So This is Christmas

Nativity
Giotto
1304-06


"So this is Christmas,

And what have you done?

Another year over, And a new one just begun"

John Lennon


What is Christmas? Every year I ask this question and wonder why I can't seem to 'catch the spirit of the season'. For me, 'tis the season for Christmas malaise (for an eloquent discourse by David Taylor, click here). Many times I have been donned Scrooge. This year I decided would be different- I would be prepared with handmade gifts, I would make a long-overdue trip to see out-of-town family, and, I would change my attitude about what the Holy day called Christmas has become. Alas, some gifts are still in progress, the trip hasn't happened (yet) and my attitude is being worked on.  After all, I am grateful for Christmas; a reminder that I am loved by the Creator and Owner of eternity. 


So we give gifts. I am ashamed to say I don't remember many past Christmas gifts, given or received. There is one gift however that my family still talks about. My sisters and I were young and we wanted to give our parents something 'from us'. Pop gave us the money and Mom drove us to the store. Proudly we presented our hand-picked treasures that Christmas morn. There were smiles and 'thank-yous'. Then Pop opened my sister Debbie's gift. A pause ensued as Pop held up an art gum eraser. Finally the explanation- at some point in the shopping process my sister remembered the purpose of the trip. She then had enough money left to buy a gum eraser. 


 So many times I have gone to God the Father and said, "I have nothing to offer You. I've spent it all on myself." As I ponder the 'thing' my sister chose to give my Father that Christmas- an eraser, I realize it may well be the perfect gift a child can offer a parent. 


When we talk of a man doing anything for God or giving anything to God, I will tell you what it is really like. It is like a small child going to his father and saying, "Daddy, give me sixpence to buy you a birthday present." Of course, the father does, and he is pleased with the child's present. It is all very nice and proper, but only an idiot would think that the father is sixpence to the good on the transaction. 

(C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity)

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Cinnamon Roll
Recipe#76864
recipezaar.com

"Be cheerful no matter what;

pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens.

This is the way God wants you who belong to

Christ Jesus to live."

I Thessalonians 5:16-18

The Message

Places of being can be strange at times; where we are, where we want to be, where we should be, but where are we going?  In the midst of morning 'rush-hour', to what are we rushing? A favorite quote of mine is from Jim Elliot, martyred for the sake of Christ-

"Wherever you are, be all there. Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God."

Praise God for the national holiday we call Thanksgiving, a day of food and family; a day to stop and 'give thanks'. This morning, thanks to recipezaar, we enjoyed homemade cinnamon rolls. As I kneaded the dough I thought about the purpose of kneading, so, I looked it up. The knead process develops gluten, a protein in rye, wheat and barley. Gluten helps the dough with:

elasticity

absorbency

and

rising

An aspect of the Christian walk I don't enjoy is being kneaded by the hand of God, but I am thankful for the 'gluten of my soul' that is developed. I trust His hands.

 Nota bene- On Kneading
One by-product of choosing to knead bread dough is that the activity is really fine exercise. Bakers have a chance to work their upper body muscles, and gain some mental satisfaction from the process as well. While neither of these two perks of kneading dough have any bearing on the flavor or texture of the bread, they often are quite beneficial to the temperament of the baker.
http://www.wisegeek.com/why-do-you-need-to-knead-bread-dough.htm

And now, a short film by my son Samuel ( a young man who enjoys living "to the hilt")-

A few of my journals

"If you enjoy something in this world without saying a blessing,

it is as if you stole it."

Talmud Berachot 35A

"Remember now thy Creator

in the days of thy youth."

Ecclesiastes 12:1

Thursday evening, Sam, my 16-year-old son shared his heart with his youth group. He spoke about the parable of the talents, the story of a master who, before going on a journey,  entrusted his possessions to his servants.  The crux of his meditation was Matt. 25:25, when upon the master's return, one servant replied, "I was afraid, and I went away and hid your talent in the ground; see, you have what is yours."


'I was afraid...'


My son, Sam, said to a roomful of teenagers, "Alot of people say, 'I can't _____, or, I'm not ______ (fill in the blanks) because of fear. Fear keeps us from doing and being."
My son ministered to me as he spoke. Sam reminded me that fear is the great forgetter, and that a lie repeated and believed begins to sound like truth. He reminded me why I journal, and, why I return to former journals. I need to remember from whence I've come.


The fearful servant in the parable hid his master's possession. Centuries before, another servant spoke of hiding something. He said, "I have hidden Your word in my heart, that I might not sin against You." Psalm 119:11. Eugene Peterson words it this way- "I've banked your promises in the vault of my heart so I won't sin myself bankrupt." 


I praise God for my Sam. He has the energy and passion of youth on his side. He is a blessing to me. And, he reminds me that through Christ I can do all things.

Introductions

introduce- in-truh-doos

to present (a person) to another so as to make acquainted.
L intrōdūcere  to lead inside, equiv. to intrō-intro-  + dūcere  to lead
from Dictionary.com




It's a long life, baby,
when you reach out broken hands and feel
that there are no hands reaching back for you.
When the worlds gone crazy,
I make a cry of desperation
and hear my echo bouncing off cold walls.
All I know, is it's a long life baby.
Chorus- Mile Long Driveway
by Jeremy Current


A necessary part of being human means meeting other humans. Sometimes we introduce ourselves, sometimes we are introduced by others. This week I finished reading two books- My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok and What God Starts, God Completes by Michael Milton. Both were autobiographies, the one about an imagined person, the other real. Since childhood I have enjoyed reading biographies, especially autobiographies. Everyone has a story. It takes courage to share the story with others.


I will never meet Asher Lev, though I was introduced to the fictional character by my friend Amy AcNelis (a fellow bibliophile and extraordinary teacher of English). I did meet Michael Milton. My good friend Glen Robinson invited me to attend a dinner with him; a celebratory introduction to the Chancellor/CEO Elect of Reformed Theological Seminary, Dr. Michael Milton. When Dr. Milton introduced himself to me he gave me a bear hug. He exuded joy that cannot be faked. As I watched and listened that evening, the words of Jesus came to my mind, "Behold a true Israelite, in whom there is no guile!" RTS is blessed indeed.


Relationships begin with an introduction.
Sometimes those introductions lead to a better understanding of ourselves.


"Let me tell you why you are here. You're here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness how will people taste godliness...you're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world."
Matthew 5
The Message

One Fish At A Time

The Tribute Money

Masaccio

1426-1427

Fresco, 255 x 598 cm
Cappella Brancacci, Santa Maria del Carmine, Florence

Thursday, I discussed the life and work of Masaccio with my students. We viewed a slide of The Tribute Money as I retold the story from Matthew 17:24-27. There is a moment in this story that captivates me. Here is the scene, from The Message-

24 When they arrived at Capernaum, the tax men came to Peter and asked, "Does your teacher pay taxes?" 25 Peter said, "Of course." But as soon as they were in the house, Jesus confronted him. "Simon, what do you think? When a king levies taxes, who pays--his children or his subjects?"26 He answered, "His subjects." Jesus said, "Then the children get off free, right? 27 But so we don't upset them needlessly, go down to the lake, cast a hook, and pull in the first fish that bites. Open its mouth and you'll find a coin. Take it and give it to the tax men. It will be enough for both of us."

Detail

Simon Peter and the fish

Here is the moment that grabs me- "cast a hook".

The greek word for hook in this verse is  agkistron and is used once in the entire New Testament. I commented to my students that fishing in 1st Century Galilee usually involved the casting of nets. So, I asked my students, "Why did Jesus tell Peter to use a hook?" I posed the question to all 5 art classes and each time at least one student responded, "Because he only needed to catch one fish!" Truth is elegantly simple. One fish contained one coin which was sufficient for two. 

Detail

Removing the coin

Matthew Henry's commentary reads:

"Peter felt sure his Master was ready to do what was right. Christ spoke first to give him proof that no thought can be withholden from Him. We must never decline our duty for fear of giving offense; but we must sometimes deny ourselves in our worldly interests, rather than give offense. However the money was lodged in the fish, He who knows all things alone could know it, and only Almighty power could bring it to Peter's hook. The power and the poverty of Christ should be mentioned together. If called by providence to be poor, like our Lord, let us trust in His power, and our God shall supply all our need, according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. In the way of obedience, in the course, perhaps, of our usual calling, as He helped Peter, so He will help us. And if any sudden call should occur, which we are not prepared to meet, let us not apply to others, till we first seek Christ."

Back From the Wild

"In wilderness I sense the miracle of life, and behind it our scientific accomplishments fade to trivia."

Charles A. Lindbergh

Fall Camp 2010

At the beginning of every school year, the students and staff of Trinity Prep spend a week at Camp Harrison, nearly 2200 acres of God's handiwork, in the Piedmont region of North Carolina. Yesterday we returned home. Here are a few memories-

Doris and Ruth

Our Cooks

A Biscuit Recipe from Doris

11/2 cups White Lily flour, self-rising (the best in Doris' opinion)

1 cup whipping cream

combine ingredients and roll out to 1/2"

bake @375 degrees to desired brown

(8-10 minutes)

(Doris fixed me a batch- they are amazing)

Ian, Me and Matt

The Overlook

'If you send them forward on their journey in a manner worthy of God, you will do well.'

III John 1:6

To Sing,To Laugh, To Cry

After the Song

The Evening Muse stage

"Homo sum: humani nil a me alienum puto-"

I am a man, and nothing human is alien to me.

Terence, Playwright, c.190-158 BC

"But we have this treasure in earthenware vessels to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us."

Paul of Tarsus, Tent maker, 1st Century AD

I am a creature of habit- my day begins early with a jog/walk around the lake, cups of coffee, reading and, most importantly, silence. And then, time shifts into chronos cruise and the silence is ended. Routine can be good. Routine can also form ruts. I praise God for surrounding me with people who are helping me understand the condition called human. They help my "social jet lag", defined by Wired magazine as  "chronic exhaustion due to persistent conflict between your scheduling software and your body clock." They help keep me from becoming a curmudgeonly teacher by reminding me that to live is to sing, to laugh, and to cry- so, in this bit of rambling I reflect on and share insights from a few of the fellow travelers that enrich the journey.

Sam, my youngest son, amazes and impresses me. Funny, clever (when Sam was a child we disciplined him by giving his bottom a smack with a wooden spoon until, one day, all the spoons were gone. When asked about this, he replied, "I threw them away!") and talented, Sam keeps me apprised of new music. Thursday night, I went with Sam and Emma to listen to a couple of Sam's favorite musicians- Jeremy Current and Flagship. The venue was The Evening Muse in the NODA district of Charlotte, NC. The evening reminded me that my heart yearns for live music, which leads to my friend Hugh Gill.

Jeremy Current

Live at The Evening Muse

Hugh Gill is working on a collection of original worship music- songs for soaking. Sunday afternoon I was privileged to record a vocal track on one of the songs- reminding me there is goodness in singing, and, as my friend Karen Kolzow reminded me, in singing there is life. Karen told me that while reflecting on Matthew 10:29, 'Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.', the heart of the Father said to her, "With every bird that falls there is one less song in the world." Shift the focus from death to life!

Hugh playing a new song

                                       

Hugh and me

In this life there is sorrow. Job said, "Man who is born of a woman, is short-lived and full of turmoil." The poetry of Tedd Galloway is a ministry to my soul- his words remind me of the frailty of my humanity. As Melissa Helser said, "I cry because I am alive." There is a time to cry. There is also a time to be silent. "Of You, silence is praise." Psalm 65:2 Hebrew Bible.

J.D. Mosiman is in the throes of making prophetic art- paintings that speak with a praise of silence. He stands on the threshold of a series that will impact many lives- one more reminder that we were made to make.

So, thank you Sam and Hugh and Karen and Tedd and J.D.

You are much loved and much needed. 

Fans of the morning, generally annoyed by my jog

Afroduck and friends