Merry Christmas!

It's okay to greet each other by saying "Merry Christmas!" since we are still in the 12 Days of Christmas... Did I write the same thing last year? I wonder if I also said that some year I'd love to have a big carol sing in the week between Christmas and New Year's. Now that we're in a bigger home, with lots of space for the piano to reverberate, I think I should make it a project for 2012: more piano/music events at home. On March 13, 2012 it will be my piano's 25th birthday - that'd be a good place to start. The year could end with a carol sing... hmmm.

Advent 4 - Love

Before this week is completely gone, a quick post about love. We use this word WAY too flippantly in the 21st century, in my opinion. We use it to describe our feelings on food, politics, clothes, music styles - I could go on for awhile yet! Part of the 'problem' is that English does not have a wide variety of words for this feeling/emotion. We hear a great deal about love at this time of year and for this post I'm going to quote the words of a seldom heard carol. As is the case with many carols and hymns, this one began as a poem, and such beautiful poetry it is!

Love came down at Christmas,
Love all lovely, love divine;
Love was born at Christmas,
Star and angels gave the sign.

Worship we the Godhead,
Love incarnate, love divine;
Worship we our Jesus:
But wherewith for sacred sign?

Love shall be our token,
Love be yours and love be mine,
Love to God and all men,
Love for plea and gift and sign.

Christina Rossetti (1830-1894)

Rossetti also wrote the words to another favourite carol of mine, "In the bleak midwinter".

Advent 3 - Joy!

I am obviously a little behind here... someday I'll learn how to write ahead and have Blogger put up my post on a certain day. So, how am I doing in the 'joy department'? I've come to realize that the third week of Advent is generally my 'panic' week - the week during which I fret that nothing will be ready on time, that I've bitten off more than I can chew, etc. Joy seems to sprout wings and fly off to some other, less busy, less frantic home! Or does it? What is (or should be) the Christian believer's definition of joy? I'm open to comments and suggestions, my readers...

Advent 2 - Peace?

Advent is a time of preparation and waiting for the coming of Christ. This time of year for a church musician brings extra preparation (at least it feels like 'extra') for St. Andrew's Christmas Eve service and all the glorious music of the season! I'll be the first to admit, it wouldn't seem like Christmas without the music. Still, that brings its own stress and weariness and over the weekend, I got the worst sore throat I've had in awhile. Good thing I'm not a singer...

St. Andrew's is in its own season of preparation and waiting as well. On January 8, 2012 we will have our last service at our current location before we move into a partnership with Prince of Peace Lutheran Church. Many decisions have been made and still need to be made before this actually takes place. I think it's safe to say that the biggest decisions are behind us and what remains is a lot of little decisions - not sure which is more tiring! Both require a great deal of prayer, thought and planning and God's hand is evident as we take steps on this journey.

By now you may be asking, "What does all this have to do with peace?" I think sometimes we casually define personal peace as being relaxed, in a blissful state, without a care in the world. May I propose something different? I believe God's peace is an underlying sense of reliance on Him, and that God's plan and purpose are being worked out, sometimes/often in ways we cannot see or understand. During this busy season, I rely on that.