Greetings,
Christmas Day has come to a close, and in spite of a variety of difficulties, Roberta, Brenda, Timothy and I have had ourselves a quiet and most enjoyable Christmas. Saturday morning our kitchen light stopped working, which left us with a problem of how to fix more than a simple meal without adequate light. True, for millennia cooks have done so with no electricity, but we have become creatures of habit, and especially in our old age are inclined to look for simplifications rather than complications. Brenda and Timothy insisted that we change Christmas dinner to their place, and while reluctant to impose on them, we finally agreed to do so. However, someone, who shall remain nameless, insisted that we take all of our Christmas china, tablecloths and napkins, and food to their place, and that she get there early to at least supervise the cooking. Of course, Brenda and Timothy need no supervision, having provided excellent large scale meals for us before, and have been doing so every Thanksgiving. As I expected, dinner could not have been better.
Some of our invited guests had complications and were unable to join us, but we had a great time with Roberta’s father, and my aunt Adah. The change in venue required some shifting of schedules, but everyone got to their respective church services. I was pleased with the attendance at Catonsville United Methodist Church, and we had a very enjoyable and uplifting service. God indeed blessed us, in the service and throughout the whole day and evening.
This year several of the clergy I work with have done a series of Advent and Christmas sermons using A Christmas Carol by Dickens to illustrate the lessons of the lectionary. Even though I have spent a couple of months reviewing the story line by line, yesterday I was able to read it again and see the George C. Scott version, which is one of the better ones. It does make the point of the interaction of sin and faith, or lack thereof, and the need for the reclamation of humanity which is so overwhelming in Dickens' story. It led me to read again this Fred Pratt Green poem. (Fred Pratt Green wrote 16 of the hymns in the new U. M. hymnal, but this is not one of them.)
Adam and Christ
What Adam's disobedience cost,
Let holy scripture say:
Ourselves estranged, an Eden lost,
And then a judgment day;
Each day a judgment day.
An Ark of Mercy rode the Flood;
But we, where waters swirled,
Rebuilt, impatient of the good,
Another fallen world:
An unrepentant world.
And now a Child is Adam's heir,
Is Adam's hope, and Lord.
Sing joyful carols everywhere
That Eden is restored:
In Jesus is restored.
Regained is Adam's blessedness;
The angels sheathe their swords.
In joyful carols all confess
The Kingdom is the Lord's:
The glory is the Lord's!
The Restoration and the Blessedness. They are so real today. May they be so real, so much a part or our consciousness today and every day. In the midst of all that we are doing, be it work, play, study, or rest, may we keep this reality ever before us, and may it ever motivate us to faithfully bring in the Kingdom.
As we shared cups of Twinings Christmas Tea and Roberta’s classic whipped cream cookie roll, there was a great sense of contentment and thanksgiving for the abundance of God’s blessings. As I contemplated the abundance of blessings, without forgetting the needs of so many of our sisters and brothers, I was mindful of each of you, and of how you have each been a source of blessing for me. I thank you and I thank God for you.
Whenever you get around to reading this, just know that on Christmas dat I was thinking of you, and yours.
May God continue to bless your Christmas, every day of the year.
Yours & His,
DED
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