Let Christmas Bells Ring

The bells have been ringing out this Christmas despite the Pandemic shutdown that has loomed over us in Ontario and other parts of Canada – and much of the world.  The Bishop of Huron Diocese decided to closedown face-to-face worship on the Sunday before Christmas.  However, we were still able to ring the church bells (or in the case of St. James, Parkhill bell) on Christmas Eve at 6;30 and Christmas Day at noon as requested by Archbishop Linda Nichols, Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada.  The Christmas Day bell ringing can be seen on the St. James Anglican Church Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/St-James-Anglican-Church-Parkhill-114562600251874.  We had a simple liturgy with the opening sentence and collect for Christmas Day from the Book of Alternative Services:

Sentence
I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the
people; for to you is born this day a Saviour, Christ the Lord.
Luke 2.10–11
Collect
Almighty God,
you wonderfully created
and yet more wonderfully restored our human nature.
May we share the divine life of your Son Jesus Christ,
who humbled himself to share our humanity,
and now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

This was followed by the ringing of the church bell to celebrate the birth of Jesus in lowly estate in the stable in Bethlehem.  The ringing of church bells has been part of the tradition of worship and is used to mark occasions both joyous such as Christmas Day and weddings as well as those more solemn occasions such as the tolling of bells at funerals.  I listened to a program on C.B.C. radio recently (I’m not sure which one) that told of the foundry in Italy that has been making bells for a thousand years.  It has been owned and run by the same family for all that time.  Anglicans are often accused of being focused on our traditions but you can’t get much more traditional than that – it is truly amazing.  The bells forged by this foundry can be found all over the world.  The reporter for this story advised that she was reporting from Rome and noted that there are over one thousand churches in Rome.  Consequently, the sound of bells being rung can be almost defining at times. 

Our single bell at St. James church makes only a small but perhaps not significant sound compared with that.  However, there were thousands of bells which rang out throughout Canada and the world on Christmas Day.  They all announced the Good News of the birth of the Prince of Peace. 

I will close with the word from that wonderful carol which celebrates the bells that are rung on Christmas Day announcing the birth of the Prince of Peace.

 

 

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

 

I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play
And mild and sweet their songs repeat
Of peace on earth good will to men

And the bells are ringing (peace on earth)
Like a choir they’re singing (peace on earth)
In my heart I hear them (peace on earth)
Peace on earth, good will to men

And in despair I bowed my head
There is no peace on earth I said
For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men

But the bells are ringing (peace on earth)
Like a choir singing (peace on earth)
Does anybody hear them? (peace on earth)
Peace on earth, good will to men

Then rang the bells more loud and deep
God is not dead, nor does he sleep (peace on earth, peace on earth)
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on earth, good…

 

May you have blessings of peace throughout this Christmas Season

Peace on Earth and Shalom

 As Advent draws to a close, we anticipate the birth of the Prince of Peace.  I discovered recently that the wonderful Jewish word for peace – shalom, doesn’t actually mean peace or, rather, It means much more than just peace.  I received a great video from Rev. Sherry DeJonge which expounded on the meaning of shalom https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLYORLZOaZE.  The video goes into great length concerning the meaning and application of shalom. 

In effect, shalom means wholeness or completeness and so it encompasses the concept of peace in a much broader way than the mere cessation of fighting.  I have embraced the idea of wholeness for many years as an ideal, particularly as something which we can aspire to rather than perfection.  I have been troubled by the scriptural passages that promotes the idea of perfection particularly the passage in which Jesus says “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48)  I have thought that perfection is something that no one can achieve and is beyond human possibility.

Now, many of the commandments which Jesus gives us seem almost impossible such as love your enemies.  However, they may be a true challenge but are not beyond the realm of possibility as I believe that some exceptional people such as Martin Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi have achieved that blessed state.  However, they were not perfect.  There is also the troubling trend in some circles recently that no one should be honoured unless they are judged to be perfect, or, rather, they are without sin in the judgement of those groups.  The example of Sir John A. MacDonald comes to mind and has fallen out of favour despite being the founding father of this nation because of his treatment of the first nations people.  Similarly, I read a report that Abraham Lincoln has fallen from grace for a similar sin despite his accomplishment of holding the United States together and bringing emancipation to those millions who were enslaved. 

That passage from Matthew was redeemed for me when I read a proposition that a better translation of the Matthew 5: 48 was be all-embracing rather than be perfect.  All-embracing can be seen as another way of understanding wholeness.  As we look to the celebration of the Prince of Peace, I would invite you to not worry about being perfect (even if you were considering that) and consider what it means for you to be all-embracing of life and of others.  That, indeed, is a challenge but it is something we can strive for and it is okay if we don’t manage it – we can keep on trying because we don’t have to be perfect or even try.

Blessing on your journey to worship the Christ Child who is born in the lowly stable in Bethlehem.

Blessed Be the Tithes that Bind

 

This is truly the most wonderful time of the year when every trip to the Post Office not only bring Christmas or Seasons greeting – although not as many now that we have electronic greetings available – but also the myriad of myriad appeals from charities with their ‘gifts’ of calendars and seasonal (definitely not Christmas) cards to encourage us to give generously to their very worthwhile work.

 I must confess that this often puts a damper on my Christmas spirit and I always wonder what I can do with one more calendar and can I justify to myself to use those cards if I don’t send at least a small contribution to that organization.  However, this is more than balanced by the appeals from Charities that I have supported in the past and I am grateful for the reminder to send them a contribution for the good work that they undertake.  I received one of those appeals last week from L’Arche Daybreak, the branch of L’Arche in Richmond Hill.  I had the opportunity to experience the wonderful work they do as a community for those with and without intellectual disabilities when I spent a few days with them one reading week when I was studying theology at Huron University College.  As they state in their mission statement, they strive to, “Make known the gifts of people with intellectual disabilities, revealed through mutually transforming relationships.” I filled out the donation form and got it ready to mail. 

As I did that I reflected on my donation to that group and wondered why I gave the amount I did.  There didn’t seem to be any relation to what I give to other organizations.  Why did I give that amount to what was, in my mind, an organization that did wonderful work that enable people, who had been given many challenges, meaningful and rewarding lives?  On reflection, I realized that there was not a great deal of rationale to many of my charitable donations.  In terms of my overall charitable givings, I am guided by the concept of tithing which has been the standard for Christians for a long time.  This is based on the bible passage in Genesis 14:20 in which Abram (later Abraham) gave King Melchizedek of Salem, who was priest of the “God Most High” a tenth of everything – hence tithing which is a tenth.  All well and good in terms of the goal for the amount I give, but what about to whom and how much for each organization.  It did not take me long to decide or realize that I had no clear idea on what basis I gave to certain groups or how much I gave to each. 

There is, of course, some basis for which groups I choose to support.  I tend to support groups or organizations I have first-hand knowledge of such as L’Arche and have assessed that their work has a positive impact on those they serve.  I am also aware that I do not do a very good job of investigating some groups in terms of the extent that they are good steward of the money they receive.  I am also aware that the amount that I give to an organization or choosing that organization is sometimes based on how a feel in a particular day when the request is received―not a great way on which to base my support.  I was inspired to raise this question, as I mentioned, by the question why I didn’t give additional support to L’Arche when I give more to organizations that seem to be not as deserving? 

I am aware that there is help available in determining if an organization is a good steward to the money they receive; Charity Intelligence Canada provides an assessment of charities which can assist in evaluating if your money is being used well, https://www.charityintelligence.ca/.  However, I must confess that I have never used this source.  As an experiment,t I decided to check put one of the organizations I support, World Vision.  It turns out to have a five-star rating based on financial transparency, results reported, demonstrated impact and need for funding. 

All well and good but it doesn’t help on the issue of how much I donate.   That will require more consideration.  If I was a more analytical person, I could develop a method of helping me do this on a more rational basis.  However, I am not likely to do that, so in the meantime perhaps I will settle on giving that more consideration when I decide on how much I give to which groups.

Have a blessed journey to Christmas this Advent and remember that you have many more gifts than financial ones. 

The Language of Jesus

 

As I noted a couple of weeks ago, Lorna and I are taking a course on Benedictive Spirituality offered by the Sisterhood of St. John the Divine.  One of the many aspects of the course which have caught my attention is the statement that the psalms were the ‘language of Jesus’.  This was quite a surprise for me and I followed up on this assertion questioning this with the following.

As I mentioned yesterday, I would appreciate a discussion of the Benedictine understanding (perhaps not unique to them) that the Psalms were the language of Jesus.  I am aware that the psalms were integral to worship in the synagogue in Jesus’ time but is there more to it than that.  My reaction to reading that is that the psalms often presented God as retributive and the psalmist often wanted God to do a lot of smiting of enemies - not what Jesus preached and lived.

My question was presented in a supplementary discussion period offered by the course leader, Sr. Constance Gefvert, which enabled me to flesh out my understanding of this.  I find it is helpful to engage in a discussion to more fully develop my thoughts on a subject (sometimes it is a discussion with only myself).  I came to the awareness that Jesus probably had a full and detailed familiarity of the psalms throughout his life.  He also had a full and in-depth familiarity with the people in his life and was fully aware of the complexity of the human condition as demonstrated in his relationship with all the Mary’s and the Martha’s; the Pharisees and the Sadducees; the rich and the poor; the outcasts and the tax collectors.  This was best demonstrated in his parables.  He seemed to know people better than they know themselves.  The psalms were and are a record of just that – an expression of all of human nature from praising God for all that God had done to blessed the psalmist, to a cry for help, a cry of anguish, and a cry of (sometimes) righteous anger.  

In the course of our discussion, Sr. Connie asked me to consider what Jungian psychology would make of the psalms.  I did just that and later when the opportunity arose, I responded that Jungian psychology was focussed on wholeness and not on perfection which is expressed so vividly in the psalms.  On further reflection I would add that we need to accept all of who God created us to be including the unacceptable parts.  Those parts which are unacceptable are demonstrated quite vividly in many of the psalms.  If we do not acknowledge them, they remain inaccessible in the unconscious part of ourselves.  They return when we are not looking like a thief in the night and can wreak havoc for others and us.  Jung talks about these unacceptable parts of ourselves as the Shadow.

The shadow is often one of the easier images to identify in a dream. We can also identify it at work when we take an instant, irrational dislike to someone,  It can be helpful to notice when you have a strong reaction to someone that seems to have not rational basis and explore what it is about the person that triggered that reaction.  When you have figured that our, look for that characteristic in yourself.

Blessings on your journey and know that God is with you and so is your Shadow. 

Hope Shall Come Again

 For those who celebrate the season of Advent, you will know that last Sunday was the first Sunday of Advent.  We began the preparation for Christmas and the coming of the Christ child and all that entails, by lighting the first candle on the advent wreath.  Advent is also the celebration of the hope for the second coming of Jesus Christ the King.

The lighting of the Advent Candle is one of the ways which we can observe the season and not jump right into the celebration of Christmas which seems to be earlier every year.  There is also the tradition of the Advent Calendar which count down the days until the wonderful event when the baby Jesus arrives in the stable and is placed in a lowly manger in that small insignificant town in an insignificant country occupied by the most powerful country in the world. 

Lorna and I participated yesterday in another wonderful Advent tradition and a tuned into the service of Advent Lessons and Carols at St. Thomas’s Anglican Church in Toronto.  This lived up to our high expectations under difficult circumstances with only a quartet rather than a full choir and liturgist who acquitted themselves admirably. 

The advent wreath is comprised of four candles, one for each of the four Sundays in Advent. Each candle represents a symbol of what is represented by the coming of the Christ Child; Hope, Peace, Joy and Love.  Sunday, we lit the candle representing Hope.  We livein a world that has always need of hope; this year more so than ever. Reflecting on hope, I am reminded of the Greek myth of Pandora’s box.  Here is a summary from an on-line source as a reminder of the myth:

Pandora was the first mortal woman in Greek mythology, a sort of an Ancient Greek Eve. Following the instructions of Zeus – who wanted to punish Prometheus for stealing the fire from the gods and giving it to the humans – she was molded by Hephaestus and endowed with gifts by all the other Olympian gods. One of these gifts was a jar full of all the evils and diseases which exist in the world. One day – out of curiosity and not out of malice – Pandora lifted the lid of the jar, thus instantaneously releasing all evils and diseases into the world. Shocked by what had happened, she quickly tried to put the lid back, managing to merely trap Hope inside it. That is why Hope is the last thing that dies in man: even though deceitful from time to time, it is the only consolation humans have for all the troubles Pandora let loose on the world. The event of their release marks the end of the trouble-free Golden Age of Man, and the beginning of the Silver Age, the second of the five Ages of Man. https://www.greekmythology.com/Myths/Mortals/Pandora/pandora.html

Hope, it seems, has been around for a very long time.  It was not invented by Christians but was recognized as one of those characteristics essential to human nature and encapsulates what is possible in for humanity as we look to a world in which God’s kingdom will be established here in this world in the second coming.  That hope is made manifest by the birth of the Christ Child – not in a castle as the prince of a world-ruling empire but of a very different kingdom based on love.

In your journey to what will be a very different Christmas for many of us, be assured that we have the Hope of a world which is different than what we have now – a world beyond COVID isolation.

Blessings on your Advent journey in preparation for the coming of the Prince of Peace.

P.S. Thanks to Lorna for the reminder that Advent is also about the second coming.