In preparation for the movement of Holy Week, Mother Laura from RevGals gives us... a Friday Five about time and transitions....

1. If you could travel to any historical time period, which would it be, and why?

I always wanted to be Laura Ingalls, and live on the prairie. It's a time when people lived a simple life. Not an easy one, but simpler. On the other hand, there is part of me drawn to the elaborate nature of the Tudor court around the time of Elizabeth I, and I'd visit that time if I was rich enough to wear a gorgeous dress and eat well in the castle. Contradictory? I guess.

2. What futuristic/science fiction development would you most like to see?

Teleporting. And holodecks. And the ability to teleport OUT of the holodeck if you start to get eaten by lions. (Flashback to "The Veldt"...anyone?)

3. Which do you enjoy more: remembering the past, or dreaming for the future?

I am most certainly a dreaming of the future person. But I sincerely hope to be able to appreciate the past, the older I get.

4. What do you find most memorable about this year's Lent?

I am enjoying reading "Bread and Wine".

5. How will you spend your time during this upcoming Holy Week? What part do you look forward to most?

I look forward to the Stations of the Cross on Friday at Mr. Incredible's church. I have no responsibility for it, and can simple move through it.

The Book Meme

I am probably the last person to get around to this, but here goes:

Pick up the nearest book of 123 pages or more.
The Chronicles of Narnia, taken from SuperGirl's "reading room" behind the chair. It's an edition with all the books bound together.

Find page 123:
Page 123 is in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

Find the first 5 sentences.
Okay.

Post the next three sentences.

The reindeer were about the size of Shetland ponies and their hair was so white that even the snow hardly looked white compared with them; their branching horns were gilded and shone like something on fire when the sunrise caught them. Their harness was of scarlet leather and covered with bells. On the sledge, driving the reindeer, sat a fat dwarf who would have been about three feet high if he had been standing.

It occurs to me as a read these lines about Edmund, watching the White Witch approach in her fantastic sled: Sometimes evil comes to us disguised in such lovely trappings that we are lulled into accepting it, even valuing it. And by the time we figure out our mistake we have been drawn into a web of tangled strands, and getting out will be a job we can't do alone. I suppose there are preachers and churches that spend a lot of time trying to dissuade listeners from aligning themselves with evil/sin/the White Witch. I guess I am more comfortable being part of a church and tradition that recognizes how we have all jumped up on the sled and eaten our Turkish Delight of some flavor or another. We need each other to figure out that we really don't want any more, and in fact would rather be having tea with Mr. Tumnus and our family somewhere else altogether.....

Look Before You Leap - It's the Friday Five!

Songbird and will smama pose these questions for a Leap Day Friday Five:

Tell us about a time you:

1. Leapt before looked

I don't do this often. My usual way is to over-analyze, research, and then go with my gut instinct, which I usually knew right away, but had to work on it for a while before I trusted myself.

2. Leapt to a conclusion

Nothing specific comes to mind, probably because of my answer to #1. I like to get the facts before committing myself to things, either action or conclusion. General situations would involve me thinking I know what other people are thinking, about something I did or said, or didn't do or say. It seldom works out the way I assumed it would, which is a good thing.

3. Took a Leap of Faith

Well, that would be going to seminary and then marrying a Methodist (your bishop can tell ME where to live??) So far, I wouldn't change either one! (Although I reserve the right to complain about the bishop when necessary.) I would also have to say, getting pregnant again after a difficult pregnancy ending in the loss of one of our twins. And where would I be without SuperGirl? Surgery choices during the whole cancer treatment plan time also felt like a leap of faith.

4. Took a literal Leap

At summer camp, when I was about 13 (awkward age) we went over to the boys' camp to take part in these wretched muddy games. There was a rope swing over the lake. I worked up the nerve, but had to remove my glasses before the swing, and so couldn't tell when to let go of the rope. I almost crashed back into the platform, but luckily let go in time and ended up in the shallow water. I vowed never to do something so potentially risky and humiliating again. But in college, I managed the high ropes course, and the free fall zip line at the end was such a rush, and felt like a real accomplishment.....easier because I had contacts this time. I could SEE my impending doom at the end of the rope!

5. And finally, what might you be faced with leaping in the coming year?

Helping WonderBoy transition to middle school....another one who doesn't like risky situations, like his mama. I am hoping this is the hardest leap ahead. No more biopsies or diagnoses or surgeries for me or anyone in my family. Oh, and perhaps towards the end of the year, trying to help Mr. Incredible with the decision about when the right time to move might be.....there are yearly decisions to make, even though when it comes right down to it I like to blame the bishop......

This Stretched-Out Season

My Lenten Discipline of writing more has not been going well. Obviously. From the 20 day gap in blog posts. I have such little self-discipline, it is shameful. The family giving up fast food has gone swimmingly, though. SuperGirl asked me to come eat lunch with her in the cafeteria yesterday. She gave a big sigh and said, "Other people can eat McDonald's when their parents come. I guess they aren't giving up fast food for Lent....." Then she asked if I could bring her take-out from Olive Garden instead. I compromised and made macaroni and cheese at home and brought it in for her. She told me she explained Lent to her friend Zachary, who goes to church, but had never heard of Lent. She decided she would rather not have Lent, too, since it makes the time before Easter (and Advent before Christmas) "get soooo stretched out." I am finding that the older I get, the more I rely upon the tempo of the liturgical year to bring some order to my days and seasons. Moving through the year with an eye on the church's calendar (not the one hanging in the secretary's office, but the one shared among so many different churches (though apparently not Zachary's)) is soothing and grounding. I admit, however, that I could use another couple of weeks of Lent this particular year, not just to try to wrest some discipline out of my days, but to get ready for Holy Week and Easter. I would love to set up a sort of Stations of the Cross or Maundy Thursday reflection for families, but I don't honestly see it happening this year. Not on a part-time schedule. If I allowed myself to overwork (a tempting thing), I could do it. Maybe I don't love Jesus enough, (aren't we supposed to spend ourselves for the Lord??) but I am trying hard to honor the part-time nature of my call, in fairness to my family, and to whoever might fill this position after me someday.

Friday Five: what are you doing for Lent?

Mother Laura over at RevGals asks these timely questions:

1. Did you celebrate Mardi Gras and/or Ash Wednesday this week? How?

Ash Wednesday this year included a potluck dinner (best spread all year), me telling a Godly-Playish Ash Wednesday story for children, and then a quiet service in the sanctuary, in which I was primarily a participant this year. The best part of the night was the story with the children, where we talked about how Baptism marks us as God's child, but afterwards you can't see the mark of the water. With the ashes, we can see the mark on everyone, and remember that all our lives long, and even after, we belong to God. My own SuperGirl (7) offered that the ashes remind her of her brother, whose ashes are in a beautiful garden columbarium. Yes indeed, in life and in death, we belong to God.....

2. What was your most memorable Mardi Gras/Ash Wednesday/Lent?

Canberra, Australia in 1991 (?) at the World Council of Churches, in a huge white tent, with Christian people from all different traditions and cultures. The guy with the ashes got a big glob on my forehead, and they fell down on my nose, and we looked each other in the eye and grinned. We probably didn't speak the same language. We looked and dressed very differently. But in that moment, we were brother and sister.

3. Did you/your church/your family celebrate Lent as a child? If not, when and how did you discover it?

I did not grow up in a congregation where Ash Wednesday was celebrated (at least not that I knew of). My first experience was in the big Gothic college chapel, where a few of us sat in the choir pews mid-day, and then went out, marked. I recall feeling very...different from other people on campus afterwards. I went alone, but felt connected to those sitting with me in a way I hadn't experienced before with strangers.

4. Are you more in the give-up camp, or the take-on camp, or somewhere in between?

A little of both. Each year is different. For a number of years Mr. Incredible and I were fasting once a week during Lent. That got harder when I was pregnant and nursing, and more recently, recovering from surgery. I'm not good at true fasting. The take-on camp is where I usually land, since I tend to be undisciplined, and it bothers me.

5. How do you plan to keep Lent this year?

In my Lenten Disciplines post below, I mention that I am doing two things: eating/cooking more at home, rather than eating out for convenience. Also, writing everyday.

The Great Oven Fire of 2008

I have a new oven, after a small fire in the old one. It was rather exciting. And no, I didn't burn dinner (as several people - men - have joked to me). I was preheating the oven, and noticed a strange glow emanating from one corner. Upon further investigation, I calmly told Mr. Incredible: "We seem to have a small oven fire." I was terribly calm, I think. The element in the bottom of the oven was giving off sparks and a flame.

I turned the oven off. Nothing changed. We threw some baking soda on there. Nothing changed. The fire was making its way around the curve of the element, burning through it, sparking all the way. I was sort of mesmerized, wondering what would happen if it made its way all the way around and into the wall.... Mr. Incredible called the kids in to give them an object lesson in how to use a fire extinguisher. (Note: Do not use a fire extinguisher unless you really really really need to.) That yellow stuff went Everywhere. Everywhere. I am still wiping it up, even on the floor above the kitchen. It wafted over everything. Everywhere. And....nothing changed. Still fire and sparks. How can the fire extinguisher not put the fire out?! Finally Mr. Incredible thinks to shut the circuit breaker off. Genius! The fire goes out. Would that we had thought of that before the fire extinguisher.

Since dinner was ruined (remember the fire extinguisher stuff went Everywhere, including in my pasta sauce), we decided to go out for dinner, but wondered if it was safe to leave the house. So we called the fire department down the street, on the non-emergency number, and they decided to come out without the sirens to make sure there was nothing going on in the walls. They brought a thermal imaging camera and checked for hotspots. WonderBoy, who loves all things sciencey, thought that was very cool. We stopped first to eat at Waffle House, but they were closed. Waffle House. Closed! Some kind of kitchen repairs. At this point, we introduced the concept of "resiliency" to the kids. Over pancakes and other breakfast-for-dinner treats at another restaurant nearby, we decided that we want to be a resilient family. A worthy goal, I think, and one which we are well on our way to achieving.

Anyway, since the element was destroyed, one burner didn't work anymore, and the oven was original to the house, the parsonage people sprang for a whole new one. I went shopping with the parsonage committee chair, and ended up with a new ceramic glass top oven that is nice and shiny, and still giving off that smoky smell, after cooking two dinners in it. I feel protective of it, and have been making pledges to it. I will not leave food spills to burn and tarnish you. I will not leave hand-washed pots to drip dry on top of you. I will wipe you down each night. I will use the special glass-top cleaner you came with regularly. The oven looks back at me so trustingly. Meanwhile I can hear the microwave and the dishwasher and fridge laughing behind my back.

Lenten Disciplines

I've decided that one of my Lenten disciplines will be to write a little every day. No other dictates. Just write about anything. I think one reason I don't blog more frequently is that I feel like I should be doing my "real writing", namely, one of the several book projects I have started over the years and not finished. When I think about blogging, my mind immediately goes here: "If you have time to write, you should work on the book...." Or the Sunday School curriculum I am writing. Or the church blog I (also infrequently) maintain. So for Lent I am giving up that voice in my head that tells me I should be writing something else, and I am just going to write.

Mr. Incredible proposed that we give up fast food. Now, we don't eat a lot of fast food, but we do go out to eat sometimes because it is fast and convenient and we haven't planned ahead. So we will be eating more meals at home during these next six weeks. Good thing the kitchen is cleaned up after the Great Oven Fire of 2008. More about that in another post.

Friday Five - Read any good books lately?

RevHRod from the RevGals site asks fabulous questions for my birthday! I love to read, and am as proud as I can be that WonderGirl is an insane reader, as I was, at the ripe old age of 7. (She's on the fifth Harry Potter book right now, and takes her book everywhere. She sulked at the Thai food place last night because I wouldn't let her read at the table. An occasional conversation, please!)

So with the given that some books are indeed better than others, here are my answers to this week's Friday Five:

1. What book have you read in the last six months that has really stayed with you? Why?

My problem is that I usually inhale a book quickly, then forget all about it....six months, huh? Well, I just finished Wicked, in preparation for a springtime touring production of it. I must say, it wasn't what I expected, and I'll keep thinking about it, since I don't know how they are going to make a musical (comedy?) of it.

2. What is one of your favorite childhood books?

Sorry, can't do just one. Here's a VERY abbreviated list: Anne of Green Gables, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, Charlotte's Web, Julie of the Wolves, A Little Princess, The Secret Garden, etc.

3. Do you have a favorite book of the Bible? Do tell!

Genesis, because of the great narratives. Epic, sweeping, full of wonderful characters. I love a good story.

4. What is one book you could read again and again?

I read Jane Austen just about every year, especially Pride and Prejudice. But I must admit, I also need some Harry Potter fixes every now and again.

5. Is there a book you would suggest for Lenten reading? What is it and why?

I don't have a specific book to suggest, but I look forward to the suggestions of others.

And because we all love bonus questions, if you were going to publish a book what would it be? Who would you want to write the jacket cover blurb expounding on your talent?

Right now I'm actually working (very beginning stages) on what I think will be a middle-grade novel in the spirit of Roald Dahl (think big, why not!) For the jacket for this one, I'll take Katherine Paterson, please.

Friday Five - Birthdays!

Mother Laura from RevGalBlogpals, just a few days away from her birthday, asks these questions:

1. When is your birthday?
Does anyone else (famous or in your own life) share it?

Mine is next week, on January 18th.
Famous people: Cary Grant, A.A. Milne, Kevin Costner, Oliver Hardy, Danny Kaye, and Roget (the thesaurus guy)

2. Do you prefer a big party or an intimate celebration for the chosen few?

Just a few special people will do it for me.

3. Describe your most memorable birthday(s)--good, bad, or both.

The worst was the one where not one of my sisters called me. AWFUL!

There was the 10 year old party at Putt-Putt (mini golf) where my name was on the sign by the road. Loved that one.

Also the 21st one while I was studying abroad in England. There was a special drink and the whole pub celebrated, and I think I crawled back to my flat vowing never to celebrate quite so much again. It was both good and bad.

WonderBoy was baptized on my birthday. That was a good day, but bittersweet, missing his twin.

Every birthday after cancer is a GREAT ONE!

4. What is your favorite cake and ice cream? (Bonus points if you share the cake recipe). Or would you rather have a different treat altogether?

Growing up I wanted my mother's chess or pecan pie instead of cake. For my mom's pecan pie, you take the recipe from the back of the Karo corn syrup bottle and change it like this: Use a combination of both light and dark corn syrup. Turn the heat down, and cook it longer. Perfect. Now, I like any cake or pie that the kids pick out for me. Chocolate and Reese's cups somewhere on it are a bonus.

5. Surprise parties: love 'em or hate 'em?

Never had one....sniff, sniff. But I think I would like it....maybe.....?

Bonus: Describe your ideal birthday--the sky's the limit.

My whole family calls me. I get taken out to dinner (it will be a grown-up one with friends this year). The kids make me cards. There is a cake (or pie) at home with singing and candles. I spend a little time grateful to have had another year. Cards or emails or calls from a few friends. And if the sky's the limit, I'll take that new battery for my laptop, and a trip, too. Okay, maybe a whole new laptop and several trips. (And the 3 pairs of shoes I already bought over Christmas.....)

Enough

It's been a sobering night and morning. I got word last night that a colleague from a former church died suddenly, in his 50s. He has a wife and two high school/college-aged children. Then this morning I learned of the death of a former neighbor. Something went wrong on a snowy road out west. Details are sketchy. Another colleague recently lost 3 members of her family in two days.

I know that death happens. To all of us. As a pastor I have walked though enough too-early, too-sudden deaths with families. I know that the most powerful message I can give someone at a time like that is, "you are not alone", and represent the God who grieves with them. But sometimes I want to say "enough already". There are days when I just feel weary of bearing up under loss. Today is one of them.

In other news, my sister and her family have made it safely to Kenya, and are settling in. The jet lag has been fierce. But the violence seems to be calming down. I will continue to pray for peace. In Kenya, on snowy roads out west, in congregations and in families where loss is swift and sharp, and here at home. Dona nobis pacem....

Friday Five - New Year's Edition

1. Do you make New Year resolutions?

Yes, but I don't often talk about them. Or keep them.

2. Is this something you take seriously, or is it a bit of fun?

I intend them to be serious, but you wouldn't know it from my follow-through, usually.

3. Share one goal for 2008.

Write more. It was going to be to write every day, but I have already blown that one, so I am going for "more".

4. Money is no barrier, share one wild/ impossible dream for 2008

To visit my sister and her family who are moving to Kenya TODAY. Pray for peace and safety, please....

5. Someone wants to publish a story of your year in 2008, what will the title of that book be?

She Wrote More: The true tale of how one woman discovered again the creative process inside herself, and behold, it was very good. (The process of discovery, I mean, but the writing wasn't bad either.)

It's Almost Christmas Friday Five!

From the RevGalBlogPals site:

1. What was one of your favorite childhood gifts that you gave?

What does it say about me that I can't remember many gifts I gave as a child? Somehow it was all about what I received. My favorites were books, especially a nice big series of books in a case. What a thrill! There were a series of handmade clay things...oh! A clay dragon I made for my mom, with a hole in the nose, so you could put some incense in there, and smoke would come out. I think we did that one time. After that, the dragon sat on the shelf in the kitchen. It's probably still there.

2. What is one of your favorite Christmas recipes? Bonus points for sharing the recipe.

This is easy. Scrambled eggs and Little Smokies for Christmas breakfast.

3. What is a tradition that your family can't do without? (And by family, I mean family of origin, family of adulthood, or that bunch of cool people that just feel like family.)

From my family of origin, and now current family as well: You may open one gift, and one gift only, after church on Christmas Eve. Also, Mr. Incredible and I always exchange our stockings late that night, after all the Santa prep. (By exchanging stockings I mean the small gifts inside them, not some euphemism for something else, although that would be a nice tradition, too.)

4. Pastors and other church folk often have very strange traditions dictated by the "work" of the holidays. What happens at your place?

Christmas Eve dinner the last 2 years has been Chinese food. With two church schedules to deal with, cooking has not been on our radar screen. I like it.

5. If you could just ditch all the traditions and do something unexpected... what would it be?

I would go somewhere as a family for Christmas. No gifts, but a memorable trip. Maybe when the kids get older. I suppose ditching church for actual Christmas services would be unexpected, too. But the accompanying job loss would not be.....

Christmas Pageant Script

Every year I look high and low for new ideas for Christmas Pageant services or scripts. In the spirit of sharing, I'll post my version from this year. The readings are introduced by a modified version of the Godly Play Advent story. Advent wreath lighting is incorporated into the readings. Youth will be reading, and sharing in special music and dance. Children in homemade or church-borrowed costumes will come forward to take their places when indicated, to build a Nativity tableau that required no rehearsals (except for youth).

2007 Christmas Pageant (Reader’s Copy)

CHIMING OF THE HOUR
WELCOME and Announcements
Musical Call to Worship

Entering the Mystery

During this Advent time of waiting, we prepare, like the people of Israel did, for the arrival of the King. A King is coming, but he is not the kind of king that people thought was coming. This King had no army, no great house, and no riches. This King was a baby who was born in a barn.

The King who was coming is still coming. This is full of mystery. You know, a mystery is hard to enter sometimes. That is why this time of Advent is so important. Sometimes people can walk right through a mystery and not even know it is there. This time of year you will see people hurrying in the malls buying things and doing this and that, but they will miss the Mystery. They don’t know how to get ready or maybe they just forgot.

The Church learned a long time ago that people need a way to get ready to enter or even come close to a mystery like Christmas. The Church set aside four weeks of Advent to get ready. This is such a great Mystery, that it takes that long to get ready. During this time, we are all on our way to Bethlehem. We are all making the journey. We are all getting ready to enter the Mystery of Christmas, so let’s go with the prophets, the Holy Family, the shepherds, the angels, the Magi and all the rest to make the journey that was not just back then. It is also now. Let us enter the Mystery together, as we stand and join in our responsive Call to Worship printed in the bulletin.

CALL TO WORSHIP from Isaiah 40:3-5
Leader: Prepare the way of the Lord!
Congregation: Make a path for our God in the desert.
Leader: Every valley shall be lifted up,
Congregation: Every mountain and hill be made low.
Leader: The uneven ground shall become level.
Congregation: Rough places shall become a plain.
Leader: The glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
Congregation: All people shall see it together.
Leader: This is the promise of the Lord.
Congregation: God’s promise shall be fulfilled.

The Prophets Foretell the Messiah’s Birth Isaiah 9:2-7

Please be seated. (pause) When the prophets spoke to the people of Israel, they were speaking to people who had almost given up hope. There was war, and poverty. The people were no longer free. They felt abandoned and forgotten by God, and everyone else. It was a dark time. But prophets see past the darkness. Prophets are people who come so close to God, and God comes so close to them, that they know what is most important. The prophets knew which way to go. They pointed the way to Bethlehem. They didn’t know exactly what was going to happen there, but they knew this was the place. Stop, they said. Watch. Pay attention. Something incredible is going to happen. We light the first candle for the prophets. (First candle is lit.)

Listen to the words of the prophet Isaiah, promising the arrival of the new King, long before he was born:

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness— on them light has shined. You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as people exult when dividing plunder. For the yoke of their burden, and the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. For all the boots of the tramping warriors and all the garments rolled in blood shall be burned as fuel for the fire. For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. Isaiah 9: 2-7

Liturgical Dance – (O Come, O Come, Emmanuel)

The Angel Gabriel Speaks to Mary Luke 1:26-35, 37-38

It’s one thing to believe in God, and to pray to God. It’s quite another thing to have a message from God delivered to you by an angel. We don’t know what Mary was doing that day when the angel Gabriel came to her. Maybe she was sewing. Maybe she was cleaning her room. Or dreaming about her upcoming wedding to Joseph. Or just staring into space. Whatever she was doing, preparing for an angel and for what the angel would tell her, was surely not on the list. Imagine hearing that the Messiah, promised long long ago by the prophets, was going to be born soon….and you would be his mother. Here the life-changing words from Luke.

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. For nothing will be impossible with God.” Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her. Luke 1: 26-35, 37-38

CAROL “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus” #151 (first tune)
Mary and the Angel Gabriel may come forward. Youth will guide the way.


Mary and Joseph Find Shelter in Bethlehem Luke 2:1-7

Do you see Bethlehem, and the road? The Holy Family is on the way to Bethlehem and we are going with them. The mother Mary. The father Joseph. And perhaps a donkey for Mary to ride on, when she couldn’t take another step. They are headed to Bethlehem to be counted for the census. Certainly an inconvenient time for them to make such a long journey. Imagine the different feelings they must have experienced that night: weariness from travel, worry over no room in the inn, relief at finding a spot to rest, pain during labor, joy at the birth of the new baby king. We light the second candle for the Holy Family. (Second candle is lit.) Hear the words from Luke.

In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. Luke 2: 1-7

CAROL “What Child Is This” #159
Joseph and any animals (except sheep) may come forward.

Angels Share The Good News Luke 2:8-20

The poor shepherds in the fields around Bethlehem were minding their own business, trying to stay awake, when they were blinded by a flash of light, and startled by the sound of singing. They were frightened, until they heard the words of the song. The angels were singing, “Don’t be afraid.” Angels often say that, because it is scary to have a messenger of God come to you.

The song of the angels went something like this: “Don’t be afraid. We bring you tidings of great joy. Peace on earth and good will to everyone. A Child is born. Go. Hurry. Run to Bethlehem to see the Child who will change everything.”

The candle of the shepherds is the color of roses. This is to remind us of the great joy the angels sang of. It also helps us remember that even if it is very serious to get ready to come close to a great mystery like Christmas, you can’t be serious all of the time as you get ready. Sometimes you have to celebrate! We light the third candle for the shepherds.
(Third candle is lit.) Hear the words from Luke.

In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,
‘Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom he favours!’
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.’ So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. Luke 2: 8-20

Musical Offering (Angels We Have Heard on High) Youth Ensemble
Shepherds, sheep, and angels may come forward.

The Magi Follow the Star Matthew 2:1-11

We call them different names: the three kings, the Magi, the wise men. They came from far in the East, and they were so wise that people thought they were magic. In fact, we get our word, “magic” from the name they were called in their own language, “the Magi.”

Of all the things they knew, they knew the most about the stars. They knew where each star was supposed to be at each time of the year, so they could tell people when it was time to plant their crops, or take a trip on the ocean in a boat, or cross the high mountain passes when the snow wasn’t too deep.

When they saw the wild star, not on any of their star maps, they took notice, and remembered ancient prophecies about the birth of a new king. They followed the star all the way to Bethlehem, but they came from so far away that they got there after the baby was born. They are always late, it seems. Every year they are late. They usually don’t arrive until January 6th, when we celebrate Epiphany. We remember them today anyway, because, like us, they too are on the way to Bethlehem to see the Christ child, the mystery of Christmas. We light the fourth candle for the Magi. (Fourth candle is lit.) Hear the words from Matthew.

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, ‘Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.’ When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:
“And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who is to shepherd my people Israel.” ’

Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, ‘Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.’ When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure-chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road. Matthew 2: 1-11

CAROL “We Three Kings” #176
The Magi and any other children who wish to may come forward.

A Time for Children
Musical Offering Youth Ensemble
THE GIFT OF STEWARDSHIP
Children’s Carol “Away in a Manger”
Doxology
Prayer of Dedication
CAROL “Silent Night! Holy Night” #154
(children sing first verse, congregation joins in for second and third)

Changing the Light

There is one candle we haven’t lit yet. The Christ candle. We will light it tomorrow, on Christmas Eve when we proclaim the arrival of the Light of the World. From that one candle, we will all share the light until the whole church is filled with light, shining in the darkness, just as the prophets promised. The candles are beautiful, but as we leave this place of worship, we must change the light. (Candles are extinguished, one by one.) As the light is changed, it spreads out to fill up the room. As it spreads out, it gets thinner and thinner until you can’t see it. But you know the Christmas light is still there. It is filling up the room with the prophets, the Holy Family, the shepherds, and the three kings. Anywhere you go, you can come close to them. We’ve journeyed to Bethlehem with them. We have seen the child, the Messiah, God with us. We have entered the mystery of Christmas, and worshiped at the manger. But our story isn’t done! The mystery continues. Now we must take the good news with us, to tell others. To remind those who are so busy getting ready for the gift-giving, that they miss the mystery of the true gift.

Our Children’s Worship kids will share with us the benediction. It is the message of the angels, and the message each of us must take into the world.

BENEDICTION Children’s Worship Kids
Sign Language: “I am bringing you Good News of great joy for all people.” (3 times)
Thanks be to God. Amen!

Postlude “Joy to the World”

WonderBoys Prayer Poem

In Godly Play, when we extinguish a candle we talk about "changing the light". We make the distinction between putting the light out, and changing it, and the children watch as the smoke drifts across the room until it is invisible. We say that the light of the prophets, the Holy Family, baptism or whatever is "with you wherever you go". WonderBoy has heard that for the last four years, and the other day he brought me a poem he wrote (when he was supposedly doing his homework).
I'll take this over spelling words any day:

AMEN
When you say "amen" it's really not good-bye.
God follows you where ever you go.
So it's not good-bye it's more of hello.

written by: WonderBoy
(This poem came to me while I was in prayer.)

Friday Five: Rejoice!

Mother Laura, over at RevGalBlogPals has this Advent Friday Five: "Can you believe that in two days we'll be halfway through Advent? Gaudete Sunday: pink candle on the advent wreath, rose vestments for those who have them, concerts and pageants in many congregations. Time to rejoice!

Rejoice in the nearness of Christ's coming, yes, but also in the many gifts of the pregnant waiting time when the world (in the northern hemisphere, at least) spins ever deeper into sweet, fertile darkness."

What makes you rejoice about:

1. Waiting?
When I can calm the "I Want It Now" voice in my head long enough to realize that waiting is a spiritual discipline, I am able to actually enjoy the process, and know that the waiting is worth it. It almost always is. Being pregnant is such a powerful metaphor for this kind of waiting. I think back to my two experiences of it: how the first one ended with me wishing I had appreciated the time more, and the second one with such amazing relief and joy. Such different outcomes, both prefaced by a time of waiting for the unknown. Having to simply trust and wait, knowing that much of the outcome is out of my own control....there is not much waiting like this these days. There is more to say about this, which will need some reflection....

2. Darkness?
Is there a more beautiful moment in the liturgical year than the words: "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it?" Pair that with a match struck to light the Christ candle, and from there, all the candles in the hands of those worshiping, and you have a recipe for joy...enough for the rest of the year. Probably also one of the moments from my growing-up when the seed of a call to ministry was born in me.

3. Winter?
As one who grew up in the land of palm trees, I love the idea of winter. Crackling fire, hot chocolate, sweaters and snowball fights. I didn't really move far enough north for most of that. But the idea, the possibility, still brings me hope and joy.

4. Advent?
The growing light from the Advent wreath. The slow decorating of the house. The way the Godly Play story of Advent builds on itself over the weeks. The way my children now echo my thoughts on the subject: "Can you believe they have Christmas decorations up in the store already? Haven't they ever heard of Advent?!"

5. Jesus' coming?
For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former things will not be remembered or come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; For behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing And her people for gladness. I will also rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in My people; And there will no longer be heard in her The voice of weeping and the sound of crying. No longer will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, Or an old man who does not live out his days; For the youth will die at the age of one hundred And the one who does not reach the age of one hundred Will be thought accursed. They will build houses and inhabit them; They will also plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They will not build and another inhabit, They will not plant and another eat; For as the lifetime of a tree, so will be the days of My people, And My chosen ones will wear out the work of their hands. They will not labor in vain, Or bear children for calamity; For they are the offspring of those blessed by the LORD, And their descendants with them.
Isaiah 65:17-23

Here's a new look

Check out the reconstruction.
Thanks to Mags for the link to this site: http://www.reasonablyclever.com/mm2/index.htm

Friday Five

From the RevGalBlogPals site:

1. You have a busy week, pushing out all time for preparing worship/ Sunday School lessons/ being ready for an important meeting ( or whatever equivalent your profession demands)- how do you cope?

One thing at a time. Turn the TV off. Log off. Sit myself down in the chair and order pizza for dinner. Enough of it gets done, every time.

2. You have unexpected visitors, and need to provide them with a meal- what do you do?

Take-out from our favorite Mexican place. Or a pasta dish, if I have anything in the pantry. Lately I haven't had a lot of extra ingredients sitting around to whip something up...

Three discussion topics:

3. Thinking along the lines of this weeks advent theme; repentance is an important but often neglected aspect of advent preparations.....

Yes. Just....yes.

4. Some of the best experiences in life occur when you simply go with the flow.....

Thinking back to last Christmas Eve. I was given a non-Biblical reading by my colleague to share as a reflection. It wasn't working for me. At the last second, literally, I dumped it in favor of sharing a personal story with no notes (hard for me!). The Spirit came down, and it worked. I recently had someone retell the same story to me, and they remembered my point much better than I did. Gives me confidence to trust my instincts and not worry about preparation so much. There are other examples, involving children and laughter, but that one will do.

5. Details are everything, attention to the small things enables a plan to roll forward smoothly...

I sweat the details in planning for church things. Sometimes it pays off, and sometimes I realize I could have achieved my goal in half the time. Usually I put too much effort into showing, and not enough into telling. If I could remember what I tell my Godly Play Storytellers: "You already know this story...." Then just tell it without having to prove it with props or footnotes or a powerpoint....

Bonus if you dare- how well prepared are you for Christmas this year?

Moderately. Some of my big stuff had to be done by the first Sunday in Advent, so now I feel a little better. Will cross off gifts for nieces and nephews today. But these are all outside preparations. I would like to spend more time preparing myself and my children internally for Advent/Christmas. Our nightly wreath prayers at the dinner table are helping, when we are all together. Focusing on the candlelight helps. (Scroll down for a cool picture from my retreat last month.)

Making Peace with our Bodies

The Communion table from my retreat, where we talked about our bodies. Eventually we got around to talking about our scars on the insides, too. My primary text was Jacob wrestling, then getting up limping, changed, and blessed. I talked about how each of us have things that make us limp, keep us from standing up straight, and those things can also bless us. And we can all bear the light, bent over, limping...and share it with others. It was a powerful sight, dripping wax and all.

Friday Five

A late November Friday Five from the RevGalBlogPals site:

Please tell us your least favorite/most annoying seasonal....

1) dessert/cookie/family food

I hate those holiday cookies people decorate with the tiny silver balls. Are you really supposed to believe that eating those little metallic pellets is good for you?

2) beverage (seasonal beer, eggnog w/ way too much egg and not enough nog, etc...)

After loving eggnog from the grocery store when I was little, I now can't stand it. Too heavy and eggy. I must admit I haven't had homemade eggnog with real nog in it in a long time. Maybe that would be better....?

3) tradition (church, family, other)

I really like all our family traditions, except cleaning up after Christmas. I don't like the unwritten rule at church that the adult choir Cantata and the Children's Pageant have to be separate. Why can't we combine it for one big shebang? Every year I suggest it.....
(My favorite has to be the Advent wreath, but see my post below about trying to find one last night.....)

4) decoration

Least favorite decorations came from the Christmas shower Mr. Incredible's church gave us before we were married. Some really really tacky ugly things. They were all we had for awhile. There are a few I liked and still have, but the rest have been laid to rest. Also, why is that parishioners always feel they must give you ornaments with Jesus or a church on them? I mean, I like Jesus and the church, but I can appreciate something else every once in a while.

5) gift (received or given)

These are hard. Ummm...I have been given some not-me jewelry before. A silver Hershey's kiss on a chain. From my mother-in-law. I would have liked it from one of the children.....

BONUS: SONG/CD that makes you want to tell the elves where to stick it.

There was one about Little Timmy that made me cringe. Haven't heard it in awhile. Might have to look for it for old time's sake.

What's happened to Advent?!

I had to relate my frustration while searching for an Advent wreath yesterday. I need a small cheap one for a children's Sunday School classroom. I looked for the candles first, and went to my local huge home decor store that has aisles of candles. None. In fact, no purple at all, except for some scuffed squat boysenberry-scented ones that made me gag when I sniffed them. I asked a girl stocking holiday tins nearby if they had any Advent wreath candles, and she looked at me like I had 3 heads. Another store employee nearby said she had found one box the day before, but she couldn't locate it. I left to check the craft store over at the (gulp) huge mall down the road. Which I avoid from Thanksgiving until New Year's.

No good purple candles, other than more scented ones, and some really light lavender tapers. Finally found two boxes of Advent wreath candles jammed in the back of a shelf, so I took the last two (sorry for anyone to come after me). After spending about 30 minutes choosing supplies to make a wreath, I ran into a parishioner at the register. She asked what I was making, and I told her.

The manager, behind the register said, "Oh, an Advent wreath? I have a box of those in the back. I couldn't decide where to put them out." Turns out they had two different kinds. Two boxes of them stuck in the stock room because no one knew where to display them.

I said, "You might want to put them out, since Advent starts this weekend....this is the time people might be looking for them...." I'm not sure that happened, after I left. I followed the off-duty Santa out to the parking lot thoroughly depressed, with the mall Christmas music rattling around in my head.....

While our church members are learning to tolerate our insistence on a little Advent before Christmas, our culture has forgotten all about it. I suppose when I consider that Christmas started coming out in stores even before Halloween this year, the Advent wreaths might have been stocked back in July....I used to take comfort in the Southern acceptance of Christian church tradition in the public eye, but I no longer think that is the case. Maybe it's just the more mainline traditions that have become largely silent and invisible. I didn't check the evangelical Bible store farther down in the mall, figuring that they wouldn't carry Advent supplies. Should I have checked there first?

I will definitely be having a family Advent wreath workshop next year. Where else are our people to find the tools to help them wait and prepare?