What Santa Does After Christmas?

So, is this how Santa(s) spends some down time?

Remember for 1/2 the world, this starts the summer season.

Merry Christmas.

Blessed Be,

Joel

Christmas Eve Service of Lesson, Readings and Carols

A re-posting from last year, it got such good reviews, here it is again.

Enjoy the Christ who comes to us as a Child.

Blessed Be

Rev. Joel

********

A Choir Service of Lessons, Carols & Readings:

A Vesper Service

Choir - Awake, Awake, A Joyous Noel

Opening Words / Welcome

"God laughed and brought forth Jesus. Jesus laughed and brought forth the Holy Spirit. All three laughed and brought forth us."  ~ Meister Eckhart

Tonight we celebrate the birth of the Christ Child - 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 and choral anthems - 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 Christ in one another and the world at large. May we leave with a new sense of what is important in the world, a new sense at how God is at work, calling us forth to join in with our own hands.

Lighting the 4th Advent 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.

Choir - The Angels

Carol - O Come, O Come Emmanuel

 Reading ~ Luke 2:1-7

In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration 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 Maid-Servant At The Inn ~ Dorothy Parker

"It's queer," she said; "I see the light
As plain as I beheld it then,
All silver-like and calm and bright -
We've not had stars like that again! 

"And she was such a gentle thing
To birth a baby in the cold.
The barn was dark and frightening -
This new one's better than the old. 

"I mind my eyes were full of tears,
For I was young, quick distressed,
But she was less than me in years
That held a son against her breast. 

"I never saw a sweeter child -
The little one, the darling one! -
I mind, I told her, when he smiled
You'd know he was his mother's son. 

"It's queer that I should see them so -
The time they came to Bethlehem
Was more than thirty years ago;
I've prayed that all is well with them."

     ~ A Christmas Reflection ~ Thomas Merton

Into this world, this demented inn, in which there is absolutely no room for him at all, Christ has come uninvited. But because he cannot be at home in it, because he is out of place in it, and yet he must be in it, his place is with those others for whom there is no room. His place is with those who do not belong, who are rejected by power because they are regarded as weak, those who are discredited, who are denied the status of persons, tortured, exterminated. With those for whom there is no room, Christ is present in this world.

Choir - Behold That Star

Carol - On This Day Everywhere

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 terrified. 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 bands of cloth and lying in a manger."

     ~ Mother of God ~ William Butler Yeats

The threefold terror of love; a fallen flare
Through the hollow of an ear;
Wings beating about the room;
The terror of all terror that I bore
The Heavens in my womb.  

Had I not found content among the shows
Every common woman knows,
Chimney corner, garden walk,
Or rocky cistern where we tread the clothes
And gather all the talk? 

What is this flesh I purchased with my pains,
This fallen star my milk sustains,
This love that makes my heart's blood stop
Or strikes a Sudden chill into my bones
And bids my hair stand up?

Duet - Ave Maria

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,
Streaming lights of joy, ringing bells of hope
And singing carols of forgiveness high up in the bright air.
The world is encouraged to come away from rancor,
Come the way of friendship.
It is the Glad Season.
Thunder ebbs to silence and lightning sleeps quietly in the corner.
Flood waters recede into memory.
Snow becomes a yielding cushion to aid us
As we make our way to higher ground.

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.
It is louder now. It is louder.
Louder than the explosion of bombs.

We tremble at the sound. We are thrilled by its presence.
It is what we have hungered for.
Not just the absence of war. But, true Peace.
A harmony of spirit, a comfort of courtesies.
Security for our beloveds and their beloveds.

We clap hands and welcome the Peace of Christmas.
We beckon this good season to wait a while with us.
We, Baptist and Buddhist, Methodist and Muslim, say come.
Peace.

Come and fill us and our world with your majesty.
We, the Jew and the Jainist, the Catholic and the Confucian,
implore you to stay awhile with us
so we may learn by your shimmering light
how to look beyond complexion and see community.

It is Christmas time, a halting time of hate time.
On this platform of peace, we can create a language
to translate ourselves to ourselves and to each other.
At this Holy Instant, we celebrate the Birth of Jesus Christ

Into the great religions of the world.
We jubilate the precious advent of trust.
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.

Choir - Carol for Advent

Carol - The First Noel

Choir - Lo How A Rose

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 taken place, 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.

Choir/Congregation - Hames um Bole / Silent Night

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.

Benediction ~ 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.

Choir - Alleluia Chaconne

Musical Monday: Leave Her, Johnny

Happy Christmas Eve.

Here's the last of these for Advent, a song of coming home and leaving ship.

Hope you have enjoyed these songs of the sea.

Blessings,

Joel

Leave her, Johnny

Oh the times was hard and the wages low
Leave her, Johnny, leave her
And the grub was bad and the gales did blow
And it's time for us to leave her

Leave her, Johnny, leave her
Oh, leave her, Johnny, leave her
For the voyage is done and the winds do blow
And it's time for us to leave her

I thought I heard the Old Man say
You can go ashore and take your pay

Oh her stern was foul and the voyage was long
The winds was bad and the gales was strong

And we'll leave her tight and we'll leave her trim
And heave the hungry packet in

Oh, leave her, Johnny, leave her with a grin
For there's many a worser we've sailed in

And now it's time to say goodbye
For the old pierhead's a-drawing nigh
(lyrics posted at Shanties and Sea Songs)

Theological Friday: Reflections for the 4th Sunday in Advent

Revised Common Lectionary readings for the 4th Sunday in Advent:

Micah 5:2-5a; Luke 1:46b-55 or Psalm 80:1-7; Hebrews 10:5-10; Luke 1:39-45, (46-55)

Here's a little apocalyptic weather humor for you (ala Facebook, of course):

On a more serious note, notice how Mary's Magnificat is "apocalyptic" in its own way?

"God's mercy is for those who fear God from generation to generation.
God has shown strength with God's arm, God has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
God has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly;
God has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.
God has helped God's servant Israel, in remembrance of God's mercy,
according to the promise God made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever." (Luke 1:50-55)

Mary proclaims a world turned on her head. Our expectations for what success means, for who has the power, for the way things really work on a cosmic level are turned up side down. And is that not apocalyptic in it's own right?

No wonder Mary (the Theotokos) is always presented to one side of the iconostasis (screen separating the nave from the sanctuary) in Orthodox churches. Mary Theotokos is often to just the left of the door to the sanctuary. She is a powerful prophetic figure herself: full of strength, courage, and the Spirit of God.

We could go on about how God just as often comes "under" our expectations as come "above" them. We might be expecting a new political leader to deliver us from turmoil, and God delivers us (with Mary's help) a child - who needs nurturing, compassion, and guidance.

One more point I want to mention regard Jesus' birth - although we're getting ahead of ourselves as far as the story goes. The other day, someone mentioned that Jesus' birth stories reminded him of stories about various Roman Emperors births. I strongly believe that Jesus' birth stories are to remind us of Roman Emperor birth stories. They are True in the sense that all stories share Truth, in that sense they work beyond a sense of fact. Rather, these birth stories start to ask us, "Who is the True Emperor, the True Ruler of the Cosmos?" The answer, I think we know.

Blessed Be,

Joel

Sustainable Wednesday: Examples

This week I present some examples of people who have chosen to live a simpler lifestyle for their own betterment, and the betterment of the world around them. Some of these examples might seem a bit extreme. I will readily admit that there are one or two here that I'm not willing to practice at this point in my life, if ever. However, as I have reflected upon these examples, I have learned something about myself, the culture I live within, and in some strange way been inspired by all of them. All of these examples also show a certain creative bent to look at the problems facing themselves as individuals and coming up with their own solutions to meet their own needs. These are also just people, like you and me. They are but some of many who are trying to create a lifestyle in which their beliefs match their actions. All of these examples having me examining my own life, and my own lifestyle choices.
That is my hope for you as well. Where are your cutting edges? Where and how are you putting your faith and beliefs into practice?

Blessed Be,

Joel

Examples:

These are in no particular order, although I have moved from a land based lifestyle to an ocean/sea based lifestyle (interspersed with one that is both).

Dr. Jackie Benton* is a doctor who is also a long time civil rights and peace activist. Due to her belief in healing, compassion, and peace, she does what she can to avoid paying war taxes. This has led her to living on a few acres in North Carolina. Here she practices permaculture on about 5 percent of her land. She lives in a 12 x 12 foot house with no electricity, running water, etc. According to North Carolina laws, anything larger than a 12 x 12 is taxed (the majority of which go towards war efforts). In the meantime, she works as a doctor at a nearby hospital, insisting that they only pay her $11,000 rather than the six figure income her experience would dictate. In this way she also avoids paying the "war taxes". Her goal is to live with the carbon footprint of a Bangladeshi.

• See William Powers. Twelve-by-Twelve: a One-Room Cabin Off the Grid & Beyond the American Dream. New World Library. 2010. This is mainly the story about the author's own journey. *Dr. J Benton asked Powers to change her name to help protect her privacy, which he did.

Erik Andrus is a Vermont farmer who is concerned about the sustainability of the food/agricultural system, in particular the resiliency of such systems. How to connect his farm with the lower Hudson River Valley? How did our ancestors do so? Will it still work for us? The Vermont Sail Freight Project is the result.  Andrus writes:

The Vermont Sail Freight Project originated out of our farm’s commitment to resilient food systems.  Producing food sustainably is not enough.  The other half is sustainable transport of goods to market and equitable exchange.  A good portion of the damage conventional agriculture does to society and the environment is through our overblown, corporation-dominated distribution systems.  The idea of a small, producer-owned craft sailing goods to market, perhaps even a distant market, is an alternative to this system, and one which has served our region well in the past.

They are currently still in process, but have linked up with the Willowell Foundation.

• Visit their blog to stay tuned with this project: http://vermontsailfreightproject.wordpress.com/

Teresa Carey quit her job in 2008, moved aboard her 27 foot boat with her cat. For two years she traveled up and down the eastern coast of the United States pursuing what simple living meant for her. She wrote about these experiences in her blog. Since that time, Teresa has gotten married, sold her boat, and put together a film "One Simple Question" (about two people's quest to find an iceberg).

• You can find out more about Teresa's journey at her Blog: Sailing, Simplicity and the Pursuit of Happiness and their movie at One Simple Question.

Daniel Suelo is the man who eventually quit money in 2000 by depositing his life-savings (all $30 of it) in a phone both walking away. His journey has been one of radical trust. Damien Nash, a good friend of Daniel's, writes a review for Amazon. I'll let you read Mark Sundeen's account to find out more about this remarkable man and how his life changed over time.

• Sundeen, Mark. The Man Who Quit Money. Riverhead Trade, 2012.

Anke Wagner and Dave Zeiger have lived aboard at least three flat bottomed boats in the Pacific Northwest (USA/Canada) and Alaska (where they now reside). The advantage flat bottomed boats is that they can dry out on tide flats. Here is how they answered a FAQ about financing their lifestyle:

Cheap seems to be a theme, with you — how do you finance your lifestyle?

     At present, the general theme is to invest the money we don’t earn in free time. Thousands of dollars not earned equals hundreds of hours free to do whatever we please.

On the demand side, we try to keep our overheads low. Enginelessness, wood fuel, bulk food buys and wild foods, minimal rent (occasionally at the dock in towns), dryout (vs. haulout), inherent exercise and "social distancing" (we’re seldom ill) all help. But, dost think because thou art virtuous, there shall be no cakes and ale (or wine, chocolate, DVD rental, pizza, etc.)? We travel once every three or four years to Europe (visiting Anke’s family and friends), which swallows a year’s budget with ease. Altogether, we’ve been averaging about $6,000 per year over twenty years (includes intermittent boat building). We keep thinking that’ll drop when the "last boat" is built and equipped.

Supply side, we are fortunate to have the AK Permanent Fund Dividend, which puts a variable, but always hefty wad into our pocket ($1000 to $1700 per person per year, depending on market conditions). The rest we make up with occasional odd-jobs (and/or a major one every ten years or so).

I’m working on designing boats for sale (www.triloboats.com) and writing a novel, along with several other hopeful generators of micro-streams of income. Our goals are to afford catastrophic health insurance and move toward establishing a cash/cache/capital financial basis.

Dave and Anke are concerned about sustainability, and try live a sustainable lifestyle. "In the long run, we hope to achieve about 90% subsistant lifestyle. We're trying to solve the starchy carb challenge (not much local bulk). The remaining 10% is composed of exotics, such as chocolate, coffee, eggs and cheeses, wine and spices."

• You can find a website about their previous two boats here: Zoon and Loon. The above quoted link brings you to their own website with their latest boat, or their blog.

Musical Monday: Strike the Bell

We continue with our Advent fun of posting some sea shanties. Enjoy this connection to those who have gone to sea before us. And in this case - be glad your not pumping, pumping, pumping and waiting for your watch to end so you can go below! In the meantime, lift a prayer for those at sea with the glass falling.

Blessed Be

Joel

Lyrics:

Strike the Bell - a pumping shanty

Aft on the poopdeck
  Walking about
There is the second mate
  So sturdy and so stout
What he is thinking of
  He only knows himself
Oh, we wish that he would hurry up
  And strike, strike the bell

Strike the bell, second mate
Let us go below
Look away to windward
You can see it's going to blow
Look at the glass
You can see that it is fell
We wish the you would hurry up
And strike, strike the bell

Down on the maindeck
  Working at the pumps
There is the larboard watch
  Ready for their bunks
Over to windward
  They see a great swell
They're wishing that the second mate
  Would strike, strike the bell

Aft at the wheel
  Poor Anderson stands
Grasping the spokes
  In his cold, mittened hands
Looking at the compass
  The coarse is clear as hell
He's wishing that the second mate
  Would strike, strike the bell

For'ad in the fo'c'sle head
  Keeping sharp lookout
There is Johnny standing
  Ready for to shout
"Lights' burning bright, sir
  And everything is well"
He's wishing that the second mate
  Would strike, strike the bell

Aft the quarterdeck
  The gallant captain stands
Looking to windward
  With his glasses in his hand
What he is thinking of
  We know very well
He's thinking more of shortening sail
  Than strike, strike the bell

Theological Friday: Reflections for the 3rd Sunday in Advent

The lectionary reading for the 3rd Sunday in Advent: Zephaniah 3:14-20; Isaiah 12:2-6 (Psalm); Philippians 4:4-7; Luke 3:7-18.

What shall we do?
Bear Fruit!
How?
Rejoice!
Sing!
Shout!
Give away.
Be content.
Share.

This weeks readings seem to be filled with actions, or with people wanting to know what action they should take.

I have long held that it is easier to "believe" than it is to "follow" or to "act," especially on that belief.

During this Holiday time we, as a culture, are reminded of those in need. We act in such ways to help them - to provide succor: giving trees; food baskets; and supporting our food, clothing, and homeless shelters. And we often do so with out any recognition - as a true gift. In that way we act like St. Nicholas. But what about the rest of the year?

How do these Sustainable Wednesdays encourage us to act?
Do they invite us into the Kingdom / Kin-dom of God? In what ways?

Again, the fiery John the Baptist reminds us that we are connected. And that while we wait for the one who will baptize us with fire, there are things to be done.

This is one of the reasons I placed the reflection about the global potluck as this week's Sustainable Wednesday reflection. What is enough? How much do we need? These are questions that you cannot answer for me, just as I cannot answer for you. Rather, each of us can point to examples of others who have reached a point of "enoughness." We can each remember times in our own lives in which we, even if briefly, reached "enoughness," too.

Next week's Sustainable Wednesday, I plan on highlighting some people who have been examples of living out a sustainable life-style. You can decide if they are reminders of the nearness of God's Kin-dom.

Blessed Be

Joel