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Notes from sermon for Christmas Eve

January 5, 2009 in Adventy, Poetry, Poverty, Preachy, Snappy, Story | Leave a comment

Blessed art thou,

O Christmas Christ,

that thy cradle was so low

that shepherds,

poorest and simplest of earthly folk,

could yet kneel beside it,

and look level-eyed into the face of God. (Anon)

From a story told by a colleague working with churches in Latin America. One farmer said: ‘A single star for the well born and wealthy wise men compared with a whole host of glorious singing angels on the hillside to warm and welcome the poor and scruffy shepherds. That’s how we know how much God loves the poor. He gives them his very best.’

Written on 24th December 1974 by Oscar Romero: ‘No-one can celebrate Christmas without being truly poor. The self-sufficient, the proud, those who have no need even of God – for them there will be no Christmas. Only the poor, the hungry, those who need someone to come on their behalf, will have that someone. That someone is God, Emmanuel, God with us. Without poverty of spirit there can be no abundance of God.’

Seen for the first time 24th December 1968 from Apollo 8 as the spacecraft looked for possible future landing sites, and giving us something to marvel at, and something to worry about. ‘The most important environmental picture ever taken.’

earthrise7gif1

Now playing Barry Louis Polisar: All I Want

Bethlehem Ancient and Modern

January 3, 2009 in Adventy, Arty, Globally, Story | 1 comment

From a longer letter on how Bethlehem is today, posted here.

The narrative of the Nativity has a universal resonance. It has proved the inspiration for great art. There are few people, whatever their age or status in life, immune to the story of a family, living in an occupied land, rejected by the powerful, ultimately finding sanctuary among the lowliest, and, through the birth of their child, opening a path of hope for the future. However, as a Jewish dissident, I find the silence of the majority of Christians about the situation in ‘The Little Town of Bethlehem’, particularly at Christmas, difficult to fathom.

In many ways the Israeli occupier is worse than the Romans. At least the wise men could reach the child. Today they would be turned back. No family would be able to get into the town without passing guards, checkpoints and walls.

Currently listening to Sarah McLachlan Song for a Winter’s Night

Christmas creed

January 3, 2009 in Adventy, Liturgy | Leave a comment

A Christmas Creed

I believe in Jesus Christ and in the beauty of the gospel begun in Bethlehem.

I believe in the one whose spirit glorified a little town: and whose spirit still brings music to people all over the world, in towns large and small.

I believe in the one for whom the crowded inn could find no room, and I confess that me heart still has insufficient room for all that He wants to do in my life today.

I believe in the one who the rulers of the earth ignored and the proud could never understand; whose life was among commoners, whose welcome came from the people of hungry hearts.

I beleive in the one who proclaimed the love of God to be invincible.

I believe in the one whose cradle was a mother’s arms, whose modest home in Nazareth had love for its only wealth, who looked at people and made them see what God’s love saw in them, who by love brought sinners back to purity, and lifted human weakness to meet the strength of God.

I confess my ever-lasting need of God: the need of forgiveness for our selfishness and greed, the need of new life for empty souls, the need of love for hearts grown cold.

I believe in God who gives the best of himself.

I believe in Jesus, the son of the living God, born in Bethlehem for me and for the world.

Amen

Said together in our church this Christmas.

Currently listening to Kate Rusby: Who Knows Where the Time Goes

Prisoner of hope

January 18, 2008 in Adventy, Liturgy, Wordy | Leave a comment

‘The categories of optimism and pessimism don’t exist for me because I am a prisoner of hope’ Cornel West (who might or might not have been commenting on the American political process). Being imprisoned by hope isn’t a bad way to start the new year. It also helped to finish the year in looking at the Magnificat, and Mary being imprisoned by hope of a bigger story.

Mary’s Song

And Mary said:
“My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.
His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
to Abraham and his descendants forever,
even as he said to our fathers.”

Luke 1
We said the Magnificat most days of the week in college chapel and it’s one of the first things I remember remembering as someone new to the stuff of Christian hope.

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Now playing: Findlay Brown – Come Home
via FoxyTunes

358 days to go – Upside Down Christmas Trees

January 5, 2007 in Adventy, Bizarrely, Materially | Leave a comment

As a favour to a friend who has dial up and not broadband I promised to post this picture as he doubted my prophecy. I give you: Next Big Thing for Christmas – the Upside Down Christmas Tree.

The Upside Down Christmas Tree (arbre de parapluie for our French readers) is popular in the US as it saves space, decorations can be better displayed, it’s a conversation starter, and the killer application, you can get more presents and bigger gifts under your tree. Don’t know how we managed before.

There are 358 days of turbo-consumerism left to get a tree. I think there are pre-lit versions for the extra busy.

Here endeth the prophecy.