Tag: christianity

A Narrow Dwelling

barnstormingblog2 Comments

doorway at Stirling Castle, Scotland

O Lord,
The house of my soul is narrow;
enlarge it that you may enter in.
~Augustine of Hippo

dansouterrain2

…the miracle of God comes not only from above;
it also comes through us;
it is also dwelling in us. 
It has been given to every person,
and it lies in every soul as something divine,
and it waits.
Calling,
it waits for the hour when the soul shall open itself,
having found its God and its home. 
When this is so,
the soul will not keep its wealth to itself,
but will let it flow out into the world.
~Eberhard Arnold

A Canticle for Advent: Nor Say Nor Sing

barnstormingblog1 Comment
Rachel Weeping by Salvador Dali
Rachel Weeping by Salvador Dali

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

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

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

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

“A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping; Rachel weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are not”
Jeremiah 31:15

This sad and somber lullaby foreshadows Jesus’ death, as it is sung by the mothers who lose their innocent sons to Herod’s murderous attempt to rid himself of a king born under a star.  As much as we do not want to think of death at Christmas, it happens still.  There are thousands around the world who will die in the coming few days, some reaching the end of a long life on earth, others tragically passing too soon and too young.

This lullaby is for the grief-stricken who can only listen and lament, nor say nor sing.

A Canticle for Advent: Come and See

barnstormingblog3 Comments
Gerrit van Honthorst "L'adoration des bergers"
Gerrit van Honthorst “L’adoration des bergers”

Sing we now of Christmas
Sing we all Noel
Of the Lord and Savior
We the tidings tell
Sing we Noel
For Christ our Lord is born
Sing we Noel
For Christ our Lord is born
Angels from on high
May shepherds come and see
He’s born in Bethleham
A blessed family
Glory to God
For Christ our King is born
Glory to God
For Christ our King is born
Sing we now of Christmas

Sing we all Noel
Sing we now of Christmas
Sing we all Noel
Sing we all Noel
~Noël Nou­ve­let, 15th Cen­tu­ry French mel­o­dy

 

I grew up knowing this bittersweet melody as an Easter hymn, “Now the Green Blade Riseth” and later was surprised to find it was actually a Christmas carol.
I find the Easter words even more meaningful, and the imagery fits for Advent as well, as we wait expectantly for the call back to life again from the fields of our dead hearts.

Love is come again.  Indeed.

 

Now the green blade rises from the buried grain,
Wheat that in the dark earth many years has lain;
Love lives again, that with the dead has been:
Love is come again, like wheat that springs up green.

In the grave they laid Him, Love Whom we had slain,
Thinking that He’d never wake to life again,
Laid in the earth like grain that sleeps unseen:
Love is come again, like wheat that springs up green.

Up He sprang at Easter, like the risen grain,
He that for three days in the grave had lain;
Up from the dead my risen Lord is seen:
Love is come again, like wheat that springs up green.

When our hearts are saddened, grieving or in pain,
By Your touch You call us back to life again;
Fields of our hearts that dead and bare have been:
Love is come again, like wheat that springs up green.
~John Crum 1928

A Canticle for Advent: Ponder Nothing Earthly-Minded

barnstormingblog6 Comments
photo by Julie Garrett
photo by Julie Garrett

1 Let all mortal flesh keep silence,
and with fear and trembling stand;
ponder nothing earthly minded,
for with blessing in his hand
Christ our God to earth descendeth,
our full homage to demand.

2 King of kings, yet born of Mary,
as of old on earth he stood,
Lord of lords, in human vesture,
in the body and the blood,
he will give to all the faithful
his own self for heavenly food.

3 Rank on rank the host of heaven
spreads its vanguard on the way,
as the Light of light descendeth
from the realms of endless day,
that the powers of hell may vanish
as the shadows clear away

4 At his feet the six-winged seraph,
cherubim, with sleepless eye,
veil their faces to the presence,
as with ceaseless voice they cry,
“Alleluia, alleluia,
alleluia, Lord most high!”
~from the Liturgy of St. James, 4th century

 

The Lord is in his holy temple;
    let all the earth be silent before him.
Habakkuk 2:20

 

This ancient hymn is one of the most profound of Advent, demanding our silence as we ponder and honor these words that transcend all earthly bounds of our eyes, ears and voices.
How can we be anything but awe-struck silent as we consider Christ our God to earth descendeth?  We should be trembling; we should be standing mute in our shoes, amazed.
So we follow the lead of the angel host as they bring us the incredible news: Glory to God!  Alleluia!
There is nothing earthly minded in their song.
Earth will never be the same since He came,
He died,
He rose
and He readies us to join Him.

 


	


				
	






	
	

		
A Canticle for Advent: Let Us Be Transformed
	


	
					

			 barnstormingblog3 Comments		

	
	


		
roseinside


There is no rose of such virtue

As is the Rose that bore Jesu:

Alleluia.

For in this rose was contained

Heaven and earth in a small space.

Wondrous thing. Res miranda.

By that rose we may well see

There is one God in persons three.

Equally formed. Pares forma.

The angels sang; the shepherds, too:

Glory to God in the highest!

Let us rejoice. Gaudeamus.

Leave we all these worldly cares

And follow we this joyful birth.

Let us be transformed. Transeamus.

~Benjamin Britten “There is no rose” from “Ceremony of the Carols”1943




…thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; 77 To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,

78 Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,

79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Luke 1: 76-79 (Zechariah’s Song)


Although there are few references to roses in the Bible,  the symbolism of the depths of beauty and tenderness of the rose is found everywhere from Dante’s Paradisio, to elaborate ancient cathedral Rose Windows with Christ or Virgin Mary at the center.  It represents the miracle of heaven and earth bound together in the person of Christ in the Trinity.   Through His tender mercy, like Zechariah given back his voice,we become transformed by the coming of Christ.   We prepare to go before the Face of the Lord,  in His unfolding universe, unfurling like the center of a rose.


These daily Advent reflections are each devoted to one Christmas carol (or canticle) to prepare us for God dwelling among us– then, now and forever more.

	


				
	






	
	

		
Warm Milk of Light
	


	
					

			 barnstormingblogLeave a comment		

	
	


		
portrait of Dan's mom, Emma Gibson, praying,  by granddaughter Sara Lenssen
portrait of Emma Gibson, Dan’s mom in her later years, photo taken by granddaughter Sara Lenssen


I sit with braided fingers   


and closed eyes


in a span of late sunlight.   


The spokes are closing.


It is fall: warm milk of light,   


though from an aging breast.   


I do not mean to pray.   


The posture for thanks or   


supplication is the same   


as for weariness or relief.   


But I am glad for the luck   


of light. Surely it is godly,   


that it makes all things


begin, and appear, and become   


actual to each other.


Light that’s sucked into   


the eye, warming the brain   


with wires of color.


Light that hatched life


out of the cold egg of earth.

~May Swenson from “October”

	


				
	






	
	

		
Seeing Past Ordinary
	


	
					

			 barnstormingblog1 Comment		

	
	


		
wwucolor


vinemapleCM2


An open heart is alive to wonder, to the sheer marvel of “isness.”

It is remarkable that the world is,

that we are here,

that we can experience it.

The world is not ordinary.

Indeed, what is remarkable is that

it could ever look ordinary to us.

An open heart knows “radical amazement.”

An open heart and gratitude go together.

We can feel this in our bodies.

In the moments in my life

when I have been most grateful,

I have felt a swelling,

almost a bursting in my chest. 

~Marcus Borg from The Heart of Christianity




heart


wwuyellow2


vinemaple

	


				
	






	
	

		
Crimson Fingers
	


	
					

			 barnstormingblog2 Comments		

	
	


		
creeperrain2


creeperchurch


creeperwebberry


…God’s not nonexistent; He’s just been waylaid
 by a host of what no one could’ve foreseen.   


He’s got plans for you: this red-gold-green parade


is actually a fairly detailed outline.  


 


…it’s true that my Virginia creeper praises Him,   


its palms and fingers crimson with applause,   


that the local breeze is weaving Him a diadem…
 ~Jacqueline Osherow from “Autumn Psalm”


 


 


 


 


The crimson leaves creep over the brow of our ancient garage in growing streaks and flowing streams, crawling alongside to reach new destinations.
 This old building was once a small church at the turn of the 20th century,
 moved just a few hundred yards from the intersection of two country roads
 to this raised knoll.


It is fitting that every fall this little cedar-paneled church,
 emptied of sermons and worship
 full of our boxed and stored lives,
 weeps red.




 


Every autumn these bloodied fingers reach out
 to touch and bless,
 clasp and envelope:
 Do not despair.
 He’s got plans.
 Plans that give hope.


I must follow.




 


 


Oh, feed me this day, Holy Spirit, with
  the fragrance of the fields and the
  freshness of the oceans which you have
  made, and help me to hear and to hold
  in all dearness those exacting and wonderful
  words of our Lord Jesus Christ, saying:
  Follow me.
 ~Mary Oliver from “Six Recognitions of the Lord”


 


creeperweb


creeper1


creeperrain



	


				
	






	
	

		
No Shame to Weep
	


	
					

			 barnstormingblog2 Comments		

	
	


		
webdrizzle4


Don’t be ashamed to weep; ’tis right to grieve. Tears are only water, and flowers, trees, and fruit cannot grow without water. But there must be sunlight also. A wounded heart will heal in time, and when it does, the memory and love of our lost ones is sealed inside to comfort us.”

 ~ Brian Jacques  


The end-of-summer farm is silently sobbing in its loss; tears of fall, from fog, mist and drizzle, cling to everything everywhere. I arrive back in the house from barn chores soaked through from walking through the weeping.  ‘Tis no shame to be drenched in such sorrow.


The memory of summer is pressed deep in our grieving its passing, our wounds healed by Light that illumines our tears.

We are never left comfortless and weep in the knowing.


dandydrizzle4


webdrizzle

	


				
	






	
	

		
With a Final Heartbeat
	


	
					

			 barnstormingblog2 Comments		

	
	


		
hibiscus3Weak and wounded sinner

 Lost and left to die

 O, raise your head for love is passing by


Come to Jesus

 Come to Jesus

 Come to Jesus and live


Now your burden’s lifted

 And carried far away

 And precious blood has washed away the stain


So sing to Jesus

 Sing to Jesus

 Sing to Jesus and live


And like a new born baby

 Don’t be afraid to crawl

 And remember when you walk sometimes we fall


So fall on Jesus

 Fall on Jesus

 Fall on Jesus and live


Sometimes the way is lonely

 And steep and filled with pain

 So if your sky is dark and pours the rain


Then cry to Jesus

 Cry to Jesus

 Cry to Jesus and live


Ohh, and when the love spills over

 And music fills the night

 And when you can’t contain your joy inside


Then dance for Jesus

 Dance for Jesus

 Dance for Jesus and live


And with your final heartbeat

 Kiss the world goodbye

 Then go in peace, and laugh on glory’s side


And fly to Jesus

 Fly to Jesus

 Fly to Jesus and live


Fly to Jesus

 Fly to Jesus

 Fly to Jesus and live

~Chris Rice “Untitled Hymn”  (click link to hear this hymn which was sung at Linda’s funeral)


Our little church family lost one of its own last weekend.  Linda wasn’t in her usual seat last Sunday morning, which was notable.  When a family member later couldn’t reach her on the phone,  it was discovered she had slept all the way to heaven sometime in the night.


Hers had been a final heartbeat that only God knew would happen, and when.


We miss our sister in Christ and she was missed again this morning as we sang and prayed and heard God’s Word to us; we miss her gentle smile and her ready willingness to help whenever needed.  We miss her dedication to a Savior who, by His grace,  reshaped her life from self to selfless service and sacrifice.   We miss her love and caring for the rest of us who worshiped alongside her.


Yet we are comforted by what she has left behind: the flower gardens around our church that Linda tended faithfully for years, the crocus and tulip bulbs we know will come up next spring as they will continue to do, to remind us of renewal and resurrection.  Linda got down on her knees to work the soil to create beauty, falling on her knees in gratitude for forgiveness she had known and been shown.  She cried, she sang, she danced, and now, now she has flown to Jesus long before we were ready for her to leave.


We raise our tearful faces to see her love passing by.


Go in peace, Linda.  You have found joy on glory’s side.


queenannes


star