Thursday, December 16, 2010

Forever’s Start.


You’re in charge of developing a brand-new sport – a Christmas sport. The season begins on Thanksgiving and ends on December 25. What is your new Christmas sport going to be?




The days are growing noticeably shorter; the nights are longer, deeper, colder. Today the sun did not rise as high in the sky as it did yesterday. Tomorrow it will be still lower. At the winter solstice the sun will go below the horizon, below the dark. The sun does die. And then, to our amazement, the Son will rise again.

Come, Lord Jesus, quickly come
In your fearful innocence.
We fumble in the far-spent night
Far from lovers, friends, and home:
Come in your naked, newborn might.
Come, Lord Jesus, quickly come;
My heart withers in your absence.

Come, Lord Jesus, small, enfleshed
Like any human, helpless child.
Come once, come once again, come soon:
The stars in heaven fall, unmeshed:
The sun is dark, blood’s on the moon.
Come, Word who came to us enfleshed,
Come speak in joy untamed and wild.

Come, thou wholly other, come,
Spoken before words began,
Come and judge your uttered world
Where you made our flesh your home.
Come with bolts of lightning hurled,
Come, thou wholly other, come,
Who came to man by being man.

Come, Lord Jesus, at the end,
Time’s end, my end, forever’s start.
Come in your flaming, burning power.
Time, like the temple veil, now rend;
Come, shatter every human hour.
Come, Lord Jesus, at the end.
Break, then mend the waiting heart.

-Madeleine L’Engle



This nativity was a gift from Mary Love to Mom last year. It's from 10,000 Villages and we've been enjoying the light coming through it in the kitchen window.


Posted by Mary Love because Sarah Beth and Carl are driving from Texas to Tennessee today!

4 comments:

  1. Thanks ML & SB. The sport I would choose is entitled "Peace on Earth". It's an individual sport, but works best with lots of help from above. The object is to be the most peaceful and content between Thanksgiving & Christmas Day, with the fewest expectations. Progress in this sport is measured by smiles, laughing, yielding, sitting quietly, and plenty of hugs. May you all win.

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  2. Dad's sport sounds awesome. I think Dad is the champion of "Peace on Earth" all year round.

    My sport would be "Quid-deer." It's like quidditch, but instead you ride reindeer and instead of the golden snitch you have the sugar plum fairy.

    Peter says his would be akin to Calvin-ball from Calvin and Hobbs.

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  3. Dad, you're amazing! I like your game best!

    Today's creche came from the Philippines and is made of clam shells. I have a large clam shell that I found on the beach in Oregon with Rob and Christiane. In the winter months, when the sun comes through the kitchen window in the morning, an angel comes to life in the sunlight on the inside surface of the shell. Mary Love knew I would love this creche as well. The sun brings it to life in the morning and it glows with color!

    I love the line: Come, thou holy other, come; Who came to man by being man.

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  4. We finally made it home!

    I think I would have to jump on board with ML's sport. Instead of a seeker, there would be a singer who would hum "The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" in order to attract the elusive sugar plum. The beaters would actually be elves carrying candy canes and passing a stocking stuffed full of Christmas treats instead of a quaffle.

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