St. Nicholas Visits Incarnation

by Amy Rowe

Bishop Chris braved frigid temperatures (turns out, a cope is quite warm!) to continue a beloved Incarnation (Arlington, VA) tradition: our annual visit from Saint Nicholas! Over 40 people — including several passers-by from the neighborhood — gathered to hear the story of Saint Nicholas, the 4th century bishop of Myra (modern-day Turkey) whose secret gift-giving to the poor inspired our Christmas traditions. We learned about the symbolism of the bishop garments that both Bishop Chris and Bishop Nicholas wore, and that the work of a bishop hasn't changed much in 1600 years. Then and now, bishops were pioneering shepherds who carried the ministry of Jesus out beyond the bounds of the church to a world in need of mercy. 

Together around the fire, we also lit the Advent candles, prayed, colored, enjoyed hot drinks with candy canes (reminders of the shepherd's staff and bishop's crozier), and made pomanders (fragrant oranges pierced with cloves, a reminder of the gold coins that Saint Nicholas secretly distributed). Afterward, Saint Nicholas posed for photos with young and old. All in all, this was a morning of kid-friendly spiritual formation and gave opportunity for several faith conversations with curious neighbors. 

A Saint Nicholas Day Prayer (printed on Saint Nicholas bookmarks we distributed to the children):

God, we thank you for the example of St. Nicholas, who fed the hungry, brought hope to the imprisoned, gave comfort to the lost, and spread kindness to all. May we strive to imitate him by putting you first in all we do. Give us the courage, love, and strength of St. Nicholas, so that, like him, we may serve you through loving our brothers and sisters. Amen.

The Rev. Amy Rowe is the Rector at Incarnation Anglican, Arlington, VA.