Tag Archives: Christmas

December 25, 2014 · 10:45 am

Prayer for Christmas

God of life and God of hope,
we give you thanks and praise this night
as we gather to remember the birth of Jesus
who came as a witness to grace,
who proclaimed peace
did justice
lived love
and walked humbly with you.

In his name, we pray for peace and healing
wherever your world is broken,
wherever violence and injustice reign
wherever your children are in pain.
We ask that we might follow Jesus faithfully
and so become answers to our prayers
for peace on earth,
goodwill for all people,
and wholeness and wellbeing for all creation.
Amen.

Originally written 2009

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November 29, 2014 · 10:55 am

Advent starts at 12:01 AM (EST in the U.S.A.)

Lion and lambAdvent begins on Sunday, a time of preparation and waiting. In conversations with my son about a discipline we plan to practice together, we decided to make 12:01 AM (EST in the U.S.A.) our starting moment. That may not be liturgically sound. But it is what we choose.

What is sound, and more than sound, as a way to enter the Advent season is to read Advent/Darkness, a post by Christina Cleveland. Here are a couple of excerpts to encourage you to read her whole post:

… Advent isn’t about our best world, it’s about our worst world. …

… But we do the Light a disservice when we underestimate the darkness. Jesus entered a world plagued not only by the darkness of individual pain and sin, but also by the darkness of systemic oppression. Jesus’ people, the Hebrews, were a subjugated people living as exiles in their own land; among other things, they were silenced, targets of police brutality, and exploitatively taxed. …

… Advent is an invitation to plunge into the deep, dark waters of our worst world, knowing that when we re-surface for air we will encounter the hopeful, hovering Spirit of God …

Read Advent/Darkness, re-read, ponder, and pray.

I wish you a holy Advent and a blessed Christmas.

See you along the Trail.

 

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June 12, 2014 · 8:27 pm

Fed – 12 June 2014

2012-11-30_14.32.04 (600x800)

30 November 2012
Staff Pre-Christmas Party
Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations
Caritas Internationalis
Manhattan, New York

 

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May 17, 2014 · 7:22 pm

Purple flowers, Central Park 12

IMG_4603 (800x532)

Knowing my deep appreciation for Central Park,
Tricia gave me the Christmas present of
tulips planted in the park in my name.
Today I found one.
A purple one.

17 May 2014
Central Park
Manhattan, New York

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December 24, 2013 · 11:48 am

Merry? Christmas

I woke up this morning with “Merry Christmas” on my mind. I have said and written and read the words many times through the years. Lately, I have found myself wondering whether “merry” conveys enough meaning for the day we celebrate the birth of Jesus. I turned to the online Oxford Dictionaries to learn more about the word. While I will probably do some further research, here’s what I found:

merry

Syllabification: (mer·ry)
Pronunciation: /ˈmerē/

adjective (merrier, merriest)

  • cheerful and lively: the narrow streets were dense with merry throngs of students; a merry grin
  • (of an occasion or season) characterized by festivity and rejoicing: he wished me a merry Christmas
  • British informal slightly and good-humoredly drunk: after the third bottle of beer he began to feel quite merry

Lion and lambLively works. It points to the life, the new life, the full and abundant life, that breaks into the world at Christmas.

Rejoicing works. The birth of Jesus brings great joy. Festivity? Christmas is a festival of the church. Festivity picks up on the dimensions of joy.

The third definition, not so much. It does bring the story of the first Pentecost to mind. It’s not completely out of the

Merry Christmas, wishing life and joy works. But I wonder if there might be other ways to express the greetings of the day and season that plumb more meanings and point to other dimensions:

  • Christmas blessings
  • Blessed Christmas
  • May the joy, hope, peace, and love of Christmas be yours
  • May justice roll at Christmas
  • Peaceful Christmas
  • Peace-filled Christmas
  • Hopeful Christmas
  • Hope-filled Christmas
  • Christmas grace
  • Grace-filled Christmas
  • Christmas memories
  • Remember at Christmas
  • Gracious Christmas
  • Healing Christmas
  • Expectant Christmas
  • May you know the comfort of Christmas
  • May you know the discomfort of Christmas
  • Faith-filled Christmas
  • Faithful Christmas
  • Holy Christmas
  • Happy Christmas

I will still use Merry Christmas, but I want to try to expand the greetings I share at Christmas. Brian Wren reminds us of the need to Bring many names, beautiful and good to express the wonder and mystery and majesty of God. We need something similar to capture the depth of Christmas’ meaning.

What words and images would you add?

See you along the Trail.

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December 19, 2013 · 7:55 pm

Christmas songs

Two Friars and a Fool looked at “Christmas songs that are actually good” yesterday. They tend to focus on songs used in worship services. Their lists include a shout-out to the Chieftain’s version of St. Stephen’s Day Murders.

Two Christmas songs I have to hear over and again at this season are Christmas in the Trenches by John McCutcheon and The Rebel Jesus by Jackson Browne. They rarely appear in worship services, but each song speaks of the radical turning-of-the-world made possible in Jesus. They speak of peace and possibility, alternatives and hope, compassion and justice. Those themes emerge as we gather each year round the manger. Jesus embodies those themes in his life. He invites his followers to live into them as well. Sometimes we do.

How about you? What Christmas songs speak to you?

See you along the Trail.

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March 8, 2013 · 10:32 pm

Lent 24: Find

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New Orleans, Louisiana
30 December 2009

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December 24, 2012 · 6:23 pm

Christmas Eve day visitors 2012

It is always interesting what appears in the back yard in Cleveland Heights at Christmas. It is even more interesting to see what happens on Christmas Eve Day. Two years ago turkeys made themselves at home. Today a foursome treated the yard as their own buffet:

Deer

 

They certainly enjoyed themselves – and we enjoyed watching them.

See you along the Trail.

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December 24, 2012 · 6:08 pm

Christmas music 2012

Every year about this time, I post about Christmas music. Here I go again.

I like Christmas music. I manage to refrain from playing it on my iPod until Advent begins. Once that first Sunday of preparation and waiting dawns – away I go!

IMG00078-20111212-1925This year, after attending the Bring Leonard Peltier Home in 2012 Concert that he co-hosted with Pete Seeger, I purchased my first Harry Belafonte CD – a CD of Christmas music. I had known of Belafonte’s incredible commitment to social justice. Now, through the lens of Christmas, I appreciate him as an artist.
Two Christmas songs I have to hear over and again at this season are:

“Christmas in the Trenches” by John McCutcheon

“The Rebel Jesus” by Jackson Browne

How about you? What music speaks to you at Christmas?

See you along the Trail.

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April 21, 2012 · 4:43 pm

Not quite the same

Wandering through the Half-Price Bookstore on Thursday evening, I came across several versions of The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King. I decided that watching the trilogy – or at least as much of the trilogy as I could – would prove fitting entertainment for what could be my last night in the Shire.

I own the extended versions – they reside in Cleveland and serve as the basis for a family Christmas tradition. I pondered buying another set but, to save some bucks, opted for the original releases. They only cost $2.00 each.

I have enjoyed watching them – about half at the Shire and half at the Shire on the Hudson. Good, good stuff, just not the same as the extended versions.

It has been a good ride. I am glad I got them. I can’t wait to see the extended versions again.

See you along the Trail.

 

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