Have you listened lately? There is something January whispers. It is a soft melody left behind after the song birds have flown south and the trees have quietly gone to sleep. It is a gentle refrain leading us deeper into rest. A song augmented by the softening of daylight and the slowing of the days.
These muted days of January are a gift meant to sooth and calm our eternal souls which are forced, for a while, to reside in a world bent on a feverish pitch of movement, noise and selfish ambition. January is a soothing balm which can soften a quiet part of our souls that sense the gentle movement of God’s Spirit. This Spirit is an eternal presence so ancient it is familiar to a sacred part of our being. It calls us to slow down and be at peace.
Listen as January whispers, “Be Still and know that I am.”
As we now step into the first week of the New Year it is wise to do so as prepared as possible. For me this means spending time setting up my day timer. Yes, I am old school and still use a hard copy day timer complete with lists of things I hope to accomplish in the coming year as well as certain reminders of wisdom I hope will lead me. One such list is titled, The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz.
Dr. Don Miguel Ruiz is a trained surgeon from rural Mexico who has become known worldwide for his writings on Toltec spiritualism. One such writing is a book titled, The Four Agreements. These four agreements are guidelines to aid in accomplishing a life of freedom from habits that would otherwise rob us from having a contented and peaceful life.
The First Agreement is, ‘Be Impeccable With Your Speech’. This is a reminder to use your words with integrity that wisely build up yourself and add truth and love to world. As the Apostle Paul wrote, “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouth, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” And, as written in Proverbs 21:23, “Whoever keeps their mouth and their tongue keeps themselves out of trouble.”
The Second Agreement is, ‘Don’t Take Anything Personally’. This wisdom teaches that what others decide to say and do is a reflection of them, not of us. We are responsible for how we respond to these people, but we are not responsible for their words, decisions or actions. Jesus said it this way — a couple of times: “For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of” (Matthew 12:34; Luke 6:45). May our actions and words express hearts full of wisdom, kindness and love.
The Third Agreement is, ‘Don’t Make Assumptions’. For me this has been the most powerful of the Four Agreements. Having the courage to ask others clarifying questions has helped significantly in avoiding misunderstandings, drama and hurt. I find myself often pausing meetings or a telephone conversation and saying, “I need some help in better understanding what you are saying.” Then after a few gentle but direct questions are answered we move on in a clearer pathway. This Third Agreement has transformed my life!
The Fourth Agreement is, ‘Always Do Your Best’. Some days my best is at a different level than other days but because I did my best each day, under differing circumstances, I can sleep well every night! By aiming to do our best we avoid regret and shame. Instead, we are gentle with ourselves knowing that tomorrow is a new day.
These Four Agreements: ‘Be Impeccable With Your Word’, ‘Don’t Take Anything Personally’, ‘Don’t Make Assumptions’, and to ‘Always Do Your Best’ are four tools, if used daily will guarantee an amazing 2023!
I hadn’t been the minister long, only five months when the Sunday School Superintendent approached saying, “You don’t have to lift a finger for the third Sunday of Advent, I will take care of everything.” It was White Gift Sunday; the Sunday of Joy and she would tell the organist and choir which hymns were chosen and she would pass the order of worship to the secretary. She assured me everything would be taken care of and all I had to do was show up.
My husband, daughter and I arrived that Sunday to utter chaos! There were children everywhere, we usually only had five arrive on any regular Sunday, but this Sunday there were at least five times that many. There were three Marys, two Josephs, one Wiseman, five angels, three sheep, countless shepherds (all in their bathrobes and towels), four elves, two reindeers, one Santa and a pink and white unicorn. I was a bit confused by the pink and white unicorn but later was told that was Ashley and she wore her Halloween costume everywhere.
I became nervous when the service began with Santa entering the sanctuary and taking the seat at the front. Soon a few elves and reindeers followed as they entered and sat by Santa’s feet; but I relaxed when Santa picked up his Bible and began to read out loud the story of Jesus’ birth.
And, on cue, the children came down the aisle as their character appeared in the story. That is, until a wrestling match started somewhere by aisles five and six between one of the Marys and her brother, a shepherd! While they were duking it out in the aisle two of the lambs began a bleating contest to see who could bleat the loudest, three of the angels discovered they could climb over the front pew, down it’s back, under it and back up over the pew again and again, two of the shepherds began sword fighting with their shepherd’s hooks and a Joseph found the piano keys and began to pluck away!
It was a mess; a beautiful mess!
Santa just kept reading, louder and louder, as the characters piled into the sanctuary stepping over the wrestling shepherd and Mary, around the dizzy angels and despite the bleating sheep. The story continued until the Wiseman presented his gifts to Jesus. He then turned and galloped away on his broom stick camel and Santa sat silently, the angels stopped playing, the sheep stopped bleating, and all the fighting ceased. The sanctuary fell quiet.
The story was complete.
Or, was it?
Two 12 year old elves quietly came down the centre aisle and as they did so one of the Senior youth went to the pulpit and carefully said, “Wise people still search for Jesus to this very day.” As the two elves approached the manger, they knelt, and while looking down into the face of Jesus they touched a switch on their hats making the top of their elf hats swirl up and down in a comical gesture of awe!
It was the most powerful rendition of the birth of Jesus I had ever witnessed. The joyful, unexpected, uncontrollable and messy presence of God was dancing throughout the sanctuary filling us with joy and laughter.
But, before I could make the mistake of over thinking this service, I was handed a piece of paper. The children and the Sunday School Superintendent were now all lined up at the front of the sanctuary and pre-recorded music was playing. I looked down to the “hymn” sheet and couldn’t believe my eyes. I looked straight at the Sunday School Superintendent as she winked at me and with a huge smile she began to lead us all in the final song of the service, “Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer”!
It was a Sunday I will never forget!
May God’s joyful presence dance through everyone’s Christmas celebrations and may we all be so filled with hope, peace, joy and love that they last for the entire New Year!
Richard Francis Xavier Manning (April 27, 1934 – April 12, 2013), known as Brennan Manning, was a prolific American author, defrocked Priest and public speaker who summed up the Advent journey colourfully when he wrote, “You could more easily catch a hurricane in a shrimp net that you can understand the wild, relentless, passionate, uncompromising, pursuing love of God made present in the manger.”
The last sign post before arriving to the destination of the Advent Journey is the last blue candle, the candle of love. We pass through the doors of love as we draw ever closer to God among us, in the form of a wee baby born in a feeding trough.
This love surrounds us from birth to the life beyond this life; a love so perfect we know not life without it and yet, so often fail to recognize its presence. As it is written, “In this life we have three great lasting qualities-faith, hope and love. But the greatest of them is love.”(1 Cor 13:13)
This last week of Advent I offer a poem by Margaret Matthews to accompany you on the journey:
Being agreeable can sometimes be dangerous! In an attempt to keep life simple for ourselves we may be tempted to merely agree with someone who is expressing some bitterness or mistrust towards another. We nod our heads or say a word or two which pleases and justifies this person.
I had this happen recently, while sitting and waiting for an appointment the person next to me struck up a conversation. Their views on politics both locally and provincially differ from my own and their bitterness towards life was tangible but instead of trying to offer words of peace or gentleness I just nodded and went along with the conversation.
Later, as I reflected on that conversation I was disappointed in myself. It was a lost opportunity. Perhaps God placed this person, ever so briefly, in my path so I could offer words of peace, hope and joy; words that may have calmed his anxious mind and perhaps widened his view of gratitude. Perhaps simply by changing the conversation I could have softened his bitterness and aided him to remember that which makes him smile.
I made myself promise to remain on guard so that I not do this again but instead seek to be a “Bringer of Joy” or as Jesus calls it a “Peacemaker”. There is no other beatitude whose blessings is more radiant that that of the peacemaker-“they shall be called children of God.”
As we light the third Advent Candle, the pink Candle of Joy , may we do so with the commitment of being those who bring God’s joy to all we meet.
The world is full of things that boggle my mind and are beyond my understanding. For example, I have never understood FAX machines. How can a few words on a piece of paper travel over wires and arrive on another piece of paper 100 miles away? Or, why can’t I hum while holding my nose (you just tried, didn’t you?) and why is Earth the only planet in our solar system not named after a God? Who named Earth in the first place?
There are so many questions with so few answers. As my trips around the sun accumulate I have become more comfortable with the unknown, trusting in the fact there is a God who knows all the answers. This God provides a peace that goes way beyond our understanding; a peace that holds us together when all around us is falling apart. I don’t understand it, but I have learned to trust in it.
The Apostle Paul writes, “Do not be anxious about anything. Instead, in every situation with prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God. And the peace that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6)
This peace does not promise there will be no conflict, hardships or grief. Instead this God-given peace will hold us together with the powerful knowledge we are not alone. God is with us, despite whatever we are facing. As Jesus tells us, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” (Jon 14:27)
Take Mother Mary for instance, at the young age of 12 she is visited by an angel who shares the startling news that Mary will become pregnant and bear a son. As if it isn’t shocking enough to be visited by an angel Mary also has to adjust to the news that she, an unwed virgin girl, will soon become pregnant and give birth to not just any baby but God’s only begotten son. Talk about mind boggling!
One of the things that intrigues me about this story is how Mary goes from asking, “How can this be?” to declaring, “Let it be.”
How do we find our way, like Mary, to say “let it be”? I am not suggesting that getting there is easy or quick, but I think Mary shows us how to journey to “let it be”. She doesn’t avoid the storm that lies ahead; instead she enters the eye of the storm, allowing the chaos of emotions, relationships, and circumstances, swirl all around her. She does this by depending on God to lead her through the storm.
Out of Mary’s story we see a confidence amidst crisis which is the mark of a mature faith. She has heard the deep meaning of “Be not afraid.” It is a message of assurance that through the wilderness, or the grief, or in the middle of chaos, along the journey we are not alone. It is that sense of God -with-us which is the profound message of Christmas. It is a love and peace that dwells deep in our souls.
This week as we light the Second Advent Candle, the Candle of Peace, may we all trust in the Prince of Peace to accompany us with a calm and peaceful presence.
Round tables are my favorite! Everyone sitting at a round table is equal and always there is room for one more chair. I was reminded of round tables at Bible study last week; we were studying the parable of The Good Samaritan.
It is the story of a nameless man who selflessly provides all that is needed to rescue someone beaten and left to die in a ditch. It is a story about social boundaries removed so God’s love and care can be set free. It is a story of radical response when facing the choice of indifference or active compassion.
The Samaritans in Jesus’ day were despised and ridiculed; they were considered the lowliest of all humanity. So, of course Jesus uses these very people to teach of God’s powerful grace and transformative love.
What makes the Samaritan good in this story is that he has every reason to respond to the hatred, cruelty and shame placed on him by others with much of the same, but doesn’t. Instead, his response is to extend a hand of welcome, lifting the broken man onto his donkey and walking him to where healing can begin. He doesn’t bother asking who the broken man is or whether this man is deserving of such help; he just helps. This is the most powerful part of the story. One who has every reason to respond with hatred but instead responds with love, this is where we find hope for the world.
Hope for the healing of humanity is found in those who refuse to be the hatred or cruelty in the world but instead respond to God’s call to be light, love and understanding. As written in 1 Peter 3:9, “Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing.”
True humility teaches that we all take our turn being the broken one in the ditch. The Good Samaritan reminds us “…of a merciful God who wants to bind up and heal all your hurts. Can you see this? You on the road – injured by the world and God as the one that picks you up….This God who acts as a stranger on the road will never judge you or your needs. This God pours His Mighty Mercy like oil and wine. If you will let Him do this…”. (Pastor John Bright)
When we face the cruelty of others may we see the pain they hold and understand it isn’t about us, instead may we respond with a quiet respect trusting God’s love has the power to heal us all.
As we light the first candle of Advent, the Candle of Hope, may we remember that hope is held in our response to the hardness of life; a response rooted in God’s healing love.
The stillness of November is a refreshing change after all the exuberance of October and is a welcomed pause before the colourful celebration of December.
The muted shades of November only add to its peacefulness. The soft water-coloured skies with fleeting rays of sunshine make the perfect backdrop for the beauty of each bare tree. The quietude of the first snowfall welcomes us into a space of tranquility and peaceful reflection while the long evenings are perfect for simple pleasures like warm bread pudding shared by a crackling fire.
Historically November was a restful month after a busy autumn of bringing in the harvest, preparing the fruit cellar, stacking the newly cut winter wood and “shoring up” the barn. These days we busy ourselves with leaf raking, placing the patio furniture into winter storage, winterizing the cottage, getting the snow tires on, having the car oiled and ensuring the snow blower is started up and ready to go.
In rural ministry November sees a return of many to Sunday morning worship! The hymn singing is more robust, the choir loft fills and the volume of chatter at Fellowship augments to it loudest.
Aw, yes, November is a month filled with many gifts. As Henry David Thoreau wrote, “The thinnest yellow light of November is more warming and exhilarating than any wine they tell of. The mite which November contributes becomes equal in value to the bounty of July.”
May November be a month that fills your heart with peace and your life with God’s divine light.
In the three years I served as their Student Minister we only sang the hymn Amazing Grace once and that one time taught me a powerful lesson. By the time we got to the second verse,“’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved;” only my voice could be heard.
I looked up from the pulpit and saw an unforgettable sight. Some had sat down while others grabbed a tissue from the passing tissue box, many were wiping tears from their eyes or blowing their noses. The pianist and I exchanged nervous glances as I continued to sing; part way through the third verse we stopped all together.
Later, during fellowship, I gently inquired about their response to this hymn. One of the older women quietly said, “To this day I can still see that small jeep that would drive through the village.” The others nodded and another woman shared, “I recall the day that jeep came and parked in front of our house; my mother started crying before she even answered the door.”
“Yes, the day we heard about Max it was that jeep. That day they came about the Smith’s son and the McGregor’s son as well. It was a sad day indeed.” This from one of the old timers who usually didn’t say much, then while wiping a tear from his cheek he added, “That hymn, Amazing Grace, takes me back to the war years and the news that jeep would bring.”
After a pause he said, “It was just before supper and I recall standing by the stove to mind the potatoes while my Mother answered the door, I can still hear her scream. We ran down to the garage to get our Father but he was half way up the lane, he had seen the jeep stop at our house, he knew what we had feared.”
Looking straight at me one of the women shared, “Everyone would freeze with fear when that jeep came into the village; afraid it would be their family receiving the bad news.”
She added, “Then we would gather in the cemetery and old Alec would play the hymn “Amazing Grace” on his trumpet as we added names to the war memorial. A village our size never forgets this kind of grief. We almost lost an entire generation of young men by the time the war ended.”
The room fell silent as I pieced together this collective memory of my parishioners, a military jeep that delivered death notices and the grief relived as we sang the hymn “Amazing Grace.”
I turned to one of the granddaughters who was savvy with computers and asked, “If we were to get photos of the young men who died could you create a power point for us?” She was excited by the challenge, so the next two weeks was spent gathering the photos and, on the Sunday, closest to Remembrance Day we all came to see what she had created.
1940’s band music played in background while uniform clad youth smiled back at us, many of them standing in front of familiar houses.
This time I was ready with Kleenex boxes in each pew and tables set up at the front of the sanctuary to hold framed pictures of beloved family members who had served in the armed forces or air forces. One family brought in an entire uniform which was laid out while another family brought in cherished letters from the front lines.
There was no sermon that day; valuable time was spent in hearing the stories of each young man and there were plenty of sacred pauses as we read off the Rolls and listened to the Last Post and Rouse.
I have made a point to honour Remembrance Day every year since, no matter which church I serve. It is important to honour the lives and sacrifices made by those who laid down their lives, so we can live so freely and abundantly. Jesus tells us, “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:13)
These are the saints who watch over us and I suspect there will come a day when we each discover that these saints were never very far from us at all.
Blessing to all who take time this coming week to honour those who have served and are serving today,
Rev. Heather McCarrel
(It is over 20 years since I was a Student Minister. Now, the young granddaughter who created the Power Point is a mom and an excellent nurse who works in the same Unit that I work as the Chaplain. Recently we reminisced about that powerful Sunday service so many years ago. Some will recognize this BLOG as I have shared it before.)
Recently I met a man whose life is spent traveling the world. He works for a major airline and as one of the pilots he has seen much of the world. It was interesting to hear of the places he has lived, the people he has met and the variety of cultures he has experienced. I marveled at all he must have seen.
As one who has lived 55 years with my feet firmly planted on the ground I cannot imagine such a life as his. After sharing his latest adventure in South America he turned the conversation to me and asked where I have traveled.
It just so happened the previous Sunday I had been the guest minister an hour north of where I live. I explained the early morning drive up the peninsula along Georgian Bay and the remarkable autumn views. I shared that as I arrived to the church I was amazed by the row of tall Hollyhocks in full bloom waving in the breeze. Never in my life had I seen Hollyhocks blooming in October! They were the cause of such delight I spoke of them in my sermon that morning.
It was here in my telling that I paused ready to apologize for how simple my life must seem. But to my surprise he was full of questions, “Where is this scenic route up the peninsula? How tall were these flowers? When do they usually bloom?”
He didn’t make me feel small at all but instead was fully engaged in the wonder of my Sunday morning adventure.
It doesn’t matter if we travel the world or are contented in our own backyard, what makes all the difference is the attitude we take with us. The attitude of wonder, awe and remaining open to others makes life a magnificent journey!
Blessings on your journey this week may it be full of wonder,
Stain Glass Lens of the 21st Century 