Merry Christmas - 2016

Merry Christmas!
As you celebrate Christmas and the birth of the Lord, we also hope that this merry St. Nick has found you well.

Merry Christmas,
Joel

Christmas Eve Service of Lesson and Carols - 2016

A Christmas Eve Service of Lessons, Carols & Readings:

A Vesper Service

Christmas Brass – Trumpet, Horn and Trombone

Carol ~ O Come, All Ye Faithful      
 

Opening Words / Welcome

Tonight we celebrate the birth of the Jesus - how God becomes vulnerable to us as an infant, a babe, needing our tender care and nurture and comfort. Tonight as we read Luke's account, we have interspersed readings and carols - sharing some of the ways that this event has inspired others. Tonight as we read and sing these words of inspiration, may our hearts be inspired to look for the Spirit of Love, Love’s Holy Light, in one another and the world at large. May we leave with a renewed sense of what is important in the world, a renewed sense at how God is at work, calling us forth to join in with our own hands.

Lighting the Christ Candle:  

     ~ Tonight, Everyone is Displaced ~ Rev. Tom Schade

Tonight, everyone is displaced and homeless.
Tonight, everyone searches for Bethlehem.
On this night, when the darkness comes so close,
We listen, in the stillness, for the songs of angels.
Like shepherds, we aren't too sure of what is happening.
We don't know why we are so expectant.
We don't know why we long so deeply for miracles.
Tonight we pray that we might know the one we are seeking.
Tonight may we kneel like kings,
before that which is greater than any kingdom on earth.
Tonight, may we see the holy family that we are a part of.
And may we hear the music that reminds us of our truest home.

Carol ~ Joy to the World       

Reading ~ Luke: 1:26-35, 38

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, "Greetings, favored one! the Lord is with you." But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?" The angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called the Son of God. ..." Then Mary said, "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her.

    

 ~ This Is No Time for a Child to be Born ~ Madeleine L'Engle

This is no time for a child to be born,
With the Earth betrayed by war and hate
And a comet slashing the sky to warn
That time runs out and the sun burns late. 

That was no time for a child to be born
In a land in the crushing grip of Rome
Honor and truth were trampled by scorn --
Yet here did the Saviour make his home. 

When is the time of love to be born?
The inn is full on planet earth,
And by a comet the sky is torn ---
Yet Love still takes the risk of birth.

Carol ~ Angels We Have Heard on High      

 Reading ~ Luke 2:1-7

In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be taxed. This was the first taxation and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

     ~ The Eve of Christmas ~ James Kirkup

It was the evening before the night

That Jesus turned from dark to light.

Joseph was walking round and round

And yet he moved not on the ground.

He looked into the heavens, and saw

The pole stood silent, star on star.

He looked into the forest: there

The leaves hung dead upon the air.

He looked into the sea, and found

It frozen, and the lively fishes bound.

And in the sky, the birds that sang

Not in feathered clouds did hang.

Said Joseph: ‘What is this silence all?’

An angel spoke: ‘It is no thrall,

But is a sign of great delight:

The Prince of Love is born this night.’

And Joseph said: ‘Where may I find

This wonder?’ – ‘He is all mankind,

Look, he is both farthest, nearest,

Highest and lowest, of all mean the dearest.’

Then Joseph moved, and found the stars

Moved with him, and the evergreen airs,

The birds went flying, and the main

Flowed with its fishes once again.

And everywhere they went, they cried:

‘Love lives, when all has died!’

In Excelsis Gloria!

Christmas Brass – Trumpet, Horn and Trombone

 
Reading ~ Luke 2: 8-12

In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were sore afraid. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for see - I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger."

     ~ Night Has Fallen ~ Rev. Tom Schade

Night has fallen.
Stars beckon in an indigo and velvet sky
Somewhere a baby is being born.
Tonight, the world lazes in a love of goodness
while glories stream from heaven afar
God is meeting us, tonight, where we are.
So be not afraid, and be of good cheer,
We wish you, each and all, Very Merry Christmas -
The hopes and fears of all the years have been met,
so Rest beside the winding road
and Hear the Angels Sing.

Carol ~ It Came Upon a Midnight Clear     

Reading ~ Luke 2:13-14

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,
"Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom God favors!"

     ~ Snow in Bethlehem ~ Maya Angelou

Thunder rumbles in the mountain passes
And lightning rattles the eaves of our houses.
Flood waters await us in our avenues. 

Snow falls upon snow, falls upon snow to avalanche
Over unprotected villages.
The sky slips low and grey and threatening.

We question ourselves.
What have we done to so affront nature?
We worry God.
Are you there? Are you there really?
Does the covenant you made with us still hold?

Into this climate of fear and apprehension, Christmas enters, …

Hope is born again in the faces of children
It rides on the shoulders of our aged as they walk into their sunsets.
hope spreads around the earth. Brightening all things,
Even hate which crouches breeding in dark corridors. 

In our joy, we think we hear a whisper.
At first it is too soft. They only half heard.
We listen carefully as it gathers strength.
We hear a sweetness.
The word is Peace. …

We shout with glorious tongues the coming of hope.
All the earth's tribes loosen their voices to celebrate the promise of
Peace.

We, Angels and Mortals, Believers and Nonbelievers,
Look heavenward and speak the word aloud.
Peace.

We look at each other, then into ourselves,
And we say without shyness or apology or hesitation:

Peace, My brother.
Peace, My sister.
Peace, My soul.

Carol ~ The First Nowell      

Reading ~ Luke 2:15-20

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us." So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

     ~ The Moment of Magic ~ Victoria E. Safford

Now is the moment of magic,
when the whole, round earth turns again toward the sun,

and here's a blessing:
the days will be longer and brighter now,
even before the winter settles in to chill us.

Now is the moment of magic,
when people beaten down and broken,
with nothing left but misery and candles and their own clear voices,
kindle tiny lights and whisper secret music,

and here's a blessing:
the dark universe is suddenly illuminated by the lights of the menorah,
suddenly ablaze with the lights of the kinara,
and the whole world is glad and loud with winter singing.

Now is the moment of magic,
when an eastern star beckons the ignorant toward an unknown goal,

and here's a blessing:
they find nothing in the end but an ordinary baby,
born at midnight, born in poverty, and the baby's cry, like bells ringing,
makes people wonder as they wander through their lives,
what human love might really look like,
sound like,
feel like.

Now is the moment of magic,

and here's a blessing:
we already possess all the gifts we need;
we've already received our presents:
ears to hear music,
eyes to behold lights,
hands to build true peace on earth
and to hold each other tight in love.

Carol ~ O Little Town of Bethlehem            

Closing Reading ~ The Work of Christmas ~ Howard Thurman

When the songs of angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flock,
The work of Christmas begins:
     to find the lost,
     to heal the broken,
     to feed the hungry,
     to release the prisoner,
     to rebuild the nations,
     to bring peace among the brothers and sisters,
     to make music in the heart.

Carol ~ Silent Night              

Depart in Silence

Film on Friday - Wood Skis - Advent 2016

Skis? I know, but some of us do like skiing and sailing ... but what actually caught my attention about this video was the sense of craftsmanship and the philosophy about choosing a different road. Who do you choose to measure success? What is a successful life? What and how are you passing down what you know to the next generation?

Enjoy and Blessed be,

Joel

Wednesday Quote - Manafesto: The Mad Farmer Liberatation Front - Advent 2016

This is always a delight when I read this poem by Wendell Berry. Enjoy.

Blessed be,

Joel

Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front by Wendell Berry

Love the quick profit, the annual raise,
vacation with pay. Want more
of everything ready-made. Be afraid
to know your neighbors and to die.
And you will have a window in your head.
Not even your future will be a mystery
any more. Your mind will be punched in a card
and shut away in a little drawer.
When they want you to buy something
they will call you. When they want you
to die for profit they will let you know.
So, friends, every day do something
that won't compute. Love the Lord.
Love the world. Work for nothing.
Take all that you have and be poor.
Love someone who does not deserve it.
Denounce the government and embrace
the flag. Hope to live in that free
republic for which it stands.
Give your approval to all you cannot
understand. Praise ignorance, for what man
has not encountered he has not destroyed.
Ask the questions that have not answers.
Invest in the millennium. Plant sequoias.
Say that your main crop is the forest
that you did not plant,
that you will not live to harvest.
Say that the leaves are harvested
when they have rotted into the mold.
Call that profit. Prophesy such returns.
Put your faith in the two inches of humus
that will build under the trees
every thousand years.
Listen to carrion - put your ear
close, and hear the faint chattering
of the songs that are to come.
Expect the end of the world. Laugh.
Laughter is immeasurable. Be joyful
though you have considered all the facts.
So long as women do not go cheap
for power, please women more than men.
Ask yourself: Will this satisfy
a woman satisfied to bear a child?
Will this disturb the sleep
of a woman near to giving birth?
Go with your love to the fields.
Lie easy in the shade. Rest your head
in her lap. Swear allegiance
to what is nighest your thoughts.
As soon as the generals and the politicos
can predict the motions of your mind,
lose it. Leave it as a sign
to mark the false trail, the way
you didn't go. Be like the fox
who makes more tracks than necessary,
some in the wrong direction.
Practice resurrection.

Monday's Practice - Practicing the Presence of God - Advent 2016

Today's "practice" is probably more an attitude, a perspective upon which to look at the world, if you will. Practicing the Presence of God is about seeing God in all things, recognizing that we belong to a part of the Body of Christ, which is much bigger than we are. It is learning to constantly commune with this larger source out of Love.

Brother Lawrence's The Practice of the Presence of God has had many editions (I'm referencing Whitaker House's 1982 edition) as it is considered a classic in Christian devotional literature. I've decided to give a little history on who Brother Lawrence was, before moving onto using his own words to describe his practice. Lawrence's practice is absolutely simple, which is perhaps why it is difficult to "practice."

Blessed be,

Joel

Nicholas Herman was born in 1611 (died in 1691) to peasant parents in Lorraine, France. When he came of age, he joined the armed forces (in part for a steady diet and a small stipend). An injury eventually brought him back to his parents home to recuperate, where he finally decided to devote his life to serving God. Consequently he entered the Carmelite Monastery in Paris as a lay-brother, taking the name Lawrence. During his time at the Monastery, he served in the kitchen calling himself the lord of the pots and pans.

I should note that joining the Monastery wasn't a sudden decision (he had already had "spiritual experiences," and spent time as a hermit in the desert). As Christianity Today notes in their Christian History  section on Brother Lawrence:

During this period [of serving in the army], Herman had an experience that set him on a unique spiritual journey; it wasn't, characteristically, a supernatural vision, but a supernatural clarity into a common sight.
In the deep of winter, Herman looked at a barren tree, stripped of leaves and fruit, waiting silently and patiently for the sure hope of summer abundance. Gazing at the tree, Herman grasped for the first time the extravagance of God's grace and the unfailing sovereignty of divine providence. Like the tree, he himself was seemingly dead, but God had life waiting for him, and the turn of seasons would bring fullness. At that moment, he said, that leafless tree "first flashed in upon my soul the fact of God," and a love for God that never after ceased to burn. 

Lawrence began practicing the presence of God by first cultivating a deep presence of God in his heart. This presence was maintained by love rather than understanding, speech or a fear of judgement.

"In the way of God," he said, "thoughts count for little, love does everything."
"And it is not necessary," he continued, "to have great things to do. I turn my little omelette in the pan for the love of God; when it is finished, if I have nothing to do, I prostrate myself on the ground and adore my God, Who gave me the grace to make it, after which I arise, more content than a king. When I cannot do anything else, it is enough for me to have lifted a straw from the earth for the love of God.
"People seek for methods of learning to love God. They hope to arrive at it by I know not how many different practices; they take much trouble to remain in the presence of God in a quantity of ways. Is it not much shorter and more direct to do everything for the love of God, to make use of all the labors of one's state in life to show Him [sic.] that love, and to maintain His presence within us by this communion of our hearts with His? There is no finesse about it; one has only to do it generously and simply." (p. 81) ...
"During my work, I would always continue to speak to the Lord as though He were right with me, offering Him my services and thanking Him for His assistance. And at the end of my work, I used to examine it carefully. If I found good in it, I thanked God. If I noticed faults, I asked His forgiveness without being discouraged, and then went on with my work, still dwelling in Him.
"Thus, continuing in this practice of conversing with God throughout each day, and quickly seeking His forgiveness when I fell or strayed, His presence has become as easy and natural to me now as it once was difficult to attain." (p.82-3)

Film on Friday - Ten Tuamotos Days - Advent 2016

Liz Clark is an exceptional young woman who set out many years ago on Swell to tour the world. Enjoy the video.
Blessed be,
Joel

PS - to find out more, you can visit her web page here: Liz Clark and the Voyage of Swell
For instance, here is a recent blog post: A Better World: What We Can Do (10 Simple Ways to Contribute to a Healthier, Happier through Daily Activism and Positive Living).

Wednesday Quote - The Floating Harpsichord - Advent 2016

Boats and mediation can go together. I believe there is something about trying to work with the forces of the natural world that effect us, that can bring us back into "natural" alignment. As Aquinas, among others has pointed out, the world is God's first book. In some ways, like Mondays' post, do we allow ourselves to see it as spiritual work. Do we allow our lives to be a spiritual practice - a place we expect to meet the divine?

Enjoy and Blessed be,

Joel

        Some people (guess who among them) started this solo sail hoping and expecting to find clarity in some of their soul searching. The solo sailor is either too busy, too tired, or too elated to do any meditating. A drive during rush hour in an automatic automobile is probably more appropriate for meditating. There is a situation where there is nothing one can do. Turn off the radio and that is the time to meditate. For many of us civilized western people it is the only time that we have no piped-in music or bosses, wives [does this mean husbands are not a distraction?], children, telephone, singing birds, or beautiful nature, food, drinks, exercises, set, etc. to distract us. The only thing we have to do is steer the car. That is enough distraction to create an atmosphere for meditating. To have to concentrate on meditating can be in itself very distracting. There are some people who even want to take that single moment of tranquility away from us and who advise such things as "share a ride" or increased public transportation. Let's do the meditating or soul-searching behind our two hundred horse-power, but do not single-hand to Hawaii for your answers! Anyway, I am not going to talk into this tape recorder about my soul. That is my private business as long as I'm alone on my boat."* (Peter H. Strykers, M.D. The Floating Harpsichord: One Sailor's Log and Manuals for Solo-Sailing and Solo-Medicine. Ten Speed Press, 1987. p. 164)

___

*Stryker's middle section of his book is a daily log that he edited from spoken tapes (and yes, he did take a harpsichord and play it on the passage. I think this section gives you an idea of how delightful this book is to read). I think the above quote says that he probably did some more soul searching than he thought, but not as much as he wanted. It is interesting to note that Bernard Moitessier seems to have done a lot of it during the Long Way. And this Friday's film, I think, points out how living a different way can and does change us.