You Can Make This Holiday Season a Little Merrier for Others

Dear friends,

I've been thinking lately, as so many of you have, about how many people are in survival mode during the holidays. I'm not talking about how they have just crammed their schedules too busy or they are running around trying to buy all of their feast ingredients and gifts in time. I am talking about real survival mode: they don't have enough food to eat, decent clothes to wear, proper medical attention, maybe even a roof over their heads. Or they might be struggling through chronic pain or handicaps - physical, emotional, and or spiritual. They might be afflicted with mental illness. They might just be lonely or anxious, or grieving the loss of loved ones.

Think through the people you know, or even those whom you don't know yet. What are they going through right now?

Where are they? In a Third World country around the globe from you, on the streets downtown, in a decent enough home down the street from you, or, chances are, they might be living at your house. This might be you.

What can you do? How can you help make the holiday season a little merrier for someone else?

• Invite an international student or someone else who has no local family over for a holiday meal, even if it is not right on Thanksgiving or Christmas Day. How about hosting a Friendsgiving this year to give everyone a chance to gather for food, fun, and friendly conversation? 

• Talk to a lonely friend. A cup of tea? A listening ear for sure. Listen, don't lecture.

• Watch what you say to people, especially among those whom you don't know really, really well. You might make a critical comment about "other people's problems" (such as substance abuse, financial issues, family crisis, mental illness, etc.) not realizing that those in your presence are affected by it too. You don't always know what someone is going through, and if you are throwing off negative vibes, you can be sure they won't be eager to tell you about it, unless it is to tell you off for being insensitive. :-(

• Be extra sensitive and gracious to families with special needs children. Read here: Making It Through the Holidays with Children Who Have Special Needs (at Karen Campell's That Mom blog)

• Offer to watch a friends' kids so their stressed out parent(s) (especially a single mom or dad) can go out for some alone time, a date with a hubby or friend, or a holiday party. 

• Take a fancy casserole, a pumpkin pie, or a plate of Christmas cookies to a shut in. Be sure to ask about food restrictions if they have health issues. Maybe you could reduce salt in your meats and side dishes, and use stevia instead of sugar for your baked goods.

• Sing Christmas carols at a nursing home. 

• Write letters or make cards for (or with) elderly relatives or neighbors. Add pictures that your kids have made.

• Help an elderly or handicapped friend decorate for Christmas. They can't always reach up high or lift boxes. See Easy Christmas Decorating on a Dime.

• Throw a Christmas craft party for neighbor kids. Provide all of the supplies for projects for various ages and interests. Make sure you serve lots of yummy snacks! And tell them about Jesus. Yes, tell them about Jesus.

• Go serve the Thanksgiving or Christmas meal at the homeless shelter. 

• Donate non-perishable foods or gift cards to a food drive. 

• Pick out gifts for a needy someone in your community. (Ask your pastor for the names of needy folks or worthy organizations.) 

• Be a Secret Santa and drop a bag of goodies or presents off on a doorstep of someone you know. Don't know what to buy? A gift card to Walmart or Target is always appreciated so they can buy for their own kids. And then maybe a Starbucks or Panera gift card so they can stop for a hot drink or a snack while they're out shopping.

• Harvest of Hope with Partners International - gift catalog of items you can order to be sent to impoverished people around the world. Piglets anyone? Or how about medicine, or school supplies, or clean water, or therapy for a disabled child? There are plenty of options to fit your budget and get your kids involved!

Blessings,

Virginia Knowles

Note: This is an edited repost from 2012.

For To Us a Child is Born, The Prince of Peace (Strength in Hymn)

The people walking in darkness

have seen a great light;
on those living
in the land of deep darkness
a light has dawned.

For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government
will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God,
Everlasting Father,
Prince of Peace.

Of the greatness of
his government and peace
there will be no end.

He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.

The zeal of the Lord Almighty
will accomplish this. 

Isaiah 9:2, 6

Enjoy these renditions
from Handel's Messiah,
foretelling the birth of Jesus.

Advent grace and peace

to you and to all the world,

Virginia Knowles

www.WatchTheShepherd.blogspot.com

(P.S. Art pieces by Jim Shore.)

Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee (Strength in Hymn: Advent)

"Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee"

by Henry Van Dyke

Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee,

God of glory, Lord of love;

Hearts unfold like flow’rs before Thee,

Op’ning to the sun above.

Melt the clouds of sin and sadness;

Drive the dark of doubt away;

Giver of immortal gladness,

Fill us with the light of day!

All Thy works with joy surround Thee,

Earth and heav’n reflect Thy rays,

Stars and angels sing around Thee,

Center of unbroken praise.

Field and forest, vale and mountain,

Flow’ry meadow, flashing sea,

Singing bird and flowing fountain

Call us to rejoice in Thee.

Thou art giving and forgiving,

Ever blessing, ever blest,

Wellspring of the joy of living,

Ocean depth of happy rest!

Thou our Father, Christ our Brother,

All who live in love are Thine;

Teach us how to love each other,

Lift us to the joy divine.

Mortals, join the happy chorus,

Which the morning stars began;

Father love is reigning o’er us,

Brother love binds man to man.

Ever singing, march we onward,

Victors in the midst of strife,

Joyful music leads us Sunward

In the triumph song of life.

It's the first Sunday of Advent,

time to sing carols in church,

time to light the first candle of five.

This morning we sang

"Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee."

I love the lyrics,

which aren't just for Christmastime.

Read them again.

These aren't sappy holiday sentiments.

This is the real stuff of life for every day.

Love. Sadness. Forgiveness.

Doubt. Praise. Strife.

Triumph. Darkness.  Light.

JOY!

I was thinking today,

even before I sang this carol,

that I need to "march onward" and
 move forward in 2015.

I need "big picture" progress 

in several areas of life.

Before January comes, though,

getting ready for Christmas

in a busy, busy household

 will keep me quite occupied.

I only wish I could say that

doubt, darkness, sadness and strife

never visited our home

at Christmastime or any time.

Like many other families,

sometimes the holidays are hardest.

We're expected to be jolly.

We don't always feel like it.

All the more reason

to lay it all aside for a while,

to drink deeply of joy,

to fill my soul with fresh courage.

All the more reason to pause

and adore, praise, worship, and love

the one who made me, redeemed me,

and still comforts and guides me Sunward.

Here is a prayer for the start of Advent,

for when joy and faith don't come easily.

"Merciful God, always with us:

We confess that we do not know how 

to prepare for your Advent.

We have forgotten how to hope in miracles;

we have ignored the promise of your kingdom;

we get distracted by all the busyness of the season.

Forgive us, God.

Grant us the simple wonder of the shepherds,

the intelligent courage of the Magi,

and the patient faith of Mary and Joseph,

that we may journey with them to Bethlehem

and find the good news of a child born for us.

Now, in the quiet of our hearts,

we ask You to make us ready for His coming.

Amen."

More posts for Advent in real life:

• A Bittersweet Advent
• What You Can Do to Make the Holiday Season a Little Merrier for Others
• Christmas, The Gift of Joy
• Beating Holiday Blues and Stress
• Third Sunday of Advent: "What Sweeter Music" with Paintings by Giotto
• Come, Oh Redeemer Come (How to Carry Advent into the New Year) 
• War and Peace

More hymns for the season

from last year's Advent series:

• There's a Song in the Air
• The Wexford Carol
• As with Gladness Men of Old

A Few of My Advent Poems:

• The Story Did Not Start with a Stable and a Star
• Shepherd's Tale
• The Paradox
• Invitation to Stillness

God bless you!

Virginia Knowles

www.WatchTheShepherd.blogspot.com

As with Gladness Men of Old (Strength in Hymn)

“As with Gladness Men of Old”

by William Chatterton Dix, 1869

(Tune of “For the Beauty of the Earth”)

As with gladness, men of old

Did the guiding star behold

As with joy they hailed its light

Leading onward, beaming bright

So, most glorious Lord, may we

Evermore be led to Thee.

As with joyful steps they sped

To that lowly manger bed

There to bend the knee before

Him Whom Heaven and earth adore;

So may we with willing feet

Ever seek Thy mercy seat.

As they offered gifts most rare

At that manger rude and bare;

So may we with holy joy,

Pure and free from sin’s alloy,

All our costliest treasures bring,

Christ, to Thee, our heavenly King.

Holy Jesus, every day

Keep us in the narrow way;

And, when earthly things are past,

Bring our ransomed souls at last

Where they need no star to guide,

Where no clouds Thy glory hide.

In the heavenly country bright,

Need they no created light;

Thou its Light, its Joy, its Crown,

Thou its Sun which goes not down;

There forever may we sing

Alleluias to our King!

January 6 is the traditional celebration of Epiphany, the 12th day of Christmas, when we commemorate the visit of the magi to see the new King. (Think of the carol "We Three Kings.")  They followed the prophetic star to find and worship him, bringing their gifts of gold, myrrh and frankincense.  The word "epiphany" means "appearance" - and this is also when we remember that the babe who laid in a humble Jewish manger was also the Christ - the sent one - for the whole world.

"The Adoration of the Magi"
by Benvenuto di Giovanni in 1470-1475

In his sermon this morning, worship leader Josh Bales told us that he was going to preach about models for missions (sharing the gospel of Jesus) through the story of Epiphany in Matthew 2:1-12.  I thought, "Right. Sure.  I'd like to see how he's going to pull this off."  Yet he did.  Aha.  Like an epiphany to me, in the sense of insight appearing as light in my heart through his words.  

Josh reminded us that in the mystery of Epiphany, God shows himself to be inclusive.  He draws men and women from around the globe into his own divine family by faith.  Like two foremothers of Jesus, Rahab and Ruth, the magi came from a completly different culture, nation, political system, and religion.  These "wise men of the East" were outsiders in every sense of the word to the sleepy little town of Bethlehem in Judea.  Their arrival heralded not only the amazing news of the Savior of the Jews, but of people all over the world.  

God is also gracious.  He lead these men, who were most likely pagan astrologers, by the star, something already a vital part of their lives and worldviews.  He meets us right where we are, just as he met them with a star.  He can use anything in any culture to communicate his grace.  So we too, with the help of the Holy Spirit, can be creative and authentic in how we express or share our faith.  We don't need gimmicks.  We do need to reach people where they are and not rigidly expect them to be just like us.  We can be sensitive to their needs, their preconceptions, their preferences, their hesitancy. We also realize it's not just our words, but his spirit drawing them in so many ways we cannot even fathom. (To them it was a star, but to me, clouds communicate his beauty and glory and kindness, which is one reason I chose some of my cloud photos for this post.  But I digress.)

Finally, God is personal.  In Jesus, we find that God is present in a human body, not abstract and distant.  The magi ventured first to Herod's fancy palace to seek the newborn King. Yet the end of their journey was counter-intuitive.  Instead of splendor, they found a lowborn baby in poor family in a simple home.  And they bowed and worshiped him.  They knew. God was there, small, with skin on.  As we try to share God's plan with those who don't yet know him, where are we pointing them?   To our religious morals and ideologies?  To a political agenda? To our favorite Christian celebrities?  To our bumper stickers and TV shows or clubs?  To our quick and trite answers to their deepest doubts and dilemmas?  Or do we bring them straight to Jesus?  He is not just an idea or a philosophy.   He is real.  He is alive.  He still speaks.  He still saves.   He is the Light of the World. He is the Way and the Truth and the Life.  He is the great I AM.  Jesus, God with us.

Epiphany.  The Savior has appeared to the world, made his debut into the whole of humanity.  Take a peek at the hymn again, and see if it will lead you a little closer to Jesus.

In grace,

Virginia Knowles

www.WatchTheShepherd.blogspot.com

Post Scripts: 

#1: I love the word epiphany, so I used it twice in my poem Shimmer and Shadow.

#2: You may also like my Advent poem Paradox.

#3: More from Josh Bales about stars, this time in music: Count the Stars.

#4: My other Christmas hymns in the Strength in Hymn series:

• There's a Song in the Air (Strength in Hymn)
• The Wexford Carol (Strength in Hymn)

There's a Song in the Air (Strength in Hymn)

"There's a Song in the Air"

 by Josiah Holland

There's a song in the air!
There's a star in the sky!
There's a mother's deep prayer
And a baby's low cry!
And the star rains its fire  while the Beautiful sing,
For the manger of Bethlehem cradles a king.

There's a tumult of joy
O'er the wonderful birth,
For the virgin's sweet boy
Is the Lord of the earth.
Ay! the star rains its fire and the Beautiful sing,
For the manger of Bethlehem cradles a king. 

In the light of that star
Lie the ages impearled;

And that song from afar
Has swept over the world.
Every hearth is aflame, and the Beautiful sing
In the homes of the nations that Jesus is King. 

We rejoice in the light,
And we echo the song
That comes down through the night
From the heavenly throng.
Ay! we shout to the lovely evangel they bring,
And we greet in his cradle our Saviour and King. 

The Story Behind the Hymn: You can read more about the background of this 1872 hymn and its lyricist here: "There's a Song in the Air" at United Methodist Reporter.  It is tempting to think of the idyllic lifestyles of centuries past, but I remind myself that this song was written not long after the Civil War, and Josiah Holland had experienced many frustrations and disappointments in life. 

The Photographs:  The stained glass nativity set below the poem was made 28 years ago by my mother, who passed away this summer.  I took the photo of the stained glass window last month at Winter Park Presbyterian Church when we stopped at their Global Christmas Market mentioned in this post: We Plough the Fields and Scatter. (I have a certain fascination for stained glass in vintage churches, as you can see in this post from last year: Beauty and Diversity on an Autumn Sunday in Maryland.)  I had often driven by the Winter Park church on our way to our own church, which meets in a middle school. (No stained glass there!)  Anyway, I knew there were gorgeous windows, so I peeked inside the sanctuary before we left. I was delighted, of course.  Mine is only a quick snapshot, but you can view the church's whole photo gallery of stained glass windows.  I'm glad. Beauty sings.

Why I Picked this Hymn: For this season of Advent, I wanted to highlight a few lesser known Christmas hymns. This one speaks to me of joy, which does not come naturally right now in my own season of life.  Exhaustion catches up with me, I hear a piece of troubling news in the community or around the world, I visit a friend's beautifully decorated and tidy home and compare it to my own, a child is not making as much progress as I'd like to see and "a mother's deep prayer" doesn't seem to be getting through, I know a friend is hurting badly, I get angry at an injustice done to another, I worry about whether I will ever get "enough" done, or I sense disconnection from loved ones -- or whatever it is that brings a sense of sadness.  And then this lovely old carol calls me back to the reality that the Beautiful sing about the King caring enough to come and be with us in the middle of our troubles.  The star rains its fire into the dark night.  How poetic! I could use some star fire right now. How about a miracle aflame at my hearth?  This carol calls for a response: to rejoice and echo and shout and greet.  I don't know about a shout right now, but I think I can at least whisper: "Thank you, Jesus."

This post is part of my Strength in Hymn series which combines hymn texts, photography, and encouragement for the spiritually weary.  The other Christmas song in this series so far is The Wexford Carol.

You might also like to read: Beating Holiday Blues and Stress.

Peace on earth!

Virginia Knowles

www.watchtheshepherd.blogspot.com

The Wexford Carol (Strength in Hymn)

"The Wexford Carol"
Traditional Irish Carol

Good people all, this Christmas-time,

Consider well and bear in mind
What our good God for us has done,
In sending His beloved Son.
With Mary holy we should pray
To God with love this Christmas Day:
In Bethlehem upon that morn
There was a blessed Messiah born.

Near Bethlehem did shepherds keep
Their flocks of lambs and feeding sheep;
To whom God's angels did appear,
Which put the shepherds in great fear.
"Prepare and go," the angels said,
"To Bethlehem, be not afraid;
For there you'll find, this happy morn,
A princely Babe, sweet Jesus born."

With thankful heart and joyful mind,
The shepherds went the Babe to find,
And as God's angel had foretold,
They did our Saviour Christ behold.
Within a manger He was laid,
And by his side the Virgin Maid,
As long foretold,

there was a blessed Messiah born.

My Strength in Hymn series is featuring four Christmas carols for the season of Advent.  I'd like to pick ones that aren't as familiar to most people, and the beautiful, haunting "Wexford Carol" is one of my obscure favorites. Watch cellist Yo-Yo Ma and vocalist Alison Krauss perform this carol in the studio: Wexford Carol.

I am just now putting the Christmas page back on my main blog.  Please visit and see all of my posts about food, poetry, music, art, practical tips, and inspiration!

Consider well and bear in mind
What our good God for us has done,
In sending His beloved Son.

Watching the Good Shepherd,

Virginia Knowles
www.WatchTheShepherd.blogspot.com