God's steady pace at Christmas. . . by Luke Bouman

I am thankful for the opportunity to blog with the by the way community for Christmas this year. I am a longtime friend and mostly silent participant in the conversations of the community. I appreciate the challenges and joys of being in a community of conversation and deliberation. I am humbled by this opportunity to have my words be discussion and thought starters this holiday season.

I was re-reading an old book that has been in my family’s library for years. It is called “Children’s Letters to God” and it was collected and compiled by the editors in 1966. For something that is decades old, the questions and the comments of these children are fresh, amazingly deep and complex for their sources. One of them in particular grabbed my attention as I thought about this blog entry for Christmas. It goes something like this:

Dear God,
Are you real? Some people don’t believe it! If you are, you’d better do something quick.
Love,
Harriet Anne

I suspect this question is on many adult minds as well, especially given the state of the world. The “great recession” has many families wondering what the next year will bring. Threats from war and terror have a whole world on edge. I wonder if Christmas, as it approaches, offers people simply a distraction from all of this bad news? Or are we distracting ourselves because God doesn’t seem to be real any more? I am especially reminded of this possibility as I hear Christmas music blaring from any number of sources. The song, “We need a little Christmas,” seems to be getting more play than usual. This song about the rush to decorate, from the Broadway musical Mame, talks about our need for something to cheer us up. The lyrics are printed below:

Mame:
Haul out the holly;
Put up the tree before my spirit falls again.
Fill up the stocking,
I may be rushing things, but deck the halls again now.
For we need a little Christmas
Right this very minute,
Candles in the window,
Carols at the spinet.
Yes, we need a little Christmas
Right this very minute.
It hasn't snowed a single flurry,
But Santa, dear, we're in a hurry;
So climb down the chimney;
Put up the brightest string of lights I've ever seen.
Slice up the fruitcake;
It's time we hung some tinsel on that evergreen bough.
For I've grown a little leaner,
Grown a little colder,
Grown a little sadder,
Grown a little older,
All:
And I need a little angel
Sitting on my shoulder,
Need a little Christmas now.
Mame:
Haul out the holly;
Well, once I taught you all to live each living day.
All:
Fill up the stocking,
Young Patrick:
But Auntie Man, it's one week from Thanksgiving Day now.
All:
But we need a little Christmas
Right this very minute,
Candles in the window,
Carols at the spinet.
Yes, we need a little Christmas
Right this very minute.
Agnes:
hasn't snowed a single flurry,
But Santa, dear, we're in a hurry;
Ito:
So climb down the chimney;
Put up the brightest string of lights I've ever seen.
All:
Slice up the fruitcake;
It's time we hung some tinsel on that evergreen bough.
For we need a little music,
Need a little laughter,
Need a little singing
Ringing through the rafter,
And we need a little snappy
"Happy ever after,"
Need a little Christmas now.
Need a little Christmas now.

I think it’s clear that our culture seems in a hurry these days. We have little patience to wait for much of anything. We join Harriet Anne imploring God to do something quick.

Now, read the Christmas Story, keeping Harriet's request in mind. If you don’t have a Bible handy you can find the story here:  Luke 2:1-20

If there is one thing that strikes me about this story this year is that this is a story about a God who is definitely not in a hurry. God is not doing “something quick” at all. God is acting deliberately, slowly. This story unfolds more than 500 years after the prophets first recorded the promise of God’s gift of a Messiah. As opposed to the Greek gods, God does not inhabit an adult human form, but instead comes into the world as we do, born as a child. This one who is born will first need to learn to walk and talk, to eat and play and grow. This plan is nine months of incubation, twelve years to come of age, eighteen more before ministry begins. This plan is painfully slow, from our perspective.

But the slowness of it is not the only surprise. The fact that it lacks a certain, shall we say, conventional “star power” is also striking. This birth seems to indicate anything but royalty. The place is a simple animal enclosure, not a palace. The announcement is grand enough, but it is to shepherds (folks who were at the bottom of the religious barrel) not to priests and upright worshipers in the big deal town of Jerusalem. Even “David’s City” isn’t rightly named here. David’s City was the above mentioned big deal town, not backwoods, backwards Bethlehem. Almost everyone hears this story today without hearing how jarring all of these things are.

And yet God goes about this slightly off, deliberate, painstakingly slow plan. As it unfolds, I wonder whether I truly understand what God is about. I am in a hurry. God takes time. I rush to fill the void in order, vainly, to try to eliminate it. God enters the void, and by the presence of a child hallows it. I look for some mighty sign. God gives up the mighty route for the simple. I wish to dwell and worship a babe in a manger. God moves slowly, but does not dwell here. The manger is not the final destination for this baby.

It is only when I slow down to match my pace with God that I discover that God is at work in many surprising ways and surprising places. I have heard the calls of voices in our culture decrying that “Christ” has been removed from “Christmas”. But when I slow down, I realize that no such thing has happened. We didn’t put Jesus in the holiday, and no one has the power to take Jesus out. Is Christmas a time when people are hoping for something? Is Christmas a time when people long for more than what mere possessions can offer them? Is Christmas a time when we wish for the peace and goodwill of which the angels sing? Jesus is born into all of our longings, hopes, and all of our pains and sorrows. We do not always express these hurts and hopes appropriately, but even our poor attempts cannot drive God from our midst. The God who chose to be born in a stable comes to the desperate poor and desperate rich alike. The God who chooses also to die reminds us that even in the most desperate of places, God dares to join us. This is what we discover when we slow down. No matter how bad things get, God is right there with us all along, and doing something, albeit in God’s good time.

So I wonder, if we slow down, what other hidden things we might discover about God? Where else does God turn up unexpectedly? How else is God hidden in and with the desperate places of our world?

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Thanks so much, Luke, for your thought-provoking piece!  Please feel free, everyone, to join in the conversation, by leaving your comments and looking out for the comments of others.   We won't be having a skype conversation this week or next.  But anytime you'd like to let us all know your reflections, please share them here or on our facebook page.  God's holying presence be yours, in your joys and in your sorrows, this Christmas and beyond! 
~ Kari Henkelmann Keyl

Christmas continues for 6 more days by Heidi Jakoby

It is the 6th day of Christmas and Christmas carols are no longer heard on the radio and everyone seems to be looking straight at the New Year and they are done with Christmas, but Christmas day was just the beginning of the 12 days of christmas which end on January 6th with the celebration of Epiphany and the arrival of the Magi. I personally love this Christmas season knowing that we continue to celebrate the birth of Jesus. I found an interesting site that shares some thoughts about the urban legend or truth about the song
"The twelve days of Christmas". As this story points out the Christian meaning behind the song seems to be a myth but I enjoy linking the Christian meaning to the song, because it reminds me that I need to continue to practice kindness and love, even after Christmas and Epiphany. Is there anything wrong with linking new meanings to old songs? We often link meanings to songs, or at least memories to music. Music is very powerful and I try to continue listening to Christmas music up through January 6th but it isn't easy.



I have a difficult time staying focused on the "meaning of the season", but this reading from Colossians3:12-17 reminds me that love is the reason for the season. How can I continue to clothe myself in kindness when so many things in the news and around the world remind me that many people are not kind or caring? How do we rise above the external conflicts to focus on compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, and discipline? It has taken me a long time to embrace the peace and power of being even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense and I know I am not perfect but if I continue to aspire to it each time I do it, it comes quicker and easier.



Did you hear the report about the Grocery store that was left open by accident and the people who came in and took items and then left the money for them at the register? These are people who practice kindness, discipline, and caring. What would you have done given the opportunity they had? You can read the story and reactions for yourself. I thought it was a great reminder of the many honest people in our world.(Safeways left unlocked)

I know this Christmas season was one filled with planning and accepting what was not planned. I have been working hard at staying centered on kindness but often it is my family who challenges my kindness and forgiveness the most. I do find that some members of my family and some of my friends seem to enjoy stirring up tension, and I am not quite sure why? Sometimes I am the one pushing the buttons of my family members. This year I have tried to be more conscious of old habits and became aware of some of the buttons I push and tried to stop myself. Awareness and changing behavior is hard work, and takes practice as does, being kind and forgiving quickly. Practice and reminders of the meaning of Christmas can help.

I hope you continue to think about the meaning of Christmas through out these next 6 days and practice putting on the clothes God has provided for you throughout the new year. Have a joyous Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Go ahead and feel… by Kari Henkelmann Keyl

Supporting people who are grieving and going through painful transitions has been at the heart of what by the way has been about, since our beginning days some 3 years ago. In many and various ways, we’ve tried to be a community living this message: God walks with you through good times and awful times, and we’ll all walk together to make this good news real.

By the way will again be holding our “Service of the Longest Night,” a time of reflection and prayer, acknowledging that the pre-Christmas season is not merry for everyone. For those who live anywhere near the Nashua NH area, this can be an in-person experience (Thurs. 7pm at the Crowne Plaza, at exit 8). For others, this can be a virtual experience of community, beginning here with this blog post, and continuing on through the week. Feel free to leave your comment, whether you’re one in need of support or one willing to offer it to others.

If you’ve been to this blog before, you may have noticed our community is formed as we dive into a piece of God’s word and see how it intersects with our lives and with the world around us. This week we’ll start with Psalm 42, which you can find at this link: http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=127903163

This psalm starts with being honest about a painful need, a need for understanding and company, a need for God. The honesty takes this hurting poet on a journey… of memories, soul-searching longing, and eventually: hope.

I tried a little creative project of my own, re-writing this psalm for those searching for relief from loss during this holiday time. My hope is that it would get you thinking about what you’d like to ask of God… and of God’s messengers, like the btw community you find here.

So here’s my attempt at a re-write:

Pre-Christmas Grief a la Psalm 42
As a deer leans forward, aching for water,
     so am I thirsty for you, O God.
I so need to know that you haven’t dumped me.
     I have to somehow see your face.
I’ve sobbed myself dry; still relief eludes me.
     I ponder good times, but they feel far away.
Christmas songs in the air
     leave me breathless with loss.
Deeper I sink, ‘til there’s just nothing left,
     nothing but you, God, nothing but you.
I grope in the darkness, some presence is there.
     I remember you once were a rock in my storms.
I’ll give trust a try; I’ll peek out of this hole,
But you, God — oh please, God —
     must make a move, too.
Hum your tune as I sleep,
     so I’ll wake warmed with song.
Let me feel my wounds healing,
     and I’ll know you have come.
Confident once more,
     I’ll have hope for tomorrow,
My whole life a prayer, to the God of my soul.

I’d love to see your re-write, too, if you feel so inclined. Just click on comment below.

For more exploring, here are some links to a Chicago song that’s always a good listen for me when I need permission to go ahead and feel.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJn7azWR2i8
http://www.oldielyrics.com/lyrics/chicago/feel.html

Let's all be watching out for those who are hurting, those who've lost jobs and homes, those who are missing loved ones who have died. Watching and praying...

God, we come to you during this Christmas season, many of us with pain growing inside us. As the nights have been growing longer, so has the darkness wrapped itself around our hearts. We need to know you are here… that you are here for us. Be our rock in the storm, God. Bring us safely home. In your name we pray... amen.


God’s peace,
Kari

What gives you JOY? by Heidi Jakoby

Some of my favorite face book or twitter posts are those acknowledgements of unexpected joyful moments. Those moments of joy when you find your keys that were lost, or when a young child spins in circles laughs and makes himself dizzy for the first time are moments of joy. One friend posted some of the most beautiful pictures from the ice storm last year and there was such joy in the sky and sun reflecting in the ice and snow.

Last night my husband and I discussed the readings I posted earlier this week and a beautiful advent prayer a friend posted. ( Luke1: 68-79 and Philippians1:3-11)


It was fascinating to talk about what brings us joy and to find out that for both of us it is very simple things not the things the media puts out but the things that touch our hearts. He said that the quiet that comes with snow brings him joy. As I thought about it there is a different silence when you wake up to a neighborhood covered in snow. For me it is watching people enjoy my cooking or watching someone un-expectantly smile/laugh when they least expect it and no matter how hard they try to stop they can’t.

So how can we choose our joy? Maybe it is more about trying to be present in each moment of this time of Advent. To allow yourself to be distracted by what is most important and to not spend all of your time caught up in the frenzy of the season. In order to avoid some of the craziness of this holiday season I have discovered some great times to shop and I try and get together with friends more than worry about what will be happening in a few weeks. Take a breath realize what is truly the meaning of the season. Take some time and read these two passages from the Bible again.

Take care not to sit in the darkness, take time to find joy this season. What are the bright spots in this season? How might you create some joy in another person’s life? I know that during this time of year when my friends are struggling I just want to help, but that takes time and effort. What would make a friend who is struggling happy today? Sometimes it is a simple phone call, e-mail and sometimes a wall post.

I hope you remember that you are special and loved. You are important to the world and as you begin each day during this time of waiting, expect joy each day, expect good things to happen and help spread kindness. I know that sometimes I forget that I am special and that I can expect good things to happen each day. I hope each day of Advent brings you a little closer to God.

A friend shared this Advent prayer written by Henri Nouwen:

Lord Jesus, Master of both the light and the darkness, send your Holy Spirit upon our preparations for Christmas.
We who have so much to do seek quiet spaces to hear your voice each day.
We who are anxious over many things look forward to your coming among us.
We who are blessed in so many ways long for the complete joy of your kingdom.
We whose hearts are heavy seek the joy or your presence.
We are your people, walking in darkness, yet seeking the light. To you we say, “Come Lord Jesus!”


Amen

Merry Christmas

No deep thoughts this week, just a moment to take time and reflect why we celebrate Christmas. It may be hard to remember as you deal with horrid weather, bad parking, overexhausted store clerks, fussy people, overstimulated children, and trying to get everything done at home.

Last night, my wife and I watched two of the Peanuts Christmas specials. The first one, older than us, was a favorite must-see when we were children every Christmas. The other, "It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown," came out in 1992, so perhaps its one of your must-see Christmas shows. The latter one has a great scene that I thinks reflects perfectly the way life truly is for many of us.

Sally and Linus are sitting in an armchair. Linus is the theologian in the Peanuts universe. He is the one that believes in the mytery of life, though he sometimes gets things a bit confused when it comes to make-believe (hence the confusion over The Great Pumpkin and Santa Clause). Sally wants Linus to tell her what the Christmas season is all about. She has kind of had it with the season and all its pressures to perform and do so much. So Linus begins launching into the birth story of Jesus as it is presented in the Gospel of Luke. But while Linus is telling the story, Sally begins to complain, talking about shopping and all the troubles of trying to keep up with the commericialism of the season.

I love that scene because here in a nutshell, Charles Schulze has illustrated our culture perfectly. The birth story of Jesus is an amazing story. Perhaps it is as familiar as a holiday special. And we can kind of hear it in the background, but we are unwilling to really listen to it unless there might be something new to hear. We hear the story. We perhaps even desire to hear and believe the possibility of hope. That gets hard to do as we worry about our own life, friendships, family, things lost, missed opportunities, etc. Or perhaps it is just stress that is added because let's face it, the noise of the commercial season has been going loud and strong since what, September?

So the lesson we learn from Peanuts is that if we take a deep breath it will let us hear that old story. Let us really pause to listen.

Let us choose carols of hope instead of commercialized Christmas songs selling a Christmas that can never exist. Let us instead celebrate the birth of Christ as a reminder that there is another way.

One last image to think about....another favorite comic strip, B.C., had a simple Christmas message one year. We see B.C. walking in the desert. Above him is this bright, outstanding star which has captured his imagination. But he is not paying attention and stumbles on a rock causing him to fall and bump his head. When he lifts his head up to look again, the star has been blurred in his vision into 3 stars that bear a striking resemblance to 3 crosses. In three little panels the cartoonist has shown us the whole point of the Christmas story. Jesus is coming to call us into a new life that is going to lead to a horrible sacrifice, but one that will change the world. It is a symbol that you are never alone and that there is a deeper, more meaningful way of living.

The message of Christmas is that in a scandalous unmarried mother's teen pregnancy, comes an intervention in human history of God's amazing grace and love, who is Jesus.

May the love of Christ bless you this Christmas season with love and grace.