be loud to be real. Stay with us in the ordinary hours ahead.Honoring the Ordinary Today, choose one ordinary moment and treat it as sacred. It might be washing dishes, taking a walk, listening to a child’s story, or sitting quietly with someone you love. Do not rush it. Do not multitask. Simply stay with it. Let this be your Christmas practice: honoring the way God continues to arrive in the small, faithful details of your life. Amen.
Spiritual Practice
Staying Present
At some point today or tonight, when you are gathered with others, choose one moment to practice deliberate presence.
Before a meal, a conversation, or a familiar ritual, pause quietly and notice who is with you. Notice their bodies, their voices, their histories. Remember that every person around you carries joy and grief, longing and fear, often unseen.
Resist the urge to perform, fix, correct, or escape.
Simply stay.
Let this be your Christmas practice: not saying the perfect thing, not smoothing over what is hard, but remaining present to the people God has placed before you.
This is incarnation in real time.
Upcoming Events That Might Be of Interest…
January 6, 13, 20, 2026 - Protest and Action Chaplaincy Training with Rev. Anna Golladay. This live, online training offers a framework for providing compassionate, grounded spiritual care during protests, advocacy gatherings, and social movements. Learn more here.
January 15, 2026, 7-8pm EST - FREE Online Webinar: When the Internet Hurts: The Hidden Online Dangers Facing Our Teens and How Faith Communities Can Respond, Join me in conversation with Sharon Winkler, survivor parent and nationally respected youth online-safety advocate. Sharon’s son, Alex, died at age 17 after experiencing cyberbullying and algorithmically targeted pro-suicide content. Since then, Sharon has dedicated her life to helping parents, educators, and faith leaders recognize online dangers and build safer communities for young people. Register here.
February 11th and 25, 2026 - Join Our “Building a Culture of Leadership Within Congregations” Cohort facilitated by Rabbi Benjamin Ross and me! A two-session course for ministers and faith leaders ready to strengthen how their congregations and ministries identify, develop, and support leaders. Learn more here.
July 19-24, 2026 - Join me and amazing co-facilitator, Victoria, on retreat in the back-country of beautiful Wyoming. The Art of Wilding is a 5-Day Expedition for Women Leaders. We will spend the week reconnecting to nature, exploring our inner landscapes for change, and engage the wisdom of spiritual teachings. Click here to learn more.
I drafted a Strategic Framework for Congregations as we move into the coming years of increased authoritarianism around the world. If interested, you can download it here.
Fun Things My Friends Are Up To…
I get to work with such amazing, creative people. This section is my way of celebrating them—no paid promotions, just joy in what they’re creating.
My friend and Buddhist teacher, Isa Gucciardi’s center, the Foundation of the Sacred Stream, has just released their 2026 calendar of events. I can’t recommend her courses enough. Check them out here.
Have you heard that Dr. Matthew Fox is taking a group to Italy?!? It’s a week-long retreat in Sardinia on May 25-30, 2026 focused on the theme of Awakening the Divine Human, rooted in the teachings of Matthew, C.G. Jung, and the ancient wisdom of the land. I so wish I could go, but I am already booked. You should consider it.
I just finished listening to Rachel Maddow’s new podcast called “Burn Order.” I realize I can’t exactly claim Rachel as a “friend” since we have never even met, but I still want to recommend the podcast to you. It’s pretty incredible.
Have you heard about the Buddhist monks walking for Peace? The Monks and their dog, Aloka, are walking from Texas to Washington, D.C. to promote peace and compassion. You can follow their progress in real time here.
If you are a leader or member of a congregation looking for consulting support in visioning, planning, hiring or staffing, please consider Convergence.
It’s the first time in many years that I have looked forward to Christmas. As troubled as the world is presently, I feel the joy of this day. Merry Christmas Cameron!!!🤗🎄
Thank you Rev. Cameron for gifting us, (almost daily!) with your profoundly beautiful reflections on the sacredness of life. A Blessed Christmas to you and your loved ones!