I hope all of you had a blessed Christmas Day. I hope that if any of you traveled, or your families and friends traveled, that you were safe. And, I hope that you are well rested and ready to face the week ahead … and that you will welcome the New Year with a spirit of wonderment.
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I hope all of you had a blessed Christmas Day. I hope that if any of you traveled, or your families and friends traveled, that you were safe. And, I hope that you are well rested and ready to face the week ahead … and that you will welcome the New Year with a spirit of wonderment.
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Every Christmas we hear these same lessons from Isaiah, Titus, and the Gospel of Luke. Most of us grew up hearing the story of the birth of Jesus read to us as children, and we saw depictions of the story in art, and holiday cards and manger scenes on our mantles. The stable with the animals, the angels and the shepherds, the stars in the heaven. And we sang songs that told us how peaceful and serene the event was. The story of the birth of Jesus is so very familiar to us that we sometimes have a tendency to not listen as closely to the story as we would if we were hearing it for the first time. Printer-Friendly Version
This is the season for Christmas trees, Santa Claus, and Nativity scenes. Nativity scenes with the baby Jesus in a manger surrounded by Mary and Joseph, shepherds, angels, cows, donkeys, and sheep, and the Three Wise Men. Printer-Friendly Version
Throughout this Advent season we have been hearing about the yearnings of God’s people. In the readings from the prophet Isaiah, from the Psalms, from the letters of Paul, and from our Gospel readings from Matthew. And, on this Third Sunday of Advent, we recited the Song of Mary … the Magnificat. Printer-Friendly Version
Several years ago, I was worshipping with my wife, Caren, at Temple Bet Yam, the Reformed Jewish synagogue on Wildwood Road. While looking through their Prayer Book I came across this poem. It is called “Epitaph”… it is by Merrit Malloy. When I die Give what’s left of me away To children And old men that wait to die. And if you need to cry, Cry for your brother Walking the street beside you. And when you need me, Put your arms Around anyone And give them What you need to give to me. I want to leave you something, Something better Than words Or sounds. Look for me In the people I’ve known Or loved, And if you cannot give me away, At least let me live on in your eyes And not your mind. You can love me most By letting Hands touch hands, By letting bodies touch bodies, And by letting go Of children That need to be free. Love doesn’t die, People do. So, when all that’s left of me Is love, Give me away. |
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