Cybercolumn by Brett Younger: The Great American Christmas Letter

Posted: 12/02/05

CYBER COLUMN:
The Great American Christmas Letter

By Brett Younger

Dear Friends, Family & Many Readers of the Baptist Standard Whom I’ve Never Met,

My family is not the kind that writes Christmas letters, but each year I read so many heart-warming epistles from wonderful families that I feel inspired. I have to begin by admitting that none of us are learning to dance, quilt or speak French. I’m sorry to say that we are not earning belts of any color in Tae Kwon Do. I’m embarrassed to confess that we have no new houses, cars, pets or children (and have no desire for any of these). Maybe we should have gone to Disneyworld, but we had a good year.

Graham and Caleb are growing up fast or slow—depending on which parent and which moment you ask. Carol and I enjoy making fun of how other parents brag on their children, but not as much as we enjoy doing so ourselves.

Brett Younger

Caleb, 12 years old, is a sixth grader at William James Middle School. He’s 4’11” and moving up fast. He likes seeing his name in the Baptist Standard. He loves basketball, which rules much of our lives, and has a nice spin move, though he could be better going to his left. Caleb’s Whiz Quiz team is undefeated and outscoring their opponents by 135 a game, but we know that it’s not about winning. He likes to pour tea at the Agape Meal—our church’s weekly meal with the homeless. Eleven pitchers is the record. He’s finally getting to sit in the front seat of the car. We hear he’s playing saxophone in the school band, but haven’t heard him practice.

Graham, 16 years old, is a junior at Paschal High School. He’s 6’0” and we think that’s it. He doesn’t always read the Baptist Standard but knows he should. He plays basketball and particularly seems to enjoy shooting. He knows more physics than the rest of us, though that’s setting the bar pretty low. Graham talks on his cell phone in the backyard a lot. He likes the arguments in his Sunday school class and enjoys working in our church’s clothing room—it’s the closest he comes to shopping. He’s finally getting to sit in the driver’s seat and generously passed down his barely used saxophone to his brother.

Carol is the oldest one in the family, but does not look it (she does have a delightful touch of silver in her hair). She’s still a just-about-perfect 5’5”. She’s given up on keeping her name out of sermons or Baptist Standard cybercolumns. Like the rest of the family, Carol goes to church a lot. She and I preached a tag-team sermon on Abraham and Sarah during a worship service. Everyone said that she did such a great job that I probably won’t ask her to do that again. Carol finally got to a Mary Chapin-Carpenter concert, but Mary didn’t sing This Shirt. We were 200 feet from the stage, so we chose not to yell. Carol lets Graham drive her car and brings joy wherever she goes.

I am 44 and 5’7”—just starting to lose altitude. After almost five years, I still feel privileged to pastor the good people at Broadway Baptist Church—and ignore the rest. If I lived in Fort Worth and wasn’t the pastor, I still would love being a member of Broadway. Most church members don’t know how rare that is. I’m glad that I drive a stick so my son doesn’t borrow my car. I got a book published that my mother said she liked. If I sell two more copies, I can take my family to Wendy’s with the royalties. I framed a letter I got from Bill Moyers, plan to rake the leaves after Christmas and promise to call my parents more.

We wish you and yours a stocking full of good wishes.

Brett Younger is pastor of Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth and the author of Who Moved My Pulpit? A Hilarious Look at Ministerial Life, available from Smyth & Helwys (800) 747-3016. You can e-mail him at byounger@broadwaybc.org.