Cry of a Tiny Babe

There are others who know about this miracle birth
The humblest of people catch a glimpse of their worth
For it isn't to the palace that the Christ child comes
But to shepherds and street people, hookers and bums
And the message is clear if you've got ears to hear
That forgiveness is given for your guilt and your fear
It's a Christmas gift you don't have to buy
There's a future shining in a baby's eyes
Like a stone on the surface of a still river
Driving the ripples on forever
Redemption rips through the surface of time
In the cry of a tiny babe

Bruce Cockburn - 1990

Child of Wonder, Take off your Shoes

Child of Wonder, Take off your Shoes
From Seasons Of Your Heart:Prayers and Reflections
Macrina Wiederkehr

My bare feet walk the earth reverently
for everything keeps crying,
Take of your shoes
The ground you stand on is holy
The ground of your being is holy

When the wind sings through the pines
like a breath of God
awakening you to the sacred present
calling your soul to new insights
Take off your shoes!

When the sun rises above your rooftop
coloring your world with the dawn
Be receptive to this awesome beauty
Put on your garment of adoration
Take off your shoes!

When the Red Maple drops its last leaf of summer
wearing its "burning bush" robes no longer
read between its barren branches, and
Take off your shoes!

When sorrow presses close to your heart
begging you to put your trust in God alone
filling you with a quiet knowing
that God's hand is not too short to heal hyou
Take off your shoes!

When a new person comes into your life
like a mystery about to unfold
and you find yourself marveling over
the frailty and splendor of every human being
Take off your shoes!

When, during the wee hours of the night
you drive slowly into the new day
and the morning's fog, like angel wings
hovers mysteriously above you
Take off your shoes!

Take off your shoes of distraction
Take off your shoes of ignorance and blindness
Take of your shoes of hurry and worry
Take off anything that prevents you
from being a child of wonder

Take off your shoes;
the ground you stand on is holy.
The ground you are is holy.

Friday Advent Reading For Peace

Peace on Earth
by Julie Clawson

So the other day I heard a talk about Christmas traditions and putting Jesus back into Christmas. One of the points made was to make sure that your holiday decorations convey to your neighbors that you are a Christian. I was pretty sure the speaker didn't mean using LED lights so that your neighbors know that you care for God's creation by not wasting energy. I just smiled at the idea with a "to each her own" response, but as I looked at my house while thinking about this week's advent theme, I had to wonder if anyone would assume I was a Christian because of my decor.

The decor is simple - some golden stars, a baskets of poinsettias, and a sign that says "Peace on Earth". But, I wondered, would the term "Peace on Earth" straight out of the biblical Christmas account be associated with Christianity these days? Are we known as peacemakers - doing whatever we can to bring about peace on earth? My gut reaction to that question is no. In fact many of the Christians I know mock those that stand for peace and instead say that war, judgment, and violence are the more biblical paths. Theirs is the voice that is often heard, so much that I can put a bible verse on my house and it not be seen as a Christian thing. That's weird to me.

One of my favorite Christmas carols is "I Heard the Bells on Christmas
Day." It contains the lines -

The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along the unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And in despair I bowed my head:
"There is no peace on earth," I said,
"For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

But far from it being the belfries of Christendom spreading the biblical message of peace, they are often instead the ones mocking the song and promoting hate. How can there ever be peace when those that claim to worship the Prince of Peace shun his very message?

I pray that we can reclaim "Peace on Earth" not just as a phrase, but as our calling. To have the world see that seeking peace on earth is part of what it means to be a Christian. For as the carol continues -

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:

"God is not dead, nor doth he sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men."

World Peace Prayer Society

Holiday Time In Brooklyn (What Can We Give)?

Heifer Project International

Heifer envisions...
A world of communities living together in peace and equitably sharing the resources of a healthy planet.

Heifer's mission is...
To work with communities to end hunger and poverty and to care for the earth.

Heifer's strategy is...
To "pass on the gift." As people share their animals' offspring with others -- along with their knowledge, resources, and skills -- an expanding network of hope, dignity, and self-reliance is created that reaches around the globe.

Heifer's History
This simple idea of giving families a source of food rather than short-term relief caught on and has continued for over 60 years. Today, millions of families in 128 countries have been given the gifts of self-reliance and hope.

www.heifer.org

Pondering The Nativity

By Emily Varner

Mention "Christmas traditions" and something within me freaks. Tie myself down to one way of doing things forever? Start a routine that's only remembered when I forget it? Not me. Yet as parents, we've all discovered the necessity of repetition in teaching our children about the things we value. This very idea of formation by repetition informs the ancient liturgical practices so many are rediscovering. Our Christmas decorating this year uncovered a simple, natural expression of Advent that I hope can become a part of our Christmas memories as a family.

Somehow I've received as gifts, nativity sets enough for each room of our small house. The bedroom dressers, end table, kitchen windowsill and computer hutch each have at least the basic characters: Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Most have more. My favorite is a hollowed-out coconut with tiny, featureless wooden figures glued inside. Most, however, are the glass-figure, dollar-store variety, each figure looking particularly reverent and somber. Turning most of these into additional props for my daughter Elinor's daily play has me mulling over Advent aloud with her, and silently within.

It's mostly about presence and mindfulness, of course. The constant visual reminder of where we stand in the church year and the tactile prompt to talk about it are vital given the other Christmas messages vying for my attention.

The other day Elinor and I discovered a crèche just right for her dresser, which she can currently just barely reach the top of. Resisting my urge to set up the scene myself, I decided to sit back and watch.

She sets up a scene unlike any storybook picture I have ever seen. Joseph in the distance, looking at Jesus straight-on; Mary and one of the wise men kneeling with heads together; the other two wise men, backs to Mary and Jesus, looking south.

My unsuspecting daughter has just laid out for me a meditation; I study it like an icon. Joseph thinks to himself, "You know, he still looks just like any other baby." Mary listens to the wise man's travel tales, holding them in her heart. Maybe some night when Jesus is having trouble getting to sleep, she'll tell him the story. The other magi discuss what they've found. How can this be a royal family? They're poor fugitives, on the run from their country's ruler. They muse together. I muse too.

Where am I meant to recognize the face of God in my day? Perhaps in similarly unlikely places.

The Three Kings

From Revolutionary Patience
by Dorthee Solle

I've thought a lot about
why they went
a major disturbance in the sky
a threefold source of light
in an unexpected place
an unfamiliar star among familiar ones
is that reason enough to set out
on sand-drifted roads
carrying stale water in leather bags
month after month
putting aside for now the question of high powers
that might have influenced them
I have no grasp of things like that
I would call
what drove them from home
where they must have had it good
I would call
this revolutionary virtue of the modern era
curiosity
this I'd guess is what spurred them on
they wanted to see what was up
to straighten out a new confusion
to account for this unexpected brightness
and incorporate it in the existing order

So they built
a more powerful telescope
it didn't help
didn't clear anything up
the new light just glowed
more brightly than ever
so they charted
well-to-do as they were
a fair-sized caravan
to run down that star
so they bargained bought organized laid in supplies
mapped out with thoroughness and foresight
their route and watering places
planned to travel at night
so they could promptly modify their plan
in accordance with the the somewhat erratic
course of the star
so they set out
on their arduous way to explore
this mysterious disturbance
brought into the world
by light

Were they able to explain this start
did they go home
conscious of a higher order
are they still underway
tracing irregularities
in the heavens and on earth
did they accommodate the unexpected brightness
to the everyday twilight around them
or is there a chance
that they accommodated themselves
to amazing light
could it be harnessed if so for what
did they see clearer when they got there
more important still
did they who saw it
change
reports are few
evidence is scant
but assuming they did change
I would praise the travelers
and rejoice in them and
if this uncommon light is still shining
look at it long and often
for their sake
hoping fervently
for change

Advent Reflection

Adapted from Advent Reflection, Apocalyptic Texts
www (dot) owlrainfeathers (dot) blogspot (dot) com

You wouldn't expect it if you didn't have some experience with the liturgical calendar, but the Scripture readings during Advent are largely apocalyptic. They speak of war and of the end of times. People interpret these texts in many different ways, of course. One of the most common interpretations is that since Christmas is a celebration of the time when Jesus came the first time, then Advent ought to be an anticipation of the time when Jesus will "come again, to judge the living and the dead," to quote the Nicene Creed. I'd like to talk about another possibility when it comes to the apocalyptic texts.

Advent is a time of waiting, but it is not a passive time. It is a time of waiting for justice, for freedom from oppression, and for peace. The so-called apocalyptic texts focus on oppressive systems toppling. Yes, they speak of God as Judge, but God is always the Judge of the people who have hurt and oppressed the vulnerable in society. In other words, God is on the side of the poor, the weak, the hungry, the homeless, the lonely, the elderly, the orphans, the victims of war.

When Mary is pregnant with Jesus, she goes to her cousin Elizabeth, who is pregnant with John (the Baptist). As they meet each other, the babies inside them leap in joyous greeting. And then Mary spontaneously begins singing about God. Here is part of what she sings:

"He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the
thoughts of their hearts.
he has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty."

Mary is hoping what all the Jewish people looking for a Messiah were hoping: that God would free them from the terrible oppression of the Romans, as God had freed them from the oppression of the Egyptians. Mary is also quoting Hannah, who was the mother of Prophet Samuel. Hannah, too, sang in anticipation that Samuel would be part of God's plan to free the oppressed.

Advent ought to be a time when we consider the people of the world who are being oppressed, and consider how we can participate in their release (and our own release) from oppression, captivity, and violence.

MLK quotes apocalyptic texts in his sermon in opposition to the Vietnam War (Click here to listen to it.) , and he gets at the heart of the biblical apocalyptic texts that are crying out for justice, crying out for the end of suffering. This is the speech in which he says, quoting the prophet Amos, "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice...With this faith we will be able to speed up the day when justice will roll down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream."

As Advent begins, may we all wait eagerly, may we work tirelessly, may we hope with aching anticipation for the day...the day when justice will roll down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream.

How Did Advent Accelerate?

Adapted from "How Did Advent Accelerate?"
by Amy Ard

As a child I found no joy in an Advent calendar; all those little flaps and doors and bite-size pieces of chocolate signified nothing more than the fact that Christmas was still a really, really long time away. Especially as I got down to the last few doors, just a few days before the big event, time seemed to take on a pace as slow as molasses sucked through a straw. Admittedly, the coming of the Christ child was not what had me wound so tight. It was the portly fellow in the red suit who delivered untold delights on my living room floor that made the Advent season so terribly long. While the object of my desire may have been misdirected, the spirit of Advent was palpable. I was waiting for something big and it was taking a very, very long time to arrive.

How odd that the older we get, the faster Advent seems to fly by. Barely has the Thanksgiving turkey been devoured before we find that we're out of time to prepare for Christmas. The units of time have not changed over the years; a minute is still 60 seconds, a day is still 24 hours. How is it, then, that Advent speeds past us when once it crawled along?

Perhaps it is because as adults when we want something we can usually find a way to get it without waiting very long at all. When we do have to wait longer than expected -- someone decides to write a check for their groceries or the line at the coffee shop is out the door -- we get antsy, even angry for the delay.

Advent should be a time for slowing down not speeding up. On Christmas Day we celebrate a world transformed by the birth of a small child. What if we lived as if the world might be transformed once again? Our faith tells us that how we keep ourselves busy ourselves during the wait is important. We are not called to lives of idle desperation but active hope. Would Advent creep up on us if we truly believed that the world might be so transformed again by something as unassuming as a child born in a manger? How would you prepare your household, your family, and your neighborhood for a gift so radical and promising?

This year I'll try to wait (the active hopeful kind of waiting) as if I believe that my most impossible dreams - a world where no child goes hungry, no sick are left to die, no bombs explode - could be made real. The anticipation will certainly rival anything from my childhood. I'm waiting for something big this year but I've found that God's gifts always surprise.

Stop Complaining - An Advent Reflection

Adapted From
"My Big Beef About Christmas"
by Rachelle Mee-Chapman

"Isn't it awful how "they" have hijacked Christmas!"

Christmas has basically equaled time with family + commercialism since the 1800's. The 1800's people! How long are we going to complain about it being hijacked?! Isn't 200 years enough?

Besides, what about the family half of the equation. The warm lovely let's-create-family-memories part may not be oriented around the manger bare, but at least it's shalom-like in nature. And as for the marketing stuff, well we're all sucked into that one way or the other. Seriously, have you seen the ads for the Singing Christmas trees and Live Nativities at the mega churches? And face it, you and I are just as into gift giving and red-and-gold wrapping as the next guy. Besides, it's nice to give presents. It feels generous and loving and celebratory--again, all stuff that can move us a little closer to shalom, if we are present to it.

I don't know. I guess I'd just like thear someone talk about the things we can celebrate in our cultural expression of Christmas. What if we tried to embrace that which is good in our "national" holiday? What if we saw the God-active spots in our cultural celebration---a desire to be together, a hope for peace on earth, an impulse towards generosity -- and we supported that whole heartedly. And what if we expressed alternatives to that which we cannot embrace?

• Where our celebration is soul-less let us offer something, not accusatory and prideful, but humble and soul-ful.
  
• Where there is excess let us offer simplicity. Where there is marketing, let us offer story.
  
• Where there is illusion, let us offer unvarnished bits of truths.
  
• Where there is debt, let us offer relief. Where there is need, let us offer charity.
  

I sometimes question the transformative nature of Christianity. So often we seem to get stuck in these cycles of blame, critique, and ...well...just outright poutiness. But I never question the transformative power of Jesus, of purposing ourselves towards living like Jesus. If we seriously commit to being Jesus-y, well, things just have to change.

Let's try it, shall we? Let's experiment. Let's play in the fields of grace. Go ahead, start a meme. What three things will you embrace about our culture's expression of Christmas? (i.e. Where will you dance in the overlap?) What three things will you practice an alternative to? Here's mine.

Things I'll Embrace about my culture's Christmas:

1. I will embrace spending time with friends and family.
   
2. I will embrace giving charitably to those among us who are poor.
   
3. I will embrace expressing love towards friends and family through thoughtful gift giving.
   

Thing's I'll practice an Alternative to:

1. I will not run around like a chicken with my head cut off during the holiday season (I will limit my "Christmas" events and parties and enjoy and "be present" in those I attend) and I will practice "Sabbath".
   
2. I will be intentional about my gift giving and moderate in my spending.
   
3. I will be conscious of the season of advent and the expectation that goes with it.
   

Tag! You're it!

Prayer For Advent

Prayer for Advent: Hope in a Dark Time

In this time of darkness,
We choose to look toward the Light.
In this time when so many are suffering,
We choose faith, not despair,
We choose the work of compassionate justice.

As we move together,
Hungry for transformation, for hope,
Our steps themselves
Transform us, nourish us.
We are on constant pilgrimage,
Moving to the heart of things,
Reaching beyond what any one of us
Can accomplish ourselves.

The brightness of the Incarnation
Guides us as we continue,
With the promise of the Prince of Peace
As the bright star in these dark nights.

- Julie Clawson