Good Morning Bethlehem Trekkers,
So much this holy-day season is here to bring us joy. But I also know that so much else is here to rob us of that joy. A few weeks ago I didn’t know whether to laugh or be greatly concerned when I heard about a church who, after several years of someone stealing the baby Jesus from their outdoor Nativity Scene, attached a GPS to the baby Jesus. But every year somebody out of guilt or simply a silly prank, returned him to his rightful place on Christmas Eve. Maybe the would-be Grinch was like some of the rest of us who know quite well that you don’t put the baby Jesus in the manger until Christmas Eve! :) I take heart in the idea that the thief even knew that the baby Jesus was important enough to steal it in the first place.
Last Sunday, everyone present, received God’s gift of joy through the music of our Christmas Cantata. Joy was on the faces of those who played, sang and directed as well as on the faces of those who were privileged with hearing the beautiful music. Joy was there in the giving and the receiving. Sometimes though, joy doesn’t come to us as readily. Joy is oftentimes elusive. We seem to only brush up against joy —almost as if we were being teased with it; as if we were only flirting with experiencing joy. And so as we make our way to Bethlehem, we are greatly encouraged to be on the lookout for joy, along with hope, peace & love, as we focus our prayers and thoughts and meditations on what these gifts mean to our lives.
So often we set ourselves up. We don’t mean to, but we raise the bar so high on what we expect to get from this special time of year. We fall so deeply into the seductive trappings of the season that we diminish for ourselves, or we completely miss, the depth and the mystery of Christmas. And I think some the elusiveness of joy is because of our tendency to confuse joy with happiness.
A dear woman from my past, Frances, said it best, “Happiness is fleeting; it can come and go in your life. But joy is what you feel deep down inside your very soul.” “At its root,” writes Sam Purdum, “Joy is a testimony of the heart.” Joy is a gift and with all gifts, we must learn to be gracious receivers—to receive God’s grace—to receive God’s joy—to allow joy to enter your life— Joy comes from knowing that no matter what comes our way, God will make all things right—somehow and for better or worse, in God’s own time. But I also know when we allow God to enter our experiences, God is right on time…
In the midst of the “stuff” of life, we must get a grip on trusting and believing that we are really on our way to something far better and more wonderful than we can ever imagine—all because God loves us this much—all because our faith journey, our moving into God’s future, will be all that God desires for us…The joy in our song, the joy in our soul, allows us to drink from the well of God’s love, God’s joy, supplying and re-supplying all that we could ever need; all that allows us to never to hunger or thirst again.
When Paul told the Philippians “Rejoice always; again I say rejoice!” he wasn’t simply telling them, “Don’t worry; be happy…Put on a happy face.” He was telling them to allow themselves to enter into the joy that God has for them—to be open to experiencing the joy that fills life to overflowing of anyone who is in Christ Jesus. And the evidence of such a joy-filled faith comes to us from Jesus himself, when he spoke of joy during the Last Supper when he told his closest friends he would soon be crucified- hardly a time of joy for those hearing these words: “Abide in me as I abide in you…Abide in my love…I have said these things to you so that MY joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.” (John 15:4, 9-10)
Joy to the World! Joy to you! Blessings, Joanne
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
The Children
Good Morning Bethlehem Trekkers,
Stars! Angels! Shepherds & Sheep! Lion & Lamb! Crèche! Trees, Wreaths & Garlands! Candles! This time of year offers us so many rich images to capture the meaning and message of this sacred season. And of course there are also so many stories and legends that are now entrenched into the customs of Christmas. A Christmas without Grinch? Without George Bailey and his Wonderful Life? Without a trip down 54th Street? Without Charlie Brown’s Christmas? Without the bright nose of Rudolph? Without the Bah-Humbugs of Ebeneezer Scrooge? How empty my Christmas heart would be!
And for sure my Christmas would be more devoid of meaning and happiness if I couldn’t share this wonderful time through the eyes of the children in my life. Think about it…of course the lists to Santa are so very long and most items are more than just wishful thinking…then there are the messy kitchens filled with cookie baking and making gingerbread houses…the most creative efforts of wrapping presents…the Christmas trees that are heavy-laden with ornaments at the bottom and in the front…the playful ways of keeping secrets about that special gift for Mom or Dad or someone else dear…the squeals of delight at the simplest of things…the singing of Christmas songs with their own interpretation as they sound out the words…and most of all, the light and wonder in their eyes as they take in all that is happening around them…of course I’m intentionally leaving out their tears and tantrums that also are the reality of children (and some adults :) ), most especially this time of year!
During our Hanging of the Greens Service last Sunday, the children were certainly front and center-stage as we began to decorate the sanctuary. When they brought in the poinsettias there was such joy on their faces…they had been asked to help us decorate and they were so proud…so determined to get it right…and then as they helped put the ornaments on the tree, the older ones reaching as high as they could and the younger placing them on the first available branch before them…
…And then after all this came the attempt to settle into the Children’s Moment about none other than, PEACE…as they declared that peace was when everyone gets along; peace is the word that goes with quiet; when everything is calm…and as they were given olive shells…a symbol of peace…a bit of whining followed: “This one’s cracked…this one has stuff in it; she got a bigger one than this; his is prettier than this one—can I have another? And then in the spirit of sharing, one little voice whispered, “Can I get two? One for my baby brother?”
And who could have possibly anticipated the “Burp heard ‘round the Church” as the first word of litany of the lighting of the Peace Candle was barely out of the leader’s mouth? No it didn’t come from the leader; it came from an infant among us who had just finished his mid-morning feeding. Some burst out laughing immediately; some giggled while others shifted in their seats; and before long, the room was overflowing with laughter and we began a “do-over.”
And the recovery was well on its way as we were about to hear the scripture reading for the candle lighting. and if on cue, a child in the congregation began loudly crying. Talk about “…a voice crying out…In the wilderness…” We couldn’t have asked for better stage direction! :)
If there were those among us who were anticipating a solemn assembly for the Hanging of the Greens service, I know they must have left feeling a bit empty; but for those among us who come to worship with eager anticipation of God’s surprises, I know you left filled to the brim with the joy of this holy time as we enjoyed the presence of God’s Spirit and one another…
Truly we experienced the truth of the prophet Isaiah: “The wolf shall live with the lamb; the leopard shall lie down with the kid…and a little child shall lead them…”
Blessings, Joanne
Stars! Angels! Shepherds & Sheep! Lion & Lamb! Crèche! Trees, Wreaths & Garlands! Candles! This time of year offers us so many rich images to capture the meaning and message of this sacred season. And of course there are also so many stories and legends that are now entrenched into the customs of Christmas. A Christmas without Grinch? Without George Bailey and his Wonderful Life? Without a trip down 54th Street? Without Charlie Brown’s Christmas? Without the bright nose of Rudolph? Without the Bah-Humbugs of Ebeneezer Scrooge? How empty my Christmas heart would be!
And for sure my Christmas would be more devoid of meaning and happiness if I couldn’t share this wonderful time through the eyes of the children in my life. Think about it…of course the lists to Santa are so very long and most items are more than just wishful thinking…then there are the messy kitchens filled with cookie baking and making gingerbread houses…the most creative efforts of wrapping presents…the Christmas trees that are heavy-laden with ornaments at the bottom and in the front…the playful ways of keeping secrets about that special gift for Mom or Dad or someone else dear…the squeals of delight at the simplest of things…the singing of Christmas songs with their own interpretation as they sound out the words…and most of all, the light and wonder in their eyes as they take in all that is happening around them…of course I’m intentionally leaving out their tears and tantrums that also are the reality of children (and some adults :) ), most especially this time of year!
During our Hanging of the Greens Service last Sunday, the children were certainly front and center-stage as we began to decorate the sanctuary. When they brought in the poinsettias there was such joy on their faces…they had been asked to help us decorate and they were so proud…so determined to get it right…and then as they helped put the ornaments on the tree, the older ones reaching as high as they could and the younger placing them on the first available branch before them…
…And then after all this came the attempt to settle into the Children’s Moment about none other than, PEACE…as they declared that peace was when everyone gets along; peace is the word that goes with quiet; when everything is calm…and as they were given olive shells…a symbol of peace…a bit of whining followed: “This one’s cracked…this one has stuff in it; she got a bigger one than this; his is prettier than this one—can I have another? And then in the spirit of sharing, one little voice whispered, “Can I get two? One for my baby brother?”
And who could have possibly anticipated the “Burp heard ‘round the Church” as the first word of litany of the lighting of the Peace Candle was barely out of the leader’s mouth? No it didn’t come from the leader; it came from an infant among us who had just finished his mid-morning feeding. Some burst out laughing immediately; some giggled while others shifted in their seats; and before long, the room was overflowing with laughter and we began a “do-over.”
And the recovery was well on its way as we were about to hear the scripture reading for the candle lighting. and if on cue, a child in the congregation began loudly crying. Talk about “…a voice crying out…In the wilderness…” We couldn’t have asked for better stage direction! :)
If there were those among us who were anticipating a solemn assembly for the Hanging of the Greens service, I know they must have left feeling a bit empty; but for those among us who come to worship with eager anticipation of God’s surprises, I know you left filled to the brim with the joy of this holy time as we enjoyed the presence of God’s Spirit and one another…
Truly we experienced the truth of the prophet Isaiah: “The wolf shall live with the lamb; the leopard shall lie down with the kid…and a little child shall lead them…”
Blessings, Joanne
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Delayed Gratification
Good Morning All,
Anticipation! Promise! Preparation! Waiting! Wonder! Mystery! These are just a few of the watchwords that set the Advent stage for us… Advent begins the Church year for us as Christians. Advent also flows into the natural rhythm of late fall and the onset of winter. Nature is preparing for the deep sleep of winter; fluffing her pillow and snuggling underneath her warm, thick quilt; anticipating a long, winter’s nap.
Winter is known for its darkness yet it continues its work hidden beneath the ground. And in the midst of this shroud of mystery, Advent comes. Together Advent and winter invite us to long in hope as we anticipate the return of more sunlight and the birth of the Word made Flesh. Can you feel the power in this combined effort? Advent and Nature…Nature and Advent.
It’s a power that stirs deep within us…hidden, yet somehow known, as it rumbles around in our hearts and minds. We long to be embraced by the Holy; we long for our lives to be different in some way; we long for the world to be different... Advent is a season of reflection… remembering the people and events that have shaped our lives, most recently as well as in years gone by; people and events, both joy-filled and sad. And we wait…we wait in hope…knowing and believing that the Light of the World is coming…a time of true joy as the Light of the World dispels any and all sadness.
Some folks want to equate waiting with wasting…and we can indeed waste time in our waiting. But nature reminds us that everything comes in due season and waiting to its fullness makes all the difference to our sense of wholeness and well being. Gertrud Mueller Nelson, in her book, To Dance with God, reminds us that “a shortened period of incubation brings forth what is not whole or strong or at times even alive. Brewing, baking, simmering, fermenting, ripening, germinating, gestating are the processes of becoming and are symbolic states of being which belong in a life of value, necessary to transformation.”
While waiting is not often a welcomed guest in our lives, maybe the best gift we can give ourselves is to give waiting a new look…to dress it up a bit; maybe top it off with a bright red bow; so that we may better appreciate the power and purpose that waiting brings us. After all, isn’t it instant gratification that usually gets us in trouble or diminishes the act?
As we make our way to Bethlehem , let’s give a cheer to delayed gratification…feeling its power; seeking ways that bring meaning to our lives and purpose to our days; longing to experience the mystery of this sacred time… waiting in hope for the birth of the Christ Child…
Blessings, Joanne
Anticipation! Promise! Preparation! Waiting! Wonder! Mystery! These are just a few of the watchwords that set the Advent stage for us… Advent begins the Church year for us as Christians. Advent also flows into the natural rhythm of late fall and the onset of winter. Nature is preparing for the deep sleep of winter; fluffing her pillow and snuggling underneath her warm, thick quilt; anticipating a long, winter’s nap.
Winter is known for its darkness yet it continues its work hidden beneath the ground. And in the midst of this shroud of mystery, Advent comes. Together Advent and winter invite us to long in hope as we anticipate the return of more sunlight and the birth of the Word made Flesh. Can you feel the power in this combined effort? Advent and Nature…Nature and Advent.
It’s a power that stirs deep within us…hidden, yet somehow known, as it rumbles around in our hearts and minds. We long to be embraced by the Holy; we long for our lives to be different in some way; we long for the world to be different... Advent is a season of reflection… remembering the people and events that have shaped our lives, most recently as well as in years gone by; people and events, both joy-filled and sad. And we wait…we wait in hope…knowing and believing that the Light of the World is coming…a time of true joy as the Light of the World dispels any and all sadness.
Some folks want to equate waiting with wasting…and we can indeed waste time in our waiting. But nature reminds us that everything comes in due season and waiting to its fullness makes all the difference to our sense of wholeness and well being. Gertrud Mueller Nelson, in her book, To Dance with God, reminds us that “a shortened period of incubation brings forth what is not whole or strong or at times even alive. Brewing, baking, simmering, fermenting, ripening, germinating, gestating are the processes of becoming and are symbolic states of being which belong in a life of value, necessary to transformation.”
While waiting is not often a welcomed guest in our lives, maybe the best gift we can give ourselves is to give waiting a new look…to dress it up a bit; maybe top it off with a bright red bow; so that we may better appreciate the power and purpose that waiting brings us. After all, isn’t it instant gratification that usually gets us in trouble or diminishes the act?
As we make our way to Bethlehem , let’s give a cheer to delayed gratification…feeling its power; seeking ways that bring meaning to our lives and purpose to our days; longing to experience the mystery of this sacred time… waiting in hope for the birth of the Christ Child…
Blessings, Joanne
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