December 15, 2012

What do we do in times like these?
What did we do yesterday and the day before?
We sat and talked of hope and lived in comfort,
Waiting for the Christ Child to be born.

Today tragedy woke us in gunfire.
We stare broken and confused,
And tomorrow, again, children will be swallowed in death,
Waiting for the Christ Child to be born.

We sit behind closed doors and chafe,
Or walk along the street and feebly cry hope.
We ask each other how all this could happen,
Waiting for the Christ Child to be born.

What do we do in times like these?
Nothing. Just like yesterday when we were free.
Hope has turned to talk and flight.
When will our Christ Child come?

Open our doors and hearts,
Bring us to our knees and tears.
Send us out to a foreign world,
Fill us with warrior love.

Comfort, comfort your people, Lord,
But only with the comfort that fights.
Give us hope reborn that lives
Declaring the Christ Child is born.

Give us faith that carries sickness, loneliness, and death.
Make us hear the singing host
And ring the bell of peace.
Joy will conquer every ill.

Our Christ Child is among us still.

Silence that can't stay quiet...

Stillness is my strain.

My heart will flood in effervescent silence.
I drown in wonder.

But it is peaceful, this shaking awe.

My soul burns to sing.

Shattered I stumble,

before a splintered manger and laughing cross.

You will reshape me

with unshakable and faithful hands.

Bind with freedom's chains.

Afflicted by light,

burning from windless reverence to wild song.

Give me melody.

Joy so ferocious and strong a word,

quiet and clarion.

Fullness overflows

Through wonderment that ruptures in vibrant praise and dance.

Can I comprehend

the beauty of grace, extent of love,

the face of my King?

A Portrait - G. K. Chesterton

Fair faces crowd on Christmas night
Like seven sons a-row,
But all beyond is the wolfish wind
And the crafty feet of the snow.

But through the route one finger groes
With quick and quiet tread;
Her robe is plain, her form is frail--
Wait if she turn her head.

I say no word of line or hue,
But if that face you see,
Your soul shall know the smile of faith's,
Awful frivolity.

Know that in this grotesque old masque,
Too loud we cannot sing,
Or dance to wild, or speak to wide
To praise a hidden thing.

That though the jest be as old as night,
Still shaketh sun and sphere
An everlasting laughter
Too loud of us to hear.

This Little Babe - Robert Southwell.

"Adoration of the Shepherds"

Anton Raphael Mengs (1728-1779

This little Babe so few days old,

Is come to rifle Satan's fold;

All hell doth at his presence quake,

Though he himself for cold do shake;

For in this weak unarmed wise

The gates of hell he will surprise.

With tears he fights and wins the field,

His naked breast stands for a shield;

His battering shot are babish cries,

His arrows made of weeping eyes,

His martial ensigns cold and need,

And feeble flesh his warrior's steed.

His camp is pitched in a stall,

His bulwark but a broken wall;

The crib his trench, haystalks his stakes,

Of shepherds he his muster makes;

And thus as sure his foe to wound,

The Angels' trumps alarum sound.

My soul with Christ join thou in fight,

Stick to the tents that he hath pight;

Within his crib is surest ward,

This little Babe will be thy guard;

If thou wilt foil thy foes with joy,

Then flit not from this heavenly boy.

-Robert Southwell

"If thou wilt foil thy foes with joy"... Love that.

I really like a lot of Christmas songs, but this is my favorite. :-)

Hope you are all are having an amazing Christmas. I am. :-)

Thanks for reading,

Miss Pickwickian

Christmas was God declaring war on the World

"Adoration of the Shepherds"

by Rembrandt

I've been very blessed to hear some amazing Christmas sermons this year.

The Reversal of Barrenness by Pastor Tuuri

Luke 1:26-33

"Fruitfulness comes by walking in the light and pursuing righteousness in the dark."

This one came at just the right time.

I don't really know why, but I've had a harder time getting excited about Christmas this year.

I was feeling pretty irritated (feeling irritated is not a way to fix it...just so you know) about the feeling when Mama and I went Christmas shopping over a week ago. I couldn't even find anything I wanted to buy (this is normally not a problem:-).

Several hours after we got home I realized part of the reason why...I'd caught the great church plague. :-P

After that was over (nearly a week latter) things were improved, but I've still been in a Christmas blah.

I don't know why exactly, but this pretty much fixed my problem. I think I was basically just being a jerk and than over analyzing it.
It's okay that every Christmas is different and just because it's Christmas doesn't mean our problems will disappear.

Plus, Pastor Tuuri read some Bob Dylan lyrics in the sermon. I love it when he does that. Score!

The Messiah in Isaiah (Part 4) by Greg Strawbridge

Isaiah 7

This sermon detailed more of what is going on during the famous Immanuel prophesy.

Besides the fact that I've been in love with Isaiah all year, this was also a convicting sermon for me.

Where do I turn to in trouble?

Joy to the World by Doug Wilson

1 Peter 1:6-9

Recently I've been studying and memorizing 1-2 Peter. I didn't even know the text when I turned this sermon on, but it made me really excited when I found out. :-)

This sermon really hit the nail on the head when it comes to the way we try to celebrate Christmas and how dumb it often is. I was trying to fold laundry while I was listening to it. I didn't get much done because I had to keep taking notes. This is one I really want to listen to again.

He really redirects back to the real essence of Christ's birth and what it has changed.

Here are a few notes I scribbled that really made an impression on me-

"The peace f God is our armor. It's not something we have to protect. Is the things that protects us."

"Peace is not the Gospel itself it is the result of the Gospel."

"Christmas is God's D-Day...the thunder of Heaven's guns."

"Sentimentalism is a pacifist...trying to celebrate the effect of Christmas without the story."

"True joy is fundementally realistic."

"The Magnificat is a declaration of war."

I found the whole sermon intoxicatingly joyful.

I'm very thankful God put this in my way!

General Christmasness

On Wednesday one of my brothers took me to downtown Portland, which was amazing. Even with all it's problems, I just love Portland so much! And even though we didn't go to Powell's it's near presence refreshed my spirit. ;-)

I also love my brother. He's pretty awesome. ;-)

Last night Mama and I were able to go to a beautiful Messiah performance. It was wonderful...of course. :-)

I also finally allowed myself to start another Chaim Potok novel. Happiness!!!!

Other recent Christmas activities include seeing Tangled, going out to eat, watching movies while wrapping presents, being ill, squeezing reading time in, receiving truck loads of Amazon packages, working on Christmas presents (mwhahaha), wonderful mail and Christmas cards, seeing lots family and friends, eating very unhealthily, listening to lots of music, and....very little writing. :-P There will be a schedule again though...Right? :-)

I have had the most amazing year. I am so grateful!!!!!

Christmas has been a flurry this last week and now I'm looking forward to the actual celebration of it all...which should include some relaxing time with good friends and family, good conversation, good food, good presents :-) and all beautiful Christmasified house!

But most of all, a celebration of victory. Christ came to save his people from their sins. To wage war (and to win!) against death. What more do we need to be joyful? What more do we need for such a clear mission?

There is so much to do and to learn!

Sometimes I feel quite hopeless...but only because there is such an wonderful, perfect, un-understandable, complex yet beautifully simple hope!

Have a very blessed and amazing Christmas. :-)

Many of you are in my prayers. I know I'll being seeing some of you soon.

Christmas!!!!! Yippee!

Thanks for reading,
Miss Pickwickian

(Sorry this was a long rambling post. If you got to the end know that I am extremely grateful. :-)

Blue Christmas - Elvis and Bocelli :-)

I love this song. It was a favorite of my Grandma's (especially when my Grandpa was in the army).

Anyways...I love it. These are two different and wonderfully perfect performances. ;-)

I like Elvis Presely's version by himself best, but this one is good too. :-)

And of course I love Andrea Bocelli's... :-)

I've been enjoying all the Christmas music!

Thanks for looking,
Miss Pickwickian