“We live in a time when we are largely disconnected from the gifts of the earth’s cycles, rhythms, and seasons, which have so much wisdom to offer us about the nature of change.”
— Christine Valters Paintner, PhD Water, Wind, Earth, & Fire: The Practice of Praying with the Elements
The sun has set and the Vesper Lights flicker and glow
Is it already the 19th of December?
In the midst of the season
Help us to pause and reflect
Help us to focus on the Spirit’s call
Help me to Be Still
Help me to listen
Help me to simply Be
Now as my eyelids grow heavy
I lift this humble prayer to you
Dona Nobis Pacem
Grant Us Peace
A wee prayer from the heart of your Padre…
As I spent the day in preparation
As I contemplated the days ahead
I thought of Blue Christmas
A time for those who don’t feel festive
A time for those who are mourning
I thought of the days ahead
The last Sunday of Advent
Two days later, Christmas Eve
In the midst of it all
We can lose sight of Christ’s Mission
We can lose sight of the origins of this celebration
Howard Thurman helps me to reframe
Hear his words about The Singing of Angels in his book, The Mood of Christmas.
Stripped bare of art forms and liturgy, the literal substance of the story remains, Jesus Christ was born in a stable, he was born of humble parentage in surroundings that are the common lot of those who earn their living by the sweat of their brows. Nothing can rob the common {man or woman} of this heritage–when they behold Jesus, they see in him the possibilities of life even for the humblest and such a dramatic resolution of the meaning of God…
The diplomats, the politicians, the statesmen, the lords of business and religion will never bring peace in the world.
Christmas is so much more than a Hallmark movie. It is even more than worship services. Christmas is about the coming of the Prince of Peace. Christmas is about being instruments of that peace.
May we embrace and become that radical peace and love which our Lord calls us to be.
“Br. David [Steidnl-Rast, O.S.B.) was a young Austrian teenager during World War II. He witnessed much destruction and death. He never expected to survive the war. And so when he did, he was faced with a choice: to continue to live in fear of death or to see each moment of life as a blessing to be seized and appreciated. We, too, have that same choice each moment. Will we miss the blessings or will we see, and be, the blessing?”
— John Valters Paintner, MTS The Soul’s Slow Ripening: 12 Celtic Practices for Seeking the Sacred
The sun has set and the Vesper Lights flicker and glow
As Christmas draws closer
As the Advent Pilgrimage continues
I have so much to be thankful for
Thank you for an opportunity for study and reflection
Thank you for our tremendous church staff
Thank you for a wonderful evening of fellowship and music
Now as my eyelids grow heavy
I lift this humble prayer to you
Dona Nobis Pacem
Grant Us Peace
A wee prayer from the heart of your Padre…
“The body loves slowness. Slowness creates more space for greening to enter our being, allowing us to experience the lushness of the body. Of course, the contemplative loves slowness as well. For me, the heart of the contemplative path is slowing down and paying attention, becoming fully present. When we get anxious we become disconnected from ourselves; our thoughts start to race and grasp. When we are always running from one thing to another, we lose ourselves and a fundamental connection to the body.”
— Christine Valters Paintner, PhD The Wisdom of the Body: A Contemplative Journey to Wholeness for Women
I have been thinking a lot about Christmas
Even in the midst of the Advent Pilgrimage
It is so easy to get caught up in the hype
It is so easy to lose your way
It can be difficult when you don’t feel particularly joyful
It isn’t easy when you are mourning
Yet I am reminded once again as I journey with Howard Thurman
What is Christmas? Howard Thurman shares these words
This Is Christmas
The evergreen singing aloud its poem of constant renewal,
The festive mood spreading lilting magic everywhere,
The gifts of recollection calling to heart the graces of life,
The star in the sky calling to mind the wisdom of hope,
The warmth of candlelight glowing against the darkness,
The birth of a child linking past to future,
The symbol of love absorbing all violence.
THIS IS CHRISTMAS.
As I continue to read Thurman’s book, The Mood of Christmas & Other Celebrations, I feel the Spirit’s nudging to look at the season differently.
His closing words describing Christmas continue to resonate in my soul. The symbol of love absorbing all violence.
To quote John Lennon, “So this is Christmas…”
May it be so, loving God, may it be so…
Verse of the day
Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground. – Psalm 143:10 (NIV)
Voice of the day
The opposite of poverty isn’t wealth. The opposite of poverty is justice. – Bryan Stevenson
Prayer of the day
God, in this season of celebration and abundance, keep our hearts mindful of our siblings who are without. Let our hearts be set not only on meeting material needs, but eradicating the systems that maintain poverty and economic oppression. Amen.
The sun has set and the Vesper Lights flicker and glow
You give us reminders, Lord
Reminders each and every day
Reminders of your presence in our midst
Sadly we are too often distracted by the world
The noise overwhelms our senses
We miss your quiet presence
Yet you are patient with us, gracious God
You are always looking for moments
Looking for opportunities to speak to our hearts
Help us to simply Be Still
Be Still even in the midst of the chaos
Be Still and know that you are God
The night has come
The noise of the world is somewhat quiet
Speak Lord, for your Servant is listening
Show us the way
The way to share your light and your love
In the midst of it all, I lift this humble prayer to you
Dona Nobis Pacem
Grant Us Peace
A wee prayer from the heart of your Padre…
Today I was preparing for tonight’s Session (Church Board Meeting)… I was also putting the finishing touches on the Blue Christmas Service this Saturday at 5pm. It was a crazy busy day and before I knew it I had to rush to the Good Samaritan Village Senior Living Center for a Communion Service.
As I wondered what to share with the residents, it hit me… so much gets lost in the season of Christmas, let alone Advent. It hit me… the light and love of the season can sometimes be hard to find.
So I shared with them John 1:1-5 — In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
Sometimes in the midst of it all, we need to slow down, Be Still, and let the light of Christ shine and guide us.
That led me to Howard Thurman’s reflection on the true meaning of Christmas. — The true meaning of Christmas is expressed in the sharing of one’s graces in a world in which it is so easy to become callous, insensitive, and hard. Once this spirit becomes part of an {individual’s} life, every day is Christmas, and every night is freighted with anticipation of the dawning of fresh, and perhaps holy, adventure.
I’m not sure who needed this message more… the worshippers or this Padre… food for thought for each one of us, dear reader…
