email: whitpresby@charterinternet.com
Spiritual readings "Greetings from Whittier Presbyterian Church"
December 2004 Augustine: “Those
who sing, pray twice.” Rowan Williams on the Hodegetria icon Christmas Shopping joke Rowan Williams on the Eleousa icon Gernot Candolini labyrinth epigram Rowan Williams on the Orans icon “O Holy Night” lyrics Rowan Williams on pilgrimages. Rabbi Sachs on religion’s role. This next Wednesday we will have the first of our
“Listening for Advent” programs. See
the list below for the details and the invitation to YOU. Dr. Williametta Spencer, our organist/choir director, and I
will present a program on Christmas Carols, their origin and meaning.
In one of our planning discussions Dr. Spencer told me that the Christmas
Carol originated in England in the 15th Century and that carols were
originally dances. That got me to wondering. There is a saying attributed to St. Augustine of Hippo, the
great, African, 5th Century Church leader and theologian.
Supposedly he said “He (sic) who sings, prays twice.”
By that I’ve always understood that singing involves more of our heart
and body than do the usual forms of spoken prayer that we often employ.
So, following that logic, since dancing involves even more of our body,
do those who dance pray three times?? Maybe you need to be praying and singing and dancing all
together. Whatever.
May at least your heart dance this Advent season with the joy of God
becoming flesh and dwelling among us. Grace & peace Geoff I continue reading leisurely
through “Ponder These Things; Praying with Icons of the Virgin” by Rowan
Williams, Sheed & Ward, Franklin, Wisconsin & Chicago, 2002.
Reading anything leisurely during Advent takes discipline, but
Williams’ words are so refreshing that I cherish and make room for the moments
I can spend with this book. The
first icon considered in the book is the HODEGETRIA, “she who shows the
way.” You can see examples by
plugging Hodegetria into a search engine on the web, but here is one of the
first I found. http://www.culture.gr/2/21/218/218ab/00/l2-10.html
Williams points out the circular pattern that is set up in this icon as
we look at it. He says “…we
cannot understand Mary without seeing her as pointing to Christ:
we cannot understand Christ without seeing his attention to Mary.
Jesus does not appear to us a solitary monarch, enthroned afar off, but
as someone whose being and loving is always engaged, already directed towards
humanity.” “…what we see is of course, a circular motion, Mary
pointing to Christ who looks at her. Mary
‘returns’ to herself through Christ; she is who she is not only as pointing
to Christ but as the object of her son’s love; and for her to look to Christ
is for her to look at herself truthfully—as loved by him.” I realized as I read this that this circular motion
the icon captures is a good representation for me to think about Jesus’ love
for me and that if I can do some kind of metaphorical contortion I can see
myself more lovingly, as Christ sees me. Williams
says it this way: “(God is…) not ashamed to be called my God, not ashamed
to be who he is and to be identified as who he is in relation to me, even though
I am a mess.” God is not ashamed of me, therefore I need to be
ashamed of myself. Recalling the
lowly birth of Jesus, we are reminded of the courage/wisdom/humility (which is
it?) of God, to come into our world and our lives, as messed up as they are.
Thanks be to God. May you find some of that powerful, energizing and forgiving
love of God in your life this Advent season. Grace & peace Geoff Here is a story I received from several people over the
internet and I want to pass it on to you. As
with so much on the internet, I have no idea where it comes from, who wrote it,
nor anything else about it, except that I like it. A
woman was out Christmas shopping with her two children. After many hours of looking at row after row of toys and
everything else imaginable, and after hours of hearing both her children asking
for everything they saw on those many shelves, she finally made it to the
elevator with her two kids. She was
feeling what so many of us feel during the holiday season time of the year ---
overwhelming pressure to go to every party, every housewarming, taste all the
holiday food and treats, get that perfect gift for every single person on our
shopping list, make sure we don't forget anyone on our card list, and the
pressure of making sure we respond to everyone who sent us a card. Finally
the elevator doors opened and there was already a crowd in the car.
She pushed her way into car and dragged her two kids in with her and all
the bags of stuff. When the doors closed she couldn't take it anymore and stated
out loud, "Whoever started this whole Christmas thing should be found,
strung up, and shot." From
the back of the elevator car everyone heard a quiet, calm voice respond,
"Don't worry. We already crucified him." For the rest of the trip down
the elevator it was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop. This man with the
tiny, frail, quite voice completely changed the mood of those in the elevator. I wonder if anyone in the elevator was angry, humbled,
converted, said a prayer. What
would be YOUR response? The
pressure does get to us. How do you
deal with the pressure? I try to
listen to sacred choral music more than the news, and find something extra to
read, like someone’s Advent devotional booklet.
Sometimes it takes effort to link Christmas with Easter, but the benefit
is worth it. May you find the
depths of the holy during this season. Grace & peace Geoff Another icon for your Advent gazing.
Another excerpt from “Ponder These Things; Praying with Icons of the
Virgin” by Rowan Williams, Sheed & Ward, Franklin, Wisconsin &
Chicago, 2002. This week’s icon
is the “Eleousa” or Virgin of Loving Kindness.
Here is a place you can see a similar icon.
http://www.iconsexplained.com/iec/pics/001_vierge_de_vladimir.jpg Williams meditates upon this icon and points out some
qualities of God. “God does not need us because of anything in particular
about us—because we can solve God’s problems(!), because we impress God,
because we are successful, powerful, whatever.
That would mean that God would be more interested in those human beings
who have made a good job of their lives than in the rest of us—and that would
run dead contrary to most of what the Gospels have to say.
But if God does not need us ‘for’ anything, or even because of
anything, we have to say that he simply needs what we are, no more, no less; he
needs us to be. And this is not
because his own being is incomplete without us; rather he needs to be himself,
to exercise the love that is his eternal life, bringing forth out of his
infinite being those fragmentary reflections of its richness that are the lives,
the realities, of the created world.” In the world where I live, I need the reminder that God’s
nature is overwhelming love. I also
need reminding that my less-than-good-job of life does not keep me from God.
God, after all, chose to be born in a lowly stable…you know the story.
May your Advent and Christmas gazing upon the world find some evidence of
this overflowing love of God. Grace & peace Geoff Two for the price of one, a Christmas bargain! We had a labyrinth at the church this last week, giving
people an opportunity to listen for Advent while walking a sacred path.
In his book “Labyrinths: Walking Toward the Center” Crossroads
Publishing Co. New York, English translation, 2003, Gernot Candolini has this
little epigram. “If life is viewed as a maze, every mistake is an
unnecessary detour and a waste of time. If
life is a labyrinth, then every mistake is a part of the path and an
indispensable master teacher.” Not a bad way to view life is it? In a more Advent/Christmas vein, I found this quote from
the great English poet, John Donne. I’m
not sure of the source, though I expect I could find it in my collection of the
complete poems of Donne or in my book of his sermons. “If some king of the earth have so large an extent of
dominion, in north and south, as that he hath winter and summer together in his
dominions, so large an extent, east and west, as that he hath day and night
together in his dominions, much more hath God mercy and judgment together:
He brought light out of darkness, not out of a lesser light; He can bring
thy summer out of winder, through thou have been benighted till now, wintered
and frozen, clouded and eclipsed, damped and benumbed, smothered and stupefied
till now, --now God comes to thee, not as in the dawning of the day, nor as in
the bud of the spring, but as the sun at noon to illustrate all shadows, as the
sheaves in harvest to fill all penuries: all occasions invite His mercies, and
all times are His seasons. Wow, try saying that in one breath!
We don’t write sentences like that any more, thank goodness J.
Seriously, Donne had a great way with words and he captures the paradox
of God’s mercy and judgment. That
paradox is seen in the Christmas story, as the King of Kings comes to be born in
a stable. May you come to understand this paradox of God’s great
love for us in this season. Grace & peace Geoff A final reflection from “Ponder These Things;
Praying with Icons of the Virgin” by Rowan Williams, Sheed & Ward,
Franklin, Wisconsin & Chicago, 2002. This
third icon is the “Orans.” Here
are a couple of sites where you can see examples of this icon. http://www.auburn.edu/academic/liberal_arts/foreign/russian/icons/virgin-orans.html http://www.iconsexplained.com/iec/00019.htm Williams reflects upon the church, as this icon informs his
thinking. He says: “What if the life that fuels the Church through
prayer is not the routine prayer of the worshipping community, not even the
prayer of the religious orders, but moments of exposure and insight, or of
desperately needy openness to God on the part of very irregular Christians?
Isn’t this exactly what Jesus’ story of the Pharisee the
tax-collector (Luke 18:9-14) might suggest?
What if the church really lives from the prayer and experience of those
it least values in its public talk? “…we see in the icon of (the Orans) a Church that can
cope with the hiddenness of God in its life—that is, a Church that does not
need constantly to be reassuring itself of its success or even its total purity.
It is a Church that understands that it does not always understand what
is most important or central in its life….” As we approach that most incongruous event, “God
with us,” I find Williams’ call to humility refreshing and encouraging.
I often get things wrong, and it encourages me to know that I belong to a
group of people who know that we sometimes (often?) get things wrong, but that
God is still with us and welcomes our repentance and our continuing struggle to
get things right. God’s promises
to us are new every morning, especially the mornings after we have gotten things
wrong. God is with us when we are
strong and self-assured. That is
the easy part. But God is with us
as well when we are weak and full of doubt.
That is the hard part. But
let us always remember Emanuel, God with us, in all the parts of our lives. May your Christmas holidays be full of God with us. Grace & peace Geoff Of the many Christmas songs written for Christmas
Eve, one that caught my attention this year is “O Holy Night” which I’ve
been listening to on a CD entitled “Bereden Vag (Prepare the Way).” It is performed by the Uppsala Musikklasser, on a Musical
Heritage Society CD, 515196F. It
was originally written in French by Adolphe Adam but my CD has it sung in
Swedish with English translation. Here
are the words as printed in the CD liner notes. O holy night, O holy hour for the world. When God incarnate came down to earth. To atone for the world’s crimes and sins He suffered the pain of death for us. And a ray of hope penetrates the world, And light shimmers across land and sea. People kneel in adoration and rejoice at the liberation you
bring. O holy night, that brought us salvation. For the savior has crushed our heavy chains, Earth is now free and heaven is open. In you slave you see a beloved brother, And even your enemy will be dear to you From heaven our savior brought us peace, For our sake he descended into the silent grave. People kneel in adoration and rejoice at the liberation you
bring. O holy night, that brought us salvation. If you’d like more information on this song, try
this internet site, or do a search of your own.
There is some interesting historical background to the song. http://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/Hymns_and_Carols/o_holy_night.htm I hope you each get a chance to worship this evening and we
have a beautiful service at 7:30, as indicated below. May the traditions, depth and beauty of this night reach you
with the love of God with us. Grace & peace Geoff A footnote to the Advent readings from “Ponder
These Things; Praying with Icons of the Virgin” by Rowan Williams, Sheed &
Ward, Franklin, Wisconsin & Chicago, 2002.
The epilogue contains these words. Recall
the first email from this book, of Nov. 30, 2004.
Williams mentioned that the book is the product of a pilgrimage he led, “We should be going back from a pilgrimage with
eyes wider open. Holy places are
places where our vision is transfigured—not so much in simply seeing God
afresh, but (as always follows from that seeing of God) seeing the world
afresh—and ourselves in it. New
frontiers have been crossed, not from one bit of the world’s territory to
another, but from one level of being in the world to another, a deeper belonging
with God and creation. What we hope
is that those who meet us may see, as we have, Jesus involved with us—looking
at us, clinging untidily to us, quietly working and speaking in us. Williams ties up his pilgrimage meditation, pushing
us towards acting in deeper ways, not simply feeling different.
“..looking…clinging…working…speaking…in us” reminds us that
all our spirituality, all our prayers, pilgrimages, retreats etc. have to do
with our being better representatives of Jesus in this world. May your Advent have produced a deeper Christmas in your
life, and may that deeper life show forth Jesus in more of what you do. Grace & peace Geoff See note below re disaster help. One year closes, another opens. What is old and what is new?
Perennial questions that beg answers at New Year’s time.
The L.A. Times had an article in its Nov. 19, 2004 edition, by Rabbi
Jonathan Sachs, the chief rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of Great
Britain and the Commonwealth. His website is: http://www.chiefrabbi.org/ Rabbi Sachs talks in his article of the challenges facing
our world, particularly those challenges presented by the rise in the power and
influence of religion in the world. He
speaks of the tension between a religious view of the world and a secular view.
Speaking of the history of Western Civilization he says: “Religion didn’t die.
It persists as humanity’s oldest, noblest attempt to endow human life
with meaning. Secularization turned
out to be the exception, not the rule. This leaves us all painfully ill-equipped to come to terms
with some of the most intractable conflicts of the 21st Century.
Nothing is served by crude caricatures—the secular view of religion as
irretrievable fanatical, or the religious view of secular culture as
irredeemably decadent and effete. The real question is whether we can make space for
difference, for the one who is not lie us.
This has nothing to do with the truth or falsity of religion.
The question has nothing to do with God, and everything to do with us.” Can we make space for difference? Can we acknowledge that
someone else’s beliefs and opinions are as true to them as ours are to us?
That seems to me to be one of the most intractable issues we face in our
world now. May we take Rabbi
Sachs’ words to heart as we begin the new year. Grace & peace Geoff
