In order to get us in the mood for the real meaning of Christmas, over the next couple of weeks I will post some of my favourite carols and Christmas songs that encourage us to lean towards the light of Christ. If you have songs to suggest please mention them in the comments below.
Wherever we have fixed our hearts
whatever it is to which we have given them,
will determine the way we experience
all that is happening to us now.
Indeed, it is stability of heart, not stability of place,
that is the real monastic gift.Stability of heart –
commitment to the life of the soul,
faithfulness to the community,
perseverance in the search for God –
is the mooring that holds us fast
when the night of the soul is at its deepest dark,
and the noontime sun sears the spirit. (160, 161)
These words from Joan Chittister’s book The Monastery of the Heart, riveted my attention during my recent spiritual retreat time. Stability of heart, or as I interpreted it stability of purpose – keeping our pursuit of God and care for neighbour as our central focus is what really matters.
It is more than thirty years since God established my calling statement To be a voice for the voiceless and bring glimpses of God’s shalom world into peoples’ lives. The way it is lived out has changed over the years but the central purpose of my calling has always remained the same.
What is your response?
What have you fixed your heart on? Do you have a calling statement that affirms your commitment to God and neighbour, a sentence or phrase that gives you a sense of stability of purpose? Write it down. If you don’t have a statement, write down a scripture verse or sentence that most strongly expresses your desire to pursue God and care for your neighbours.
Sit quietly in a position of prayer, and recite your sentence several times. Read it aloud, doodle around it. Allow God to speak to your heart. Remind yourself of the ways this sense of call has provided stability of heart and purpose for you in the past. Are there new things that God is wanting to give birth to as we approach this season of new life?
Basilica of Sant’Apollinare Nuovo in Ravenna, Italy- The Three Wise Men, photo by Nina Aldin Thune
The Magi followed the star that they saw in the East with a very clear purpose – the desire to find the Christ child, the new born infant who would become king of the Jews, and worship him. (Matthew 2) Through long months of gruelling travel they determinedly moved towards their goal. First they came to Jerusalem and it seems that in this city in which everyone thought the glory of God would shine most brightly, their guiding light disappeared. Perhaps they were momentarily distracted by the glittering city and the welcoming rulers. Or maybe they momentarily lost sight of their true purpose.
However, in their hearts they knew that this was not their destination. As they left the city:
The star they had first seen in the East reappeared—a miracle that, of course, overjoyed and enraptured the wise men. The star led them to the house where Jesus lay; and as soon as the wise men arrived, they saw Him with His mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped Him. (Matthew 2:10,11)
Sometimes God’s guiding star leads all of us into unexpected places, away from the bright lights of Jerusalem and on to the backwater, humble town of Bethlehem.
As we lean into the light of God and journey towards Bethlehem it is important to remind ourselves of God’s purposes for our lives. I encourage you to take time to reaffirm and reimagine what that means for you at this point in your life.
What is your response?
Has the light of God’s shining star dimmed for you? Have you allowed yourself to be distracted by the bright city lights? Sit quietly with your calling statement in front of you and once more allow God to speak to you. Watch the video below. Are there ways in which God is asking you to once more follow the star?
Here is a beautiful Christmas prayer by Bebe Winan to meditate on as we head towards Christmas Eve.
“My Christmas Prayer”
I pray for peace
Blessings and honor
Heaven right earth’s despair
This is my Christmas prayer
For those that grieve
God will bring comfort
Laughter will rapture there
This is my Christmas prayer
See I pray that love will rule and reign
And I pray that time will rid the pain of this world
As we learn to trust and care
This is my Christmas prayer
I pray for you, yes, I know you do
That your triumph and conquer
Poses the strength you need to bare
This is my Christmas prayer
For those in need
There would be plenty
And each other’s burdens share
Oh this is my Christmas prayer
See I pray that love will rule and reign
And I pray that time will rid the pain of this world
As we learn to trust and care
This is my Christmas prayer
So let hope fill our hearts, let’s let hope fill our hearts
Shine the light through the dark
All around the world and everywhere
I will pray this Christmas prayer, prayer
See I pray that love will rule and reign
And I pray that time will rid the pain of this world
As we learn to trust and care
This is my Christmas, this is my Christmas prayer
See I pray that love will rule and reign
And I pray that time will rid the pain of this world
As we learn to trust and care
This is my Christmas prayer
This is my Christmas prayer
Merry Christmas, Rob
Merry Christmas, BeBe
We are in the season of Advent. A time to ponder the mystery of Christ coming into the world. In the humble beginnings of a stable.
A few years ago my family and I were in Greyton, a beautiful country village tucked into a valley in the Overberg of the Western Cape of South Africa. We were celebrating Christmas in a small home church and I saw baby Jesus being laid in the manger of my heart.
For God to come into the world into the family of Joseph and Mary, at a time for them of change and journey, which left them to find refuge in a barn for the delivery of the Son of God: this turning point in the history of mankind makes us pause; this turning point requires great reflection…
What are the expectations around the birth of the King of all kings? If we had no stories at Sunday School to tell us, no cartoons or movies, no passing on to us as a child the stories of Christmas – on being asked where we think he may have been born, what would we say? Maybe:
A palace or castle, with the select doctors or midwives of the time.
The best hospital you could imagine with the most professional special care.
The cleanest, most hygienic of environments.
Everything 5 star. Everyone available at a mere murmur from Mary, rushing to her aid, to make sure the King of all kings comes into the world safe and sound to fulfil the greatest mission ever, the salvation of all human beings.
But no, and we read of it in the scripture. Allow time for the pondering of this most familiar story to linger in your mind as you think of the improbability of it all. The coming of the King of kings…
“While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born,
And she gave birth to her firstborn, a son.
She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger,
Because there was no room for them in the inn.”
(Luke 2:6-7)
No room for them in the inn. Born and placed in a manger.
noun: manger; plural noun: mangers
- a long trough from which horses or cattle feed.
Really? A long trough from which horses or cattle feed. Surely God could have organised better accommodation for the coming of his Son?
Unless we turn it all around and realise, the coming of the Son of God was always ordained to happen in the humble ways, in the unexpected ways, the ways not known to man. God chose to be born to the world in obscurity and hiddenness.
And the humble beginnings were foretold years before, and proclaimed to all who could see with the portent of a star in the heavens shining the way to the coming of salvation in the most beautiful God-Man we will ever know, Jesus Christ.
“For to us a child is born…” Isaiah 9:6
“…the greatest among you should be like the youngest…” Luke 22:27
The picture I had of Jesus being born in the manger of my heart comes back to me at this time. And I wonder, how is my heart a suitable manger for Jesus to be placed? How may Jesus come into the world through me at this time?
Is my heart a humble place for the Son of God to rest?
Is my heart a place of expectation for the birthing of something new?
A poem I wrote some time ago, explores how God uses unlikely places to bring about the miracle of his coming:
Weakest Strength
A baby knelt by strangers
Tip-touches starry universe
Wisdom lines his face
From creases of the birth.
God passes through
The legs of a woman
To grace the disdain
Of unlikely places.
He manifests weakness
Of the greatest strength,
Conceives omnipotence
In smallness of a womb.
“…the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.” 1 Cor 1:25
As we approach the glad tidings of Advent, may we ponder these questions in our hearts:
How is my heart a resting place?
How is my heart alive to the new beginnings of God?
How is my heart a humble place for God to come afresh?
“…clothe yourselves with humility toward one another…” 1 Peter 5:5
I ask Jesus to be at home in my heart. He uses the unexpected places to bring his revelation and new beginnings. We can be open to the new beginnings of God when we offer our hearts to him in this way, as a place to be filled by all of the newness of God.
And the light of God will shine over us like the star of Bethlehem to draw people to the coming of Christ in our lives.
Artist – Christian Schloe
As you listen to the chant of Hildegard of Bingen from “The origin of fire – Love”, allow time to ponder the questions above, as the fire of Holy Spirit breathes fresh revelation upon your heart:
Unfading treasures hymnal – photo Christine Sine
“My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise. Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early. I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing unto thee among the nations,” Psalm 57:7-9, King James Version (KJV)
Did you know some classical hymns are being removed from hymnals in churches of various denominations? From what I’ve been told, the lyrics in these hymns have been deemed as “not inclusive enough” for today’s social preferences.
Although I have no intentions of ignoring God as my heavenly Father or Jesus as the Son of God, I must say I prefer being referred to as a “child of God,” rather than a “son.” As a lover of the church in all its parts, I’d also like to hear words sung to help Christians to see themselves, not just as individuals, but also a vital part of the one Body of Christ.
With these thoughts in mind, along with my desire to keep the old favorites from being banned from worship services, I got out a hymn book to see if the words could be changed easily enough while keeping the general idea and melody. Starting with the classical hymn, “Rise Up, O Men of God, the following lyrics came to me, making me want to do more!
Awake, O Child of God
Awake, O child of God. Leave drowsiness behind!
Stir up your faith with prayer and hope. Keep Jesus on your mind.
Awake, O child of God. Get dressed in love and joy!
Be lifted in the Light of Christ no darkness can destroy.
Wake up, O child of God. Talk to the Lord in prayer.
Fill your thoughts with God’s good word. Pray always everywhere.
Awake, O child of God. Give glory to Christ’s name.
Forgive each other in Christ’s love. Surrender every blame.
Arise, O blessed of God. Stay strengthened in your search.
Come join together in Christ’s love and heal and build the church.
by Mary Harwell Sayler
The coming of our Lord is near,
Something new is around the corner,
Love, joy, peace and hope,
We await the promise of your coming.
The coming of our Lord is near,
Something new is appearing,
A child, a saviour, God’s much beloved son,
We await the hope of your coming.
The coming of our Lord is near,
Something new is being birthed,
A new heaven, a new world, a new community,
We await the long expected One.
The coming of our Lord is near,
We wait in joyful expectation for what is emerging,
Love comes down at Christmas,
And we await your coming.
(Pause to light the appropriate Advent candles)
The coming of our Lord is near
and we await the promise of your coming,
Light of the world draw close,
Shine on us with your guiding presence,
Shine in us with your truth and forgiveness,
Shine through us with your mercy and love.
The coming of our Lord is near
and we await the promise of your coming,
Bring light and life and love into our world,
Lead us to the fullness of life,
Where peace and righteousness kiss,
Where truth and justice embrace.
Come Lord Jesus come
You who are love incarnate,
You who give life eternal,
You who are the One in whom all things find completion,
Draw close and teach us the ways of peace.
Come Lord Jesus come,
You who are fully human yet fully God,
Come again into our world,
Come again into our lives,
Draw close, come again and make us whole.
Scripture Readings: read appropriate scriptures for the day.
Our Father who art in heaven hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.
God who is justice, come.
Come to refugees and victims of violence throughout the world.
God who is righteousness, come.
Come to all who have been mistreated and abused.
God who is compassion, come.
Come to all who are sick and in need of healing.
God who is love, come.
Come to all who hate and live in fear.
Light of the world come, draw near,
In this Advent season come into our world afresh,
Draw all the world’s people into your embrace,
Open our hearts to welcome you.
Light of the world come, draw near,
Shine your star that we might follow,
Let angel choruses welcome you,
And proclaim your peace through all the earth.
Light of the world come, draw near,
Birth in us something new,
Fill the emptiness within,
Let your love overflow in us, through us, beyond us.
Amen.
As Christmas approaches the tension between the hectic pace of the season and the stillness towards which God beckons us grows. Take a few minutes today to sit in stillness and enjoy the beauty of God’s presence.
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