Advent Four

Gas Lantern, The Breakers Mansion, Rhode Island

And Mary said:

“My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.

From now on all generations will call me blessed,  

for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name.

His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.
He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; 

he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.

He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. 

He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.

He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham

and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers.” 

Mary's Song- Luke 1:46-55

The Breakers Mansion

We visited The Breakers this week, the opulent summer home built by Cornelius Vanderbilt who enjoyed it for only a short time before he died of a stroke at the age of 55. The mansion was decorated extravagantly for the Christmas season in a late 19th century style with numerous decorated trees and enormous arrangements of fresh greens and flowers. I left the self-guided tour half way through and chose to walk outdoors in the fresh air around the grounds which led to the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. 

The Advent reading for today includes The Magnificat in the first chapter of Luke's gospel. Mary gives thanks because God has lifted up the humble, fed the poor and sent the rich away empty. God incarnate was coming to walk the streets as a servant bringing good news to the socially disadvantaged and sinners. He invited the rich too but asked them to give their wealth to the poor and follow him.

Trinity Church, Copley Square, Boston

A couple of homeless women sat on benches outside Trinity Church in Boston. Tourists focused cameras on them as their poverty contrasted sharply with the fine old and new buildings around the square. We were enjoying a tour of the city at the time and our guide described the recent disbanding of the Occupy Boston movement. She was sympathetic with the group who say they represent the 99% of the population who are not like the Vanderbilts and other wealthy Americans.

"There will always be poor people in the land..."

Later in the week we visited the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. I was young when he was assassinated and had never heard his speeches nor read his writings. He came from wealth and certainly had human weaknesses, but his social conscience and ideals were not typical of his place and time. I watched him speak eloquently on an old newsreel,

"The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie -- deliberate, contrived and dishonest, but the myth, persistent, persuasive, and unrealistic. Belief in myths allows the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought."

Fifty years later, we still live in a world full of persistent myths, half-truths and and plenty of opinions. The myths which envelop the Christmas season can hide the true reason God came to dwell among mankind. Jesus calls us to follow him in humility, to be generous servants, to love our neighbours and our enemies, to turn the other cheek and go the extra mile, to be peacemakers in our world. 

If Jesus was here in person today, he wouldn't be shopping at the mall or admiring the "Christmas" tree. You might find him sitting on a park bench in the square in the centre of the city, looking for the poor, the sick, the broken-hearted, the lonely as he offered them salvation, hope and peace for eternity.

Boston MA

Christmas Vacation

This month is different than most Decembers. It is unusually warm and sunny unlike last year's prolonged winter storms and heavy snowfalls. My husband and I decided to take a week's vacation in New England as our gift to each other and we are now in Boston. (He is at a Boston Bruins' hockey game and I am at the hotel where I splurged and spent $12.95 for 24 hours of Internet) The weather is spectacular!

On the way here today we visited Stockbridge MA and the Norman Rockwell Museum. The altitude was 3000' and there was a light snow cover. There is no snow at all in Boston and the ocean was beautiful this afternoon under clear skies. And if the days were longer, one could believe it was October.

This is my first post from an iPad. The blogging app will take a while to get used to!

Advent Three

Rehearsing for tonight's program

Weeks of preparation come together tonight in the annual Christmas cantata at our church. Our music director put together a wonderful program including children, youth and adults in the performance. I have the small part of getting microphones to the actors and cueing them for their entry to the sanctuary which is much, much easier than memorizing lines and songs.

I have memories of many Christmas pageants;- repeating lines in acrostic poems, playing a piano duet with my brother, dressing up for a nativity scene, singing in a Christmas tree. And I remember well the years our children participated in school and church concerts.

Our little shepherd and her sister the sheep took part in the church program in the mid-1980s. What fun it was for little ones to dress up and then get a bag of treats. As the choir practiced this week, I held up a 25 year old photo of our girls and their classmates crawling up the same aisle after visiting the manger and baby Jesus.

A family favourite Christmas book and movie is The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson. The story captures all the charm and unpredictability of a traditional Christmas play and communicates a valuable lesson as well.

Do you have a special Christmas concert memory?

I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my whole being shall exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 

For as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations. 

 Isaiah 61:10-11 

From today's Lectionary reading for the third Sunday of Advent

It's Christmas Time in the City

Clock Tower December 1, 2011

My dad and mom used to bundle all five of us into the car every December for a drive around the city to look at Christmas lights. We would ooh and ahh at the extravagent displays on big houses in rich neighourhoods. The energy crisis of the early 1980's dimmed many Christmas lights as utility rates soared. But people gradually started decorating outdoors again and our city parks and downtown areas now have lovely light displays at this time of year. The clock tower from our old city hall was moved to the park when the building was demolished in the 1970's. (It is unfortunate that such a fine old building was replaced with a shopping concourse which is now half empty.)

Kitchener City Hall Circa 1964

This old picture from the 1960's was taken by the man who was responsible for putting up the lights at city hall each year. His daughter shared it with me last year. The clock tower sat in its original location on top of the building.

We still enjoy driving around town looking at lights or walking in our neighbourhood at night to see decorations. Some homes are decorated more tastefully than others, but to each his own at this festive time of year!

Who cares about the hydro bill!

Children at Christkindl Market

Our city hosts Christkindl Market every December. It opens with carol singing in the park followed by a candle light procession to city hall led by Mary and Joseph and their miniature donkeys. It is one of the nicest Christmas events I enjoy every year. The market has many traditional gifts and crafts, plenty of good food, ice skating, choirs, dancers, and a live nativity all weekend long.

(Here is a link to a short video of the Philharmonic Choir singing during the opening.)

Children wait to follow Mary and Joseph to City Hall

Klaus, the Organ Grinder shows a young boy how to play carols

Handmade toys

Lots of fun for young and old alike

Peace on Earth

One of my patients made several origami crane mobiles and gave them to the staff (instead of chocolates) when she was discharged recently. An old Japanese legend states that anyone who folds a thousand origami cranes will be granted a wish such as long life or recovery from illness.

A young Japanese girl named Sadako became ill with leukemia as a result of the atomic bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima in 1945. She started making origami cranes to pass the time in hospital with a goal of making 1000, but she died with only 644 completed. Sadako's classmates made the remaining cranes, and all 1000 were buried with her. (Sadako was a real person, but there are several versions of this story). The following quote is from Wikipedia.

"In 1958, a statue of Sadako holding a golden crane was unveiled in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial. At the foot of the statue is a plaque that reads:   

"This is our cry. This is our prayer. Peace on Earth." 

There is also a statue of her in the Seattle Peace Park." 

Because of Sadako, folded cranes have also become a symbol of world peace. Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr is written for elementary aged children. I smiled at some of the one star reviews on Amazon.com. Here is one by a young student entitled "The best book that I've ever read".

 "I would not recommend this book. It is an amazingly sad book. I would never read this book again. It's so sad because there is a lot of dying. But I will tell you about this book..."

The absence of peace makes us all amazingly sad. Christmas brings hope that peace on earth will be a reality for all mankind.

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow


Today marks the 70th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbour

Festive Foods

 

I usually get only one cold a year and it is invariably at Christmas time. My immunity is lowered by eating sweets, over-tiredness and stress. So I aim to make Christmas food this year that is festive yet healthy. Yes, we have done a little baking, but there is no freezer full of cookies and squares. I look forward to seasonal boxes of clementines and juicy, red pomegranates. And when I eat this salad for breakfast, I feel good all day long. 

And I am (almost) full when treats like this star cookie Christmas tree tempt me when I come home from work!

Saint Nicholas

St. Nicholas, Christkindl Market, Kitchener 2011

St. Nicholas visited Kitchener's Christkindl Market this past weekend. When I asked to take his picture, he quickly found his wife and they posed together. St. Nicholas day is December 6th and many children in Europe put their shoes outside the door in the days leading up to tonight in hopes of receiving a special treat. Naughty children could expect a lump of coal or a tree branch. (The St. Nicholas above has several branches in his hand.)

I looked at my footwear and decided there was nothing suitable for storing things I would later eat. Then I cleaned one Croc with a disinfectant wipe and checked to see what might fit in it. My size nine shoe held (with difficulty) one clementine, a small package of pistachios and one chocolate bar. No wonder St. Nicholas has such a small bag. The real St. Nicholas gained a reputation for gift-giving by putting coins in other people's shoes. Perhaps coins are a better idea than food or small toys.

I shared the picture of this card from Grandma's Christmas scrapbook a couple of years ago. In 1907 St. Nicholas was evolving into Santa Claus in North America with a more colourful costume and bigger presents. He certainly is very fit as he appears to be walking to deliver gifts rather than riding through the sky in a sleigh.

It is interesting to learn about Christmas traditions in other countries. St. Nicholas and related (caucasian) benevolent gift givers are not celebrated everywhere in the world. I like this quote from Dick Gregory, a black American comedian and social activist.

"I never believed in Santa Claus because I knew

no white dude would come into my neighborhood after dark."

To those who believe...

HaPpY Saint Nicholas Day!