conjectural navel gazing; jesus in lint form

friday carol

Today I will be in the hospital pulling my "vacation shift." It is a holiday at LGH and I have volunteered to work it. We all have to work one a year. It allows everyone else who wishes to take the day off. It will be a full day. I will be responsible for the whole hospital per on-call usual and my unit, the Fourth Floor, will be having a little send-off party for me. I am hoping for a lull in the action around lunch so that I may say my good-byes. I have learned a great deal from them and count many of them as friends. They are all my congregation and I love them as such.

Last night was laundry night. I went to the laundramat, worked on my sermon for Sunday, flirted with the attendant, drank a coke, came home and crashed. Our regular machine is broken, so we have been using a laundramat instead. I actually like it. I can do all five loads at once. Everything comes dry...at once. The trouble is that I have to pack all of it into my little red car. Susie calls it my clown car. I disagree, but must admit that it is small and putting three laundry baskets in it means one gets to wear a seatbelt in the front seat.

Trish has today off from work. I will not be waking her with coffee this morning. Somehow this makes me sad...not that she has the day off but our coffee ritual is to be unfulfilled. I am incomplete. So sad. Tonight we are off to a New Year's Eve Gala with the kids from Rudolph the Redhosed Reindeer. Thsi picture is of her in one of her costumes. Wow. Here is the link to the Handbag blog. The images are down toward the bottom and are not for the easily offended...but what an amazing show!

And finally, our Christmas carol: The Wren Song

The wren, the wren, the king of all birds,
St. Stephen's Day was caught in the furze,
Although he was little his honour was great,
Jump up me lads and give him a treat.

Up with the kettle and down with the pan,
And give us a penny to bury the wren.

As I was going to Killenaule,
I met a wren upon the wall.
I took me stick and knocked him down,
And brought him in to Carrick Town.

Up with the kettle and down with the pan,
And give us a penny to bury the wren.

Droolin, Droolin, where�s your nest?
Tis in the bush that I love best
In the tree the holly tree,
Where all the boys do follow me.

Up with the kettle and down with the pan,
And give us a penny to bury the wren.

We followed the wren three miles or more,
Three mile or more three miles or more.
We followed the wren three miles or more,
At six o�clock in the morning.

Up with the kettle and down with the pan,
And give us a penny to bury the wren.

I have a little box under me arm,
Under me arm under me arm.
I have a little box under me arm,
A penny or tuppence would do it no harm.

Up with the kettle and down with the pan,
And give us a penny to bury the wren.

It is a surreal little tune I learned from the Chieftan's cd, The Bells Of Dublin. It seemed fitting to share after posting Trish's picture. I hope everyone enjoys New Year's Eve. Be safe.

apples and christmas

I remember sitting in the choir room at college as Shannon was trying to get through this melody. It is not easy to sing as far as melodies go. Here is an mp3 for you if you want to listen.

The tree of life my soul hath seen,
Laden with fruit, and always green
The trees of nature fruitless be
Compared to Christ the apple tree.

For happiness I long have sought,
And pleasure dearly I have bought:
I missed of all; but now I see
�Tis found in Christ the apple tree.

I�m weary with my former toil,
Here I will sit and rest awhile;
Under the shadow I will be,
Of Jesus Christ the apple tree

This fruit doth make my soul to thrive,
It keeps my dying faith alive;
Which makes my soul in haste to be
With Jesus Christ the apple tree.

It is one of my faves as well.

thursday morning

Coffee is brewing. I like this free range (what I call organic free trade) coffee that is being sold nowadays. It is good stuff. This morning is French Roast. I have a Sumatran bean in my freezer. I may take that out this weekend to mourn. I do not mean that to be silly. I am serious.

Trish is dozing. In a moment I will bring her coffee.
Last night we were out late to celebrate the birthday of one of the faculty here at the u of b-sc. Luke Shaefer is not quite near thirty, but it is getting close. We had dinner with he and his wife, and then went out to the Signature Lounge (96 stories up!) for drinks. I had coffee there too. Coffee is the new wine for 2005.

I will post a carol later today. I need to get ready for work now.

Oh! And the regular anglobaptist email is working again. Whew!

morgue

I had to go to the morgue today. This is the song that I found myself singing while preparing to body for viewing.

Steal Away
Steal away, steal away, steal away to Jesus,
Steal away, steal away home I ain't got long to stay here.

My Lord calls me,
He calls me by the thunder,
Trumpet sounds within-a my soul,
I ain't got long to stay here.

Steal away, steal away, steal away to Jesus,
Steal away, steal away home I ain't got long to stay here.

Green trees are a-bending,
Poor sinners stand a-trembling.
Trumpet sounds within-a my soul,
I ain't got long to stay here.

Steal away, steal away, steal away to Jesus,
Steal away, steal away home I ain't got long to stay here.

My Lord calls me,
He calls me by the lightning,
Trumpet sounds within-a my soul,
I ain't got long to stay here.

Steal away, steal away, steal away to Jesus,
Steal away, steal away home I ain't got long to stay here.

Sometimes it happens that way.

Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Colossians 3:12-14

horoscope

It is to laugh.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): "Irregularity and unpredictability
are important features of health," wrote John R. Van Eenwyk in
his *Quest* magazine article, "The Chaotic Dynamics of
Everyday Life." "On the other hand," he continued, "decreased
variability and accentuated periodicities are associated with
disease. Healthy systems don't want homeostasis. They want
chaos." Do you dare act as if this is true, Aquarius? Do you have
the courage to live with greater uncertainty, knowing that it's
good for you? The coming year will be a perfect time to figure
out how to change your mind in such a way so as to accomplish
this noble trick.

the wexford carol

This is another great one. I have had the pleasure of singing the solo bit on this one several times now. Wow. It is a stunning piece of music.

Good people all, this Christmas-time,
Consider well and bear in mind
What our good God for us has done
In sending his beloved Son.
With Mary holy we should pray
To God with love this Christmas day;
In Bethlehem upon that morn
There was a blessed Messiah born.

The night before that happy tide
The noble Virgin and her guide
Were long time seeking up and down
To find a lodging in the town.
But mark how all things came to pass;
From every door repelled alas!
As long foretold, their refuge all
Was but an humble ox's stall.

There were three wise men from afar
Directed by a glorious star,
And on they wandered night and day
Until they came where Jesus lay,
And when they came unto that place
Where our beloved Messiah was,
They humbly cast them at his feet,
With gifts of gold and incense sweet.

Near Bethlehem did shepherds keep
Their flocks of lambs and feeding sheep;
To whom God's angels did appear,
Which put the shepherds in great fear.
'Prepare and go', the angles said.
'To Bethlehem, be not afraid:
For there you'll find, this happy morn,
A princely babe, sweet Jesus born.

With thankful heart and joyful mind,
The shepherds went the babe to find,
And as God's angel had foretold,
They did our saviour Christ behold.
Within a manger he was laid,
And by his side the virgin maid,
Attending on the Lord of life,
Who came on earth to end all strife.

I first heard this tune in college...We sang it in the University Choir. Then the King's Singers came into my life. That is the version I have floating in my brain now. Simon Chilcot was the soloist. He has long since retired from the Singers, but I do recall his mellow tones quite fondly.

holy innocents

Susie reminded me what day this is. I was not even thinking about the Holy Innocents. Here is a more appropriate hymn than the last posted.

The Coventry Carol

Lullay, Thou little tiny Child,
By, by, lully, lullay.
Lullay, Thou little tiny Child.
By, by, lully, lullay.

O sisters, too, how may we do,
For to preserve this day;
This poor Youngling for whom we sing,
By, by, lully, lullay.

Herod the King, in his raging,
Charged he hath this day;
His men of might, in his own sight,
All children young, to slay.

Then woe is me, poor Child, for Thee,
And ever mourn and say;
For Thy parting, nor say nor sing,
By, by, lully, lullay.

Here is an interesting link to some information about the mystery plays.

a carol for the fourth day of christmas

This is one of my favorites. I imagine that this is a conflation between Christian and Celtic...or something like that. It is a way of looking into nature and finding something that reminds one of Christ...perhaps readdressing an older symbol or two. It is nifty.

The holly and the ivy,
When they are both full grown
Of all the trees that are in the wood
The holly bears the crown
O the rising of the sun
And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ
Sweet singing of the choir

The holly bears a blossom
As white as lily flower
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
To be our sweet Saviour
O the rising of the sun
And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ
Sweet singing of the choir

The holly bears a berry
As red as any blood
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
To do poor sinners good
O the rising of the sun
And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ
Sweet singing of the choir

The holly bears a prickle
As sharp as any thorn;
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
On Christmas Day in the morn.
O the rising of the sun
And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ
Sweet singing of the choir

The holly bears a bark
As bitter as any gall;
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
For to redeem us all.
O the rising of the sun
And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ
Sweet singing of the choir

The holly and the ivy
Now both are full well grown,
Of all the trees that are in the wood,
The holly bears the crown.
O the rising of the sun
And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ
Sweet singing of the choir

I'll keep posting these all season. What are your favorites? Are there any you did not get to sing this year that you wish you had?

oy....internet woes

As far as we can tell, at the most 2 comment spammers blasted Baltiblogs today, trying to hit it in the thousands and tens of thousands with comment spam.

Our servers can handle no problem roughly 500-750 comment requests a second. We can't handle more than that without the server locking up. Well, these spamming pricks hit us with 10 times that amount. And all on just a few blogs on Baltimore Blogs. It looks like they may of had some beef with some of those bloggers.

Yeah, it is like that. Read more if you want.

My email is down as well. If you want to reach me via email, please use g v h 3 r d (at) m s n (dot) c o m. I can send email through anglobaptist but cannot receive. Express simply says that there is no email for me...and it just ain't so! I have notified all parties. We shall see how long this trouble lasts.

a hymn for the third day of christmas

tune: Wer nur den lieben Gott
text: John L. Bell 2000 GIA Publications, Inc.

This is a new favorite at North Shore. We sang it yesterday and I thought of the earlier post about a "kiddocentric" Christmas.

Give us, this year, an adult Christmas,
since among adults first you came,
not in a creche or kindergarten
you showed your face and learned your name.
Then help our adult lives attest
that childlike trust you rekoned best.

Give us, this year, a worldly Christmas,
since it was to this world you came.
Sent to redeem all worldly matter
while structured in a human frame.
Then for creation let us share
your kindly gaze, your constant care.

Give us, this year, a peaceful Christmas,
since as the Prince of Peace you came.
Still jealous Herods call for slaughter,
still Caesars play their power game.
When will earthly politics portray
peace is no prize: peace is the way?

And give us time for you this Christmas,
since into time for us you came,
bringing the voice that forged creation
where it might gently say your name.
Then let our hearts rejoice and sing,
"Glory to God for everything!"

I am off to the hospital today. I have a double shift...8:30am - 12:30am. I am looking forward to seeing people, asking how Christmas was, seeing if a couple of my long-term folk are still in. I am not looking forward to being away from Trish. We have had a great three days with one another. I simply like the woman. That bodes well.

minister of defense

Reggie White, a fearsome defensive end for the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers who was one of the great players in NFL history, died Sunday. White turned 43 on Dec. 19.

link

or

link

continuing to talk with noz

This is an interesting essay/critique by The Rev Dr Giles Fraser, vicar of Putney and lecturer in philosophy at Wadham College, Oxford. To be honest, I know nothing else of this guy. But he had a bug up his butt and wrote something to make me think. Heh.

Tell me what you think, Noz!

Empires Prefer a Baby and the Cross to the Adult Jesus
From Constantine to Bush, power has needed to stifle a revolutionary message

by Giles Fraser

Every Sunday in church, Christians recite the Nicene Creed. "Who for us and for our salvation came down from heaven. And was incarnate of the Holy Ghost and of the Virgin Mary and was made man; was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate, suffered and was buried; and the third day rose again according to the Scriptures." It's the official summary of the Christian faith but, astonishingly, it jumps straight from birth to death, apparently indifferent to what happened in between.

Nicene Christianity is the religion of Christmas and Easter, the celebration of a Jesus who is either too young or too much in agony to shock us with his revolutionary rhetoric. The adult Christ who calls his followers to renounce wealth, power and violence is passed over in favor of the gurgling baby and the screaming victim. As such, Nicene Christianity is easily conscripted into a religion of convenience, with believers worshipping a gagged and glorified savior who has nothing to say about how we use our money or whether or not we go to war.

Christianity became the official religion of the Roman empire with the conversion of the emperor Constantine in 312, after which the church began to back pedal on the more radical demands of the adult Christ. The Nicene Creed was composed in 325 under the sponsorship of Constantine. It was Constantine who decided that December 25 was to be the date on which Christians were to celebrate the birth of Christ and it was Constantine who ordered the building of the Church of the Nativity at Bethlehem. Christmas - a festival completely unknown to the early church - was invented by the Roman emperor. And from Constantine onwards, the radical Christ worshipped by the early church would be pushed to the margins of Christian history to be replaced with the infinitely more accommodating religion of the baby and the cross.

The adult Jesus described his mission as being to "preach good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the captives and to set at liberty those who are oppressed". He insisted that the social outcast be loved and cared for, and that the rich have less chance of getting into heaven than a camel has of getting through the eye of a needle. Jesus set out to destroy the imprisoning obligations of debt, speaking instead of forgiveness and the redistribution of wealth. He was accused of blasphemy for attacking the religious authorities as self-serving and hypocritical.

In contrast, the Nicene religion of the baby and the cross gives us Christianity without the politics. The Posh and Becks nativity scene is the perfect tableau into which to place this Nicene baby, for like the much-lauded celebrity, this Christ is there to be gazed upon and adored - but not to be heard or heeded. In a similar vein, modern evangelical choruses offer wave upon wave of praise to the name of Jesus, but offer little political or economic content to trouble his adoring fans.

Yet despite the silence of the baby, it should be perfectly obvious to anyone who has actually read the Christmas stories that the gospel regards the incarnation as challenging the existing order. The pregnant Mary anticipates Christ's birth with some fiery political theology: God "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", she blazes. Born among farm laborers, yet worshipped by kings, Christ announces an astonishing reversal of political authority. The local imperial stooge, King Herod, is so threatened by rumors of his birth that he sends troops to Bethlehem to find the child and kill him. Herod recognized that to claim Jesus is lord and king is to say that Caesar isn't. Christ's birth is not a silent night - it's the beginning of a revolution that threatened to undermine the whole basis of Roman power.

Little wonder, then, that influential US Christian commentator Jim Wallis created a storm earlier in the year when he penned an attack upon "Bush's theology of empire", helpfully illustrated with a picture of Bush made up to look like the emperor Constantine. "Once there was Rome, now there is a new Rome," argued Wallis.

Constantine was converted to Christianity by a vision that came to him on the eve of the battle of Milvian Bridge: "He saw with his own eyes, up in the sky and resting over the sun, a cross-shaped trophy formed from light, and a text attached to it which said, 'By this sign, conquer' ". Soon the cross would morph from being a hated symbol of Roman brutality into the universally recognizable logo of the Holy Roman Empire. Within a century, St Augustine would develop the novel idea of just war, trimming the church's originally pacifist message to the needs of the imperial war machine.

Like Constantine, George Bush has borrowed the language of Christianity to support and justify his military ambition. And just like that of Constantine, the Christianity of this new Rome offers another carefully edited version of the Bible. Once again, the religion that speaks of forgiving enemies and turning the other cheek is pressed into military service.

The story of Christmas, properly understood, asserts that God is not best imagined as an all-powerful despot but as a vulnerable and pathetic child. It's a statement about the nature of divine power. But in the hands of conservative theologians, the Nicene religion of the baby and the cross is a way of distracting attention away from the teachings of Christ. It's a form of religion that concentrates on things like belief in the virgin birth while ignoring the fact that the gospels are much more concerned about the treatment of the poor and the forgiveness of enemies.

Bush may have claimed that "Jesus Christ changed my life", but Jesus doesn't seem to have changed his politics. As the carol reminds us: "And man at war with man hears not the love song that they bring, O hush the noise ye men of strife and hear the angels sing."

� Copyright 2004 Guardian Newspapers

white christmas

Growing up in Virginia meant that Christmas was seldom snowy. If you were to live in the mountains you may be so fortunate. I always wished for it. Moving to Chicago eight years ago has been great for the whole "I wish I knew what a white Christmas was like" jones. So, yesterday when we woke up, Trish exclaimed "It's snowing! It's so beautiful." Yeah, it is. It was. I am glad that we did not receive the rumored 18". That may not have been so beautiful.

Our first Christmas together was outstanding. Santa and all his quirky elves were more than generous this year. I am listening to the new U2 cd as I type this. I think it is grand. There is a Ray Charles cd and a Lyle Lovett cd under the tree as well. I dumped them into the computer first thing. How I love music.

O, how I love my new slippers,
...green and soft,
My clergy shirts are fine to be sure
...foreboding black, the color of hope.
The other gifts are whimsical, thoughtful,
...kind and, thankfully, literary.
The snow fell again last night,
...crisp on the ground, the streets.
The sky promises more today.
...more snow for dreams and prayers.

-Berlin

I'm dreaming of a White Christmas
Just like the ones I used to know
Where the treetops glisten
and children listen
To hear sleigh bells in the snow.

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas
With every Christmas card I write
May your days be merry and bright
And may all your Christmases be white.

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas
With every Christmas card I write
May your days be merry and bright
And may all your Christmases be white.

Oh, here are the lyrics to a song on the Lyle cd.

I love my wife.

Cute as a Bug

Interstate 610
Highway 45
A sun-drunk redneck
Barely left me alive

That's when I saw her
Singin' and laughin'
Tryin' to pass me
In a Volkswagen

She's as cute as a Bug
Short as a minute
She's a pretty little package with
Everything in it
I've said enough
To praise God above
I'm crazy in love
She's as cute as a Bug

Playin' at the rodeo
Lots of people I don't know
Better ask around I guess
And try to stay behind this mess

Mister, have you seen that car?
Blowing like a hurricane
I hope she hadn't gone too far
I don't even know her name

She's as cute as a Bug
Short as a minute
She's a pretty little package with
Everything in it
I've said enough
To praise God above
I'm crazy in love
She's as cute as a Bug

Heading up north I will
Come through Huntsville
Trinity and Palestine
I'm going back to Tennessee

Lookin' through my windshield
I can still see her
Man, I got a bad case
Of Volkswagen fever

She's as cute as a Bug
Short as a minute
She's a pretty little package with
Everything in it
I've said enough
To praise God above
I'm crazy in love
She's as cute as a Bug

Cute as a Bug
Short as a minute
She's a pretty little package with
Everything in it
I've said enough
To praise God above
I'm crazy in love
She's as cute as a Bug

silent night

On Dec. 25, 1818, ''Silent Night'' was performed for the first time, at the Church of St. Nikolaus in Oberndorff, Austria.

Silent night, holy night,
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon virgin mother and Child.
Holy Infant, so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace.

Silent night, holy night,
Shepherds quake at the sight;
Glories stream from heaven afar,
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!
Christ the Savior is born,
Christ the Savior is born!

Silent night, holy night,
Son of God, love�s pure light;
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth,
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth.

Silent night, holy night
Wondrous star, lend thy light;
With the angels let us sing,
Alleluia to our King;
Christ the Savior is born,
Christ the Savior is born!

an alternate translation

Holy night, peaceful night!
Through the darkness beams a light
There, where they sweet vigils keep
O�er the Babe in silent sleep;
Resting in heavenly peace,
Resting in heavenly peace.

Silent night, holiest night!
Darkness flies and all is light!
Shepherds hear the angels sing;
�Hallelujah! hail the King!
Jesus, the Savior is here,
Jesus, the Savior is here.�

Holiest night, peaceful night!
Child of heaven, O how bright
Thou didst smile when Thou was born;
Bless�d was that happy morn,
Full of heavenly joy,
Full of heavenly joy.

another alternate translation

Translated from German to English by Jane M. Camp�bell, 1863.

Holy night! Peaceful Night!
All is dark, save the light
Yonder where they sweet vigil keep
O�er the Babe who in silent sleep
Rests in heavenly peace,
Rests in heavenly peace.

Holy Night! Peaceful Night!
Only for shepherds� sight
Came blest visions of angel throngs,
With their loud alleluia songs,
Saying, Christ is come,
Saying, Christ is come.

Kudos to cyberhymnal.org.

darkness...and light

Light a candle tonight. In the darkness, in a desert, an angel proclaims, a star shines...a babe to be born this eve. The dark is all we see for now, unaware that a light from heaven glows, radiant love, freeing grace...

...and in a manger, a blessed babe will be born, a king in swadling clothes, a child savior, God with us, true light from true light.

Light a candle in the darkness. Prepare yourself. Find God born in our midst.

Sweet little Jesus boy, they made You be born in a manger Sweet little Holy Child, We didn't know who You were. Sweet little Jesus boy, they made You be born in a manger Sweet little Holy Child, We didn't know who You were. We didn't know who You were.

Didn't know You'd come to save us Lord;
To take our sins away,
Our eyes were blind we could not see,
We didn't know who You were.
We didn't know who You were.

Long time ago You were born
Born in a manger low sweet little Jesus boy.
The world treats You mean Lord, treats me mean too
But that's how it is down here;
We don't know who You are.

You have told us how, we are trying.
Master You have shown us how even when You were dying.
Just seem like we can't do right, look how we treated You.
But please Sir, forgive us Lord
We didn't know it was You.
We didn't know it was You.
Sweet little Jesus boy born long time ago
Sweet little Holy Child,
We didn't know who You were.

christmas eve

Happy Day!

O frabjous day, caloo calay!

I muse. I wonder. I wonder as I wander...or maybe not in that order? Sunni has been wondering. She is thinking aloud if you will and I like what she has to say. It is a good challenge and a good reality check. Stacy gives a more traditional take that I also value. She "performs theology" well in the way she shares Christmas with her daughter. It is a generous witness. That she feels somewhat inhibited about posting her thoughts on my blog is worth pondering in the New Year.

Oh, Thomas has penned his final advent poem. He is gifted.

Adventus (V)

o come o come today let
me speak and give me
my confession cut from my chest
this heart lamenting

and lamentable as a dead dog
frozen in some dirty snow
yes come and besot
me root and shoot and throne

o that to gain all we must ever
stoop and crawl through
such a narrow door

o that you would tarry not
the night has not yet
obscured our transitory noon

- by Thomas

So, as it has been for 1,700 years or so, today is the eve of the Nativity...God makes himself known to humanity in flesh and love and a great desire to bring us all into a divine embrace. This is the truth of every day. It is not a theology for a single day or season of twelve days. It is the Truth of our very being.

Peace and all good things to you as you celebrate this evening. Trish and I will be at yet another white elephant party. At 10:30 I will be off to sing at North Shore Baptist for the Christmas Eve service. It is a scaled down lessons and carols. I am looking forward to it.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmaunuel shall come to thee, O Israel!

"kiddocentric"

I think I like that word. I saw it over at Mr. Noz Esq's site. It gets to the heart of Christmas in America for me. The good Esquire has opened up some more thinking about Christmas and I wanted to throw my two cents in.

Now, let me state something before I rant. I have never had an Evil Christmas Experience. My family has always, even in the midst of difficulty, tried to make Christmas a time of generosity and family. As a child. I always looked forward to Christmas with great anticipation. I would get stuff. We would eat stuff. We would see family. We would get more stuff. There was love, food and glorious stuff. It was great. I like it. Would like to continue it. Not a complaint to be had.

Then I started to take Christianity seriously. Now I take it so seriously that I am a Professional Christian! Who knew? I am a Baptist minister. I serve as a hospital chaplain and as one of three pastors in a church start in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago. Most who read this blog know these things. Someone who links from Noz's site might not...thus the bio.

And the bio is important to reiterate to the rest of you. You see, Jesus was never, at least not that I recall, in any aspect of our family Christmas observance. We would put a Santa on the top of the tree. I would wait expectantly for Rudolph and the other Christmas specials to come on television. I remember playing with my smurfs under the Christmas tree. I do not think we ever read Luke on a Christmas morn. I am certain that we never went to a Christmas service. So now as a Christian, I am finding I have to reinterpret all of the symbols with a new meaning.

This should be exciting work, but it is not. Again, not because I have some bad associations about Christmas trees (e.g. The tree fell on my younger brother, lit the couch on fire and burned up all our stuff...that would be bad. That did not happen.) or anything, but it all begins to seem somewhat silly. Christmas shows up in October. It's popular meaning is unclear. I engage this stuff and wonder why...Why are we doing this? Is it really because we recognise collectively that the Incarnation is the only reason why we have any relationship with God at all? Or is it that our economy needs it, we like ham and that Rankin-Bass did great work with puppets? As incredibly silly as it may seem, as obsessive as it may seem, I do have trouble with it.

Now, I am not all about Christians "rescuing" Christmas from secularism. When a tradition adopts the symbols from another tradition, we should expect conflation, confusion and even ignorance of why we do the things we do. So, I don't want to reclaim anything. And, to be honest, I am trying to find ways to get past my own hang-up's so I can enjoy my first Christmas as a Married Guy. My wife and I have an 8' tree up in the livingroom. We have decorated it to within an inch of our cats' lives. There are stockings hung. I have purchased gifts for her and other family. I have been singing happy Victorian songs about Jesus and Father Christmas. I am in the Christmas zone.

And yet.

We still don't talk about Jesus. Not really. It is still not a habit and when I try to talk about Jesus in the midst of this holiday, I find the decorations ostentatious. I find it all misplaced somehow. Not really sure why. But there it is. Somehow Jesus does not belong in Christmas. How the frick frack did that happen?!

I'll do some more thinking about this and blog again. In the meanwhile: Merry Christmas. Play with your kids. It is a kiddocentric holiday! Drink the Nog. Hang stockings. Wrap gifts. Have fun. When I figure out how Jesus fits in, I'll get back to you.

Wednesday

Today is another cold one. The wind chill factor should keep us well into the negative degrees all day. I am a little afraid to check and see what we are looking at right now. It has been cool, to say the least. I know that the South and MidAtlantic states have been struggling with the cold as well. The Blue Ridge Blogger has posted some great photos of the snow and cold there. Outstanding stuff.

Today the hospital celebrates Christmas. Our service is at noon. I will be picking up Al from One of the Girls fame to join us. His banjo and my mandolin will add a little zing to Go Tell It On The Mountain. I am looking forward to it.

I posted a few more wedding photos in the Blog Album. My Flickr account is all full up for the month, so I cannot add photos there right now. I'll have to wait. But take a look at those photos. I like the ones of Kate and Larry.

Micah has been sharing with me how his thesis is coming together...finally. I too need to crack down. I need to work before it has all left my head. I had hopped that I would get it all done by Christmas, but I seem to have not followed that deadline. Huh. Frustrating. I bug me sometimes.

And, finally, the Top Five list is growing. Bob has been hard at work bothering Emergent people (How I became Emeregent I am not so sure) who blog to send him their top five posts from this past year. I had to hunt a bit and picked three that drummed up some conversation (sex and art and faith), one that was a sermon (U2), and one that simply made me laugh out loud when I reread the comments. Take a look if you are interested.

finding a vein on the train

This is an amazing picture. It disturbs me greatly and that is why I am sharing it. I have never taken drugs...at least not of this variety and I am more grateful than any of you can imagine.

But I can see myself in this picture somehow. Oblivion. It is the answer some people find to manage their troubles. Sometimes oblivion finds them. They are not managing anything. They are being managed. That is the thing about addiction. It is a loss of control thinly veiled in a sense of control. I don't know what these guys are thinking, but I know of some people who think of shooting up as an act of control. That is scandalous to say the least.

At this moment I am grateful for Flickr and to BombDog, whoever he is, for posting this picture in his photostream. Outstanding.

monday

I am blogging before I leave work. I have a couple of minutes to sit back and relax a little before things go haywire (translation: rush hour) and I start screaming at the poor people in the cars around me. The only comfort I find in rush hour is that it is a culturally accepted oxymoron. It is neither rushed nor an hour. It is tediously slow and lasts about four hours. Somehow that is humerous and I find it comforting.

***

There is this guy names Sergio who sells newspapers at the intersection of Lincoln and Peterson in the city. He is kind, always has something pleasant to say and recognises my car when I pull up. I try to buy my newspapers from him. It is a joy. What does one purchase for such a fellow at Christmas?

***

I have one or two more gifts to purchase. I am not particularly good this year. I don't know why. Lazy? Uncharitable? Perhaps. More than likely it is because I have yet to realize that Christmas is this weekend. It is such the BIG DEAL NON HOLIDAY for me this year. I cannot seem to find Jesus in the midst of the hubub, and when I do stumble upon the manger, it feels quite unseemly to set up all those lights when Jesus is trying to sleep. Never wake a sleeping baby. That may be even more true if that baby has Vast Cosmic Powers.

***

I am counting down the seconds before I am through on the fourth floor surgical unit. On January third I will begin working in Critical Care. More than likely, I will work in a couple of the ICU's. I will miss Four East tremendously. They are all so dear to me.

***

There is a heated conversation at the Reconciler site. Very cool.

***
Trish and I are attending a party this evening at a new friend's house. His name is Kevin. He is a musician and is in Cinderella with Trish. It is to be a carrol sing. Excellent. I have not had enough carroling in years. I wonder if there are enough good singers that we can do some of the more complicated stuff. That would be nice.

***

My headache is starting to go away. This is good as well.

And that is all the news that is fit to print. Nevermind the Post, Times, Tribune, Dispatch, Trumpet, Strumpet, Gazette, Daily, Herald and all that other stuff. This is the news people. Everything else is, well, everything else.

We are so very postmodern, aren't we?

come I this day

Come I This Day

Come I this day to the Father,
Come I this day to the Son,
Come I to the Holy Spirit powerful;
Come I this day with God,
Come I this day with Christ,
Come I with the Spirit of kindly balm.

God and Spirit of Jesus,
From the crown of my head
To the soles of my feet;
Come I with my reputation,
Come I with my testimony,
Come I to you, Jesu;
Jesu shelter me.

a first glimpse

There has been a lot of hubub lately about the place of Christmas in American society. It is being said that since conservative Christian America "won the election," the debate about the place of Christmas in our culture has resurfaced.

This link is to a recent NY Times article. It is an interesting one.

Follow this link to read something Cliff emailed. I would be curious to know what you all think.

For me, the so-called debate all hinges on culture. There is so much talk about diversity in our day that we forget that one could claim that Christmas is (has been?) an American Cultural holiday. Christian religious under/overtones or not, I know Hindus who put up a tree in order to feel "more American." So, in the midst of Christmas may be a culture war, or a conflation of cultures or, like the celebration of the Virgin of Guadalupe in Mexico, the borrowing of religious images/stories to express general cultural mores or national identity.

it begins

It is snowing...well, it is just beginning to. There are scattered flakes falling. The weather report suggests that we will see a few inches overnight. O, how I love the snow. It has always served to calm me. It is gentle and quiet and somehow warm in spite of the meteorological reality. A "blanket of newfallen snow" is apt somehow.

The service at the cathedral was wonderful. To witness all those priests gathered around the ordinands was powerful. There was much grace. The sermon was grand. The weather friendly. The music splendid.

I look forward to hearing from Susie, Todd and The Sac!

So, snow falls on the streets of Chicago. Grace decends, changing what we see, transforming our world, comforting it with God's love. Peace and grace be to the hands of all God's servants this day and all days.

Amen.

hail thee, festival day!

So, we have just a few ordinations upon us.

The Rev Ref and the Sacristan are to be ordained.
The Rev will be ordained in just a few hours in Montana.
The Great Sac wil be ordained this week in Mississippi.
Congratulations, Todd and Jeff!
Veni Sancte Spiritus!

The Nueva Cantora is being ordained a deacon by Bishop Gibbs.
This too is wondrous news.
How I wish I could be in more than one place at a time.
Congratulations, Susie!
Veni Sancte Spiritus!

The man in the blue clergy shirt is Charlie.
Behind hin in a clergy collar is Bob.
They are to be ordained along with just a few others today in Chicago.
I will be there.
Congratulations, all!
Veni Sancte Spiritus!

This is the picture of Teresa I wanted to post yesterday.
Props to Wes for helping me out.
Psalm 150

1 Praise the LORD!
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty firmament!*
2 Praise him for his mighty deeds;
praise him according to his surpassing greatness!

3 Praise him with trumpet sound;
praise him with lute and harp!
4 Praise him with tambourine and dance;
praise him with strings and pipe!
5 Praise him with clanging cymbals;
praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
6 Let everything that breathes praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD!

anamnesis

It is done.

Peace.

This is my friend Teresa

This is my friend Teresa and one of her colleagues, Adam. She sent me this picture a while ago. I have a couple of other images I would rather show you, but the bmp format is unfriendly to Flickr.

She sent this email to me this week. I am so proud of her, I could spit. This is amazing. There is much to pray for.

I have been asked to premiere two new pieces in a showcase in May '05 at the Lincoln Center by a company called DanceWorks Inc. The theatre space is in the Rose Building at Lincoln Center, where the NYC Ballet is housed.

I am very excited. I am using the flute piece and the trio piece (clarinet, cello and piano) that I worked on this past semester in comp class. The flute piece is going to be a Pas de Deux -- On Pointe modern ballet. The trio -- a modern dance piece...

Giada Ferrone, the ballet choreographer I want to choreograph, called last week and wants to do it. In January, we just have to make sure her schedule is going to work out with rehearsals.

I am going to have to work out the logistics in January '05 for everything. I leave for VA this Friday for a 10 day visit. Yeah!

I'm hoping I can at least speak with the director of the showcase before I leave for holiday to ask some general questions such as how to schedule rehearsals at City Center.

Over Christmas holiday: work on flute & trio pieces; work on grant proposals

So, my Jan. list is:

Pas de Deux piece:
solidify plans with Giada
find ballet dancers --- check American Ballet Studio dancers/ Juilliard's/
Joffrey 1 male, 1 female
flute player -- see if Miryoung can do it.

Trio piece:
ask Jill to collaborate on choreography.
Check if Jordan dancers interested
Ask Ursel if she & her friends interested in doing music for trio piece- if so, schedule rehearsal blocks

Set recording dates for both pieces. Ask studio about doing flute piece on 4 tracks -- is editing going to be a bitch if I do it that way?
Meet with Jonathan Dawe to look over my pieces - music
Get music out to musicians

She said I could post it. This is an abridgement of several emails. All I can think of when I read this is how we used to sit around at Richmond Hill and play guitars together. Amazing, I am elated for her.

Here is a picture of Ursel.

So, pray for success with the show, continued joy in creativity and enthusiasm in collaberation.

Peace and all good things, Teresa. Thank you for including me in this work.

vigil

Cliff has been posting about Delane. Please read his latest post.

Hospital staff, family and friends are keeping vigil.

Please keep them all in your prayers.

crystal what?

In Chicago lately there has been a lot of talk about meth labs. What are these people worried about?! There is another, more pressing problem out there. Actually, itis on my diningroom table!

Go get Sarah. She's making crack.

You should too.

Eva Jersild's Pebbernodder

This makes a stiff, heavy dough that, by the third cup of flour, is difficult to mix. I've burned out more than one hand mixer during pebbernodder season. Grandma Jersild use to do it all by hand.

1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 cup butter
1 egg
1 tablespoon molasses
3 cups flour
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cardamom
1 teaspoon cloves
pinch pepper

Cream together brown sugar, butter and molasses. Add egg and mix.

Sift together flour and spices. Gradually add to butter mixture, beating until combined.

Chill dough until firm and easy to work with. Pinch off palm-sized piece and roll into a strip about the width of a pencil. Chop into half-inch pieces. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes, or until the bottoms are golden brown.

Cookies are crack, people!!

armageddon

I have seen the dark side of a man,
When he takes it upon himself with a gun in his hand,
Blinded by rage, infected with hate,
Know's that he's right and he ain't got time to wait.

There's a prince in the pulpit and he never knew a rainy day.
He's gonna send you to die and you ain't got much to say.
Sometimes I wonder just what's in store.
Is a Armageddon knockin' at my door?

Take a look my brother, tell me what you see.
If everybody's fightin' then how can they be free?
Tell me what you aim to do when it comes down to you.
Will you stand up for what you know is true?

There's a prince in the pulpit and he never knew a rainy day.
He's gonna send you to die and you ain't got much to say.
Sometimes I wonder just what's in store.
Is a Armageddon knockin' at my door?

taize

This is a great resourse.

link

I did not realize that Taize had this available on their website. All ye who come to Reconciler should be warned. The more Taize the better as far as I am concerned. Laudate Dominum, indeed!

We are currently singing this refrain before the reading of the gospel.

These are glorious and simple. Some are so common that people will simply break into parts without coaching or encouragement. Wonderful. The term "meditative singing" is used to describe the discipline. There is a gift in repetition.

Something very interesting at Taiz� is that this formula of calming repetition has been taken up in the liturgy; that is, it is not used only in personal prayer, but also in prayer together or common prayer. Some young people, who know almost nothing of mystery, are introduced to it here, and they begin to learn how to pray. - Olivier Cl�ment

I hope that all have found a discipline of prayer this Advent. I find it a meaningful way to enjoy the season.

flowers

If you look closely at theis photo, you will discover that a wedding ring resides on one of the petals. It is a great picture.

I have decided to take a cue from Cliff and post a wee series of thoughts on Christmas. You see, I am not a great fan of Christmas. This has nothing to do with some traumatic thing that happened...

...unless you think of becomming Christian as traumatic. Huh. Interesting. I had not thought of it that way.

Well, whatever the cause, it is the case that Christmas is hard for me. I experience a huge disconnect between reality and my faith life (as if they were different things). There are symbols at work in this time that contradict one another and I am finding that contradiction alive and kicking inside of me.

That's just a thought. I will post some more "serious" reflections this week.

I have posted more wedding images in the gallery. I seem to have used up my Flickr space for the month. I am not a "pro" like some people.

Peace and all good things to you all.

apologist? me? doubtful.

I have never even heard of these guys.

I am not entirely sure I understood the quiz. Heh.

You scored as Reformed/Presuppositional Apologist. You do apologetics in the tradition of reformed and presuppostional apologists. You may have considered going to Westminster to study theology. You've studies important works by Van Til, Francis Schaeffer, and Alvin Plantinga. Reformed/Presuppositional Apologist 53% Evidentialist 47% Classical Apologist 40% Fideist 27% Atheist 17% What kind of apologist are you? created with QuizFarm.com

pictures

You can go to the Blog Album or to the Flickr account all linked in the bar at the left for more of these photos.

I really enjoyed getting married. Being married is good too. Nice to know.

Where you there? I think this is great.

blogging by proxy?

I am not entirely sure that is possible, but since some would say that the way we are people is different when we enter into online communities, I thought I would try being Cliff today.

Please pray for Delane and the whle family. Cliff called last night at about eleven and things do not look good at all. Cliff is being a great support to his wife and her family in this time. I'd ask your prayers for him as well. He will be needing them for quite some time.

And in honor of Cliff, I would point you to this article (free registrations required) from the New York Times. Though my brother would say that the Times is a propagandist rag with no moral compas (Did I get that right?), I believe that he would draw your attention to this article and say something like, "See? See? I told you so! And these Times people would not know a mandate if it jumped up and bit 'em in the toochus! Hey, have I told you about Sofie and how she refers to that part of the human anatomy? You see..."

Anyway, here is a quote from the article. I think it is right on the money and the ACLU is a bit more hopeful than the statistical data warrants.

"It's like when the hijackers took over those four planes on Sept. 11 and took people to a place where they didn't want to go," she added. "I think a lot of people feel that liberals have taken our country somewhere we don't want to go. I think a lot more people realize this is our country and we're going to take it back."

Ah, Wisdom ascend indeed. I am worried for my brother. Anyone want to post on the Steeler's victory? I cannot bring myself to do it. I can post on conservative Christian politics, but I must draw the line somewhere. I love my brother, but that would be too much! I am only human.

trouble?

You know you are in trouble when...

...you come home to find a box of "feminine hygene products" and several bars of dark chocolate on the counter in the kitchen.

Yeah.

Sometimes its like that.

chicken nativity

Can you believe it?!

dinosaurs and your phone company

This was passed on by a friend...

fridey

Chattablogs has two comments for my last post and I cannot see them. This is frustrating. Dern spam. And to think that I used to eat spam sandwiches. Sigh. Maybe Hormel should rename their processed meat-like substance. I bet the current computer related definition is not helping their business much.

O how I hate what spam has done to posting on my blog. It is sad.

media bias or disillusionment?

This is a rant. Be warned.

Cliff posted something interesting. I would encourage you all to go read it. It is his reflection on the newly-revealed armor shortage in Iraq. He is claiming that the whole revelation to Rumsfeld was staged. With all due respect to my brother, I really do not think it matters that it is staged or that there is a media bias toward the left unless you work at Fox (*wink*). What I think matters is the outrage that many Americans express regarding the war. People seem surprised somehow that the death of a soldier is assumed when the President deploys the military.

Or are they? Am I being unfair somehow?

Now, I think that the current war we are in is the results of poor policy. That should be understood. That presents a certain bias. What I think what might be misunderstood about my position, however, is my pessimism. I deny that war is a valid form of international relating simply because it does not work, not because the death of soldiers is a tragedy. The death of soldiers is a foregone conclusion tragedy or no.

It is tragic. Yes. The people who suffer the loss of loved ones suffer in a way that I cannot begin to understand. However, any claims that our government has ever made about securing the safety of our soldiers is political smoke-blowing. They cannot promise such a thing. The government does not control the enemy and their ability to inflict harm. As imballanced as this conflict is, we are still in danger. War sucks. People are supposed to get killed.

This is why I actually think that Rumsfeld is right to have said what he said.

"You go to war with the army you have, not the army you might want or wish to have at a later time," he said.

You bet. No army can keep its soldiers safe. Armor shortage or not, their job is to be a soldier. The job of the soldier is to kill and/or be killed. That is the universal job description. It may be stated as "jihad" or "defending the constitution of the United States of America (AMEN)." The job description is the same no matter the intention or rhetoric. This is the army we have. It is areflection of the realities of qwar and the political/economic landscape of this country.

So, soldiers die. They do. They kill and they die. Jesus was much more pessimistic that I am. Those who live by the sword will die by the sword. He was much more causational than I wish to be. He makes it sound almost inevitable. I think people at the evry least get lucky and come home and die in their homes at ripe old ages.

So, let me stop circling the airport here. This is a rant. Be glad that this is even in English.

When the media gets a "scoop" about how well the military is supplied, none of us should be surprised to find out that there are shortages. Read your history, people. There are shortages in war. It is not a lab experiment. There is no www.warfare.com to help us to prepare for war. War bonds are in our history. We may yet see them again before we die. We have rationed. It is there. Have we forgotten?

When the government says "We are doing our best to ensure the safety of our brave men and women in the armed forces." we should always hear the subtext "But many will die. Many will kill on your behalf. We cannot bring them all home alive. It is impossible."

Some will spend their lives in physical pain.
Some will spend their lives in emotional pain.
Some will become great leaders.
Some wil become crooks.
Most will go back to their lives and pick up where they left off.

The reporters who think they have a scoop are simply having their eyes opened to the realities of war. To quote our President. "It is hard work." That is perhaps the understatement of the year. It is deadly work.

Bonhoeffer speaks about the importance of disillusionment in the spiritual journey about the community that is The Church. This way one knows where sin is and one can repent and be forgiven...one can forgive only when disillusionment is achieved. It is difficult and painful, but necessary. The same rule applies in any community. Only when we slough off the illusions can we develop helpful policies, fight the true wars out there, and govern (be goverened) with any integrity at all.

Shake off the illusions, people. This war is like all the rest. Why is any of this "new-s"? Report the goings on. There is nothing new here.

janeism

Okay, I have always liked this idea. How have others tweaked their traditions to be a little more simple in their giving, a little more aware of our wealth?

One of my favorite Jens announced recently that she's blowing off Christmas. She's not giving gifts, period. Instead of filling corporate coffers with her hard-earned cash to give people gifts they don't need, she's baking cookies, volunteering, and telling people she loves them. She's never been happier.

This completely rocks.

We've been paring back over the past few years, but I'd like to see us follow Jen's lead even more. We've already traded "stuff" gifts for a habit of giving "event" gifts -- theatre or concert tickets, for example. Sarah's parents are going to get a doggy boot camp gift certificate from all the kids this year because they have a houseful of crap and an unruly mutt. We're scaling back our gift exchange list, and those who are still on it are getting my BBQ rub or some home-made spiced nuts. We set a limit for gifts for each other, then trimmed it back again when it seemed out of hand.

We just don't need stuff, you know? Sure, I had fun three years ago sitting under the tree and assembling my Harry Potter Legos, but have I played with them since? No, they're in a bucket awaiting Katie's nimble fingers in a few years. I love the magazine subscriptions I get, and every year a few books survive the transition from under the tree to the bedside table to the bookshelf. The rest I sell to the used bookstore or donate, along with other random gifts. I'm even second-guessing the parakeets and figuring what I need more is a new business suit or at least some new khakis.

We're Americans (like it or not). Generally, we have everything we need, and we don't actually need most of what we want. So let's celebrate Jen-style this year. - Janeism

lunch break

Struggling along today. I am finally awake for the first time in four days. This is a welcome change. I have visited several patients. People are hanging in there. I have saved a couple of challenging cases for this afternoon. That should be enjoyable. At four I will go to my cubicle to check email again. Then I will be on the road by five to go home.

It is still a wearisome day. I like my patients, but emotionally I feel like I am slogging through a swamp. I have been thinking about Uncle Billy and the toll his death is taking on my father and his generation in our family. I have been gradually pulling myself away from the unit so that I can leave at the end of this month. It is a precarious process. It is a grieving of sorts. I have only begun to think about it much less express any real emotion around it. I will have to get good at this, however, I will do it two more times...then there is the life of the pastor who comes and goes, nurtures and leaves the congregation. It is just the nature of it all. I have been invited into an intimate space. It is a generous gift that appears to have a finite limit to it. Sad.

I have also been working through some thinking about the church plant. Things are going very well and I love the work. My colleagues are brilliant. I am a whiner. I am struggling with Baptist identity in the midst of this ecumenical effort. I imagine we all are struggling to some degree. I am just feeling it today.

This Friday I will be singing at North Shore Baptist Church. The choir is performing some Oratorio. I do not know which. I will find out tonight at rehearsal.

If you know of a good Irish pub or bar that is looking for a live act to appear regularly, let me know. One of the Girls is looking. We have been practicing and have several new tunes to share.

Peace and all good things,

advent and waiting: weekly blog update

Waiting is not a very popular attitude. In fact, most people consider waiting a waste of time. Perhaps this is because the culture in which we live is basically saying, �Get going! Do something! Show you are able to make a difference! Don�t just sit there and wait!� For many people, waiting is an awful desert between where they are and where they want to go. And people do not like such a place. They want to get out of it by doing something.

In our particular historical situation, waiting is even more difficult because we are so fearful. One of the most pervasive emotions in the atmosphere around us is fear. People are afraid � afraid of inner feelings, afraid of other people, and also afraid of the future. And fearful people have a hard time waiting.

-Henri Nouwen

Good morning. I just thought I would toss a few links your way. There is a lot of good stuff out there lately.

Sermons: Reverend Ref has a good sermon on the Advent II lectionary. Larry posted his sermon as well. I like his challenge regarding repentance and reconciliation. Mark posted his. Light and Darkness.

Liturgy/Vestments: The Ref again...He posted on something his daughter said regarding the small communion cups some traditions use instead of a common cup. "How cute!" The conversation quickly went into the realm of differing theologies surrounding communion. Fun.

Ryan, too, had some questions about liturgy, but more specifically about vestments this time. So, Ryan, have we figured out what a maniple is for yet?

Here are a few links to some newly discovered blogs that I think I like.
Shiny Things
Today's Gospel Insights
The Next Voice You Hear
Nomadic Fusion

And there you go. That is my little update for today. Peace.

(Oh! You can read Reconciler's update here if you are interested. We email these updates out weekly. Let me know if you would like to be included.)

suo gan

Pray for the soul of William Douglas Hudgins, Sr. He was my great-uncle. He passed away this morning. He was a good man...funny as the day is long. Wow. I'll share a story later. In the meanwhile, I thought I'd post a lullaby for Uncle Billy.

Suo Gan

Huna blentyn yn fy mynwes,
Clyd a chynnes ydyw hon;
Breichiau mam sy'n dyn am danat,
Cariad mam sy dan fy mron;
Ni cha dim amharu'th gyntun,
Ni wna undyn � thi gam;
Huna'n dawel, anwyl blentyn,
Huna'n fwyn ar fron dy fam.

Huna'n dawel, heno, huna,
Huna'n fwyn, y tlws ei lun;
Pam yr wyt yn awr yn gwenu,
Gwenu'n dirion yn dy hun?
Ai angylion fry sy'n gwenu,
Arnat ti yn gwenu'n llon,
Tithau'n gwenu'n ol dan huno,
Huno'n dawel ar fy mron?

Paid ag ofni, dim ond deilen
Gura, gura ar y ddor;
Paid ag ofni, ton fach unig
Sua, sua ar lan y mor;
Huna blentyn, nid oes yma
Ddim i roddi iti fraw;
Gwena'n dawel yn fy mynwes
Ar yr engyl gwynion draw.

Sleep my baby, at my breast, 'Tis a mother�s arms round you. Make yourself a snug, warm nest. Feel my love forever new. Harm will not meet you in sleep, Hurt will always pass you by. Child beloved, always you�ll keep, In sleep gentle, mother�s breast nigh.

Sleep in peace tonight, sleep,
O sleep gently, what a sight.
A smile I see in slumber deep,
What visions make your face bright?
Are the angels above smiling,
At you in your peaceful rest?
Are you beaming back while in
Peaceful slumber on mother�s breast?

Do not fear the sound, it�s a breeze
Brushing leaves against the door.
Do not dread the murmurring seas,
Lonely waves washing the shore.
Sleep child mine, there�s nothing here,
While in slumber at my breast,
Angels smiling, have no fear,
Holy angels guard your rest.

There are some Christmas verses as well.

Holy Saviour, yet so tiny,
Mighty ruler, yet so small.
Infant lowly, born so humbly,
Yet Redeemer of us all.
Now the angels sing to greet thee,
God is with us, here on earth.
With the shepherds and the Wise Men,
Come to see his holy birth

Holy Jesus in a manger,
Little baby in a stall,
Infant holy, God's Messiah,
Born to suffer for us all;
Angels bending o'er the cradle,
God's Anointed from on high,
Blessed Mary watches o'er you
Singing sweetly "lullaby".
Blessed Mary watches o'er you
Singing sweetly "lullaby."

I just thought I'd share this with you guys. This is one of my favorite songs. I sometimes hum it to myself when no one is around. Do you have one of those? Can anyone send me a Welsh pronunciation guide? I have a Gaelic guide, but not Welsh. Keep my family in your prayers. Uncle Billy's funeral is Thursday. My father said, "That makes me the patriarch now, I guess." I replied, "Does Aunt Virginia know that? She might kick your ass if you try to muscle in on her territory." Daddy laughed and told me a story about how frightening Aunt Virginia could be. Yeah. Peace to Uncle Billy...and healing to his wife, Virginia.

Here is the obituary from the Richmond paper.

William D. "Bill" Hudgins Sr., 83, of Richmond, died December 7, 2004. He was preceded in death by two brothers, George Hudgins and Gilbert Lee Hudgins. Survivors include his wife, Virginia Mason Hudgins; two sons, William Douglas "Doug" Hudgins Jr. and his wife, Brenda, and Kenneth Mason Hudgins and his wife, Deven "Dee Dee"; five grandchildren, Shelley Blanks and her husband, Mike, Jennifer Hudgins, William Douglas Hudgins III, Matthew Hudgins, and Kelly Hudgins; and two great-grandchildren, Michael Blanks and Ainsley Blanks. Mr. Hudgins was a veteran of the U.S. Army, 29th Division with service during WWII. He participated in the Invasion of Normandy. His remains rest at the Huguenot Chapel of Woody Funeral Home, 1020 Huguenot Road, where the family will receive friends from 2 to 4 p.m. Wednesday. Funeral services will be held 2 p.m. Thursday at Reveille United Methodist Church. Interment Westhampton Memorial Park.

"poop it out"

I love the hospital sometimes. It is these little phrases that make me laugh. How does a medical doctor speak to a 40-year old patient about having a bowel movement?

poop it out

Lordy this makes me laugh. Now, understand that I do not want to make light of the patient's situation nor the attempt of the doctor to be inoffensive in the midst of someone's pain. Kudos. Really. Still, it was very difficult not to turn into either Beavis or Butthead in this situation. I am tired and my sense of tact goes the way of correct spelling...scattered, base, carelessly tossed aside like old gym socks with the green and yellow stripes at the top.

In other foolisness, I may be moving this blog to anglobaptist.org come January. That will be a grand day. If I can get it all worked out, I will have some guest authors that first month as well. I'll keep you all posted. I know you are waiting with bated breath. Oh, yeah, it has nothing to do with the recent outages here at chattablogs. I have been looking to make this move for a while now. I am glad to finally get it done.

Still more foolishness: Trish and I set up the tree last night. I learned one or two things about tree lighting from Real Simple, Trish's favorite magazine and "ideas for the home" people. They suggest that one should string one's Christmas lights vertically, not in a horizontal spiral around the tree. This alternative way creates "3-dimensionality" (Yeah, I know.) and reduces tangles. It would seem that some big place in New York does it this way. Ooo. Ahh. Friggin' New York. Theresa, would you explain this phenomenon to me? What is the Big Deal with New York?

I know. Size matters in cities. Bigger is better. Same with Christmas trees...or is it?

Size matters: Before you head out to pick your tree, make sure to measure the space you've got. This means width and height. Kids will always push for a bigger one�but staying comfortably within the size limit will not only ensure your tree looks better, but will keep it healthier too.

Anyway...

I am so glad that my tree is finally in 3-D. Years of a two-dimensional Christmas tree are finally at an end!! John Calvin be praised! As fortold by the prohets, pre-ordained and scribbled in the Great Book, no more shall my tree be in 3-D! I say thee nay to two-dimensional trees! Nay!

Unless, of course, the NAACP is supporting a lobby for 2-D trees. Then, as a liberal, I will be forced to shun myself for my 3-D preferences. I am an oppressor of the two-dimensional.

Are your wearing those funky 3-D glasses? You should be. Otherwise this blog does not load rightly. The berries should jump off the screen onto your plate of cookies!

phos

O gracious light,
pure brightness of the everliving Father in heaven,
O Jesus Christ, holy and blessed!
Now as we come to the setting of the sun,
and our eyes behold the vesper light,
we sing your praises, O God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
You are worthy at all times to be praised by happy voices,
O Son of God, O Giver of Life,
and to be glorified through all the worlds.

Now may the Spirit of God,
who brooded over the waters
and brought order out of chaos,
find a home in our hearts
and settle our minds as we sleep
that tomorrow we may wake
and live in God's glory.
Amen.

A Wee Worship Book, GIA Publications, Inc.

master thespian

AKMA has posted many, many pictures in his Flickr photostream. Follow the link under the photo to see them all. Young Master Adam is indeed cross-gartered. Malvolio is one of my favorite Shakespear characters. Brilliant!

sunday

I am finding my new work schedule challenging somehow. Sunday is a workday. It always has been, really. I have been singing in choirs on Sunday morning since I was 18. These were usually paid gigs demanding some modicum of professionalism. Being a pastor is completely different somehow.

I find myself preparing myself spiritually for the day. Even when there is little last-minute work to do, my day will be occupied with meditation, reflection and other disciplines that feed my spirit. I will practice my guitar. I will, unbelievably, work on my thesis. It is a full day. It is a wonderful day. And I am utterly aware of the weight of my call on these days. It is a call to a conversion of life. Being Christian is this to be certain, but it appears I have fallen victim to perceiving ordained life as a greater, more exacting call upon my life after all.

Who knew?

Bless to me, O God,
My soul and my body;
Bless to me, O God,
My belief and my condition;

Bless to me, O God,
My heart and my speech,
And bless to me, O God,
The handling of my hand;

Strength and busyness of morning,
Habit and temper of modesty,
Force and wisdom of thought,
And your own path, O God of virtues,
Till I go to sleep this night;

Your own path, O God of virtues,
Till I go to sleep this night.

angels and metal balads

Yeah, it has been a night for it. There has been the day's silliness with Rudolph and making rounds on the floors. Tonight I have been charting and getting caught up with some work on my project. Then there is this music therapy I keep blathering on about.

I played for one of my patients tonight. We played some Poison. He likes the metal. Every Rose Has Its Thorn is not something I would have considered therapeutic, but there you go. Mr. I Don't Speak was singing al