For some, a " Blue Christmas"

For most of us, it has been a merry Christmastide, filled with family, friendship, worship and food. I am among the blessed this Christmastide. Best Dude & I participated in a lovely Christmas Eve Mass at Small Parish Tuesday night followed by fun, frolicking and FOOD at my parents' house on Christmas Day.

But for some people, this Christmastide ushered in unspeakable sadness.

A family whom I know in Ohio lost their 38 year old son to an illness on Christmas eve. 

Closer to home, a 17-year-old student at a neighboring high school stabbed his mother to death in their home. the young man is being charged as an adult for second-degree murder . His late mother was a teacher at one of the local middle schools, so this senseless act of violence affects two local school communities.

I am sad. And I feel guilty because I am among my loved ones this Christmastide and others I know are suffering from a terrible loss.

We need to remember that not everyone is in a celebratory mood this Christmas season. Around the world, people are hurting .

Life isn't fair all of the time and sometimes life just sucks!  People get sick and other people commit acts of unspeakable violence against one another.  But the world into which Jesus was born was not " a rose garden" either.  Yet God loved humanity so much that God sent Jesus to live among us AS A HUMAN. he felt pain. He was sad at times.  He was betrayed by a friend before He died.

Emmanuel, " God-as-Human" came to us & is still with us today. he understands that even during the " most wonderful time of the year" that some are hurting.

The baby whose birth we celebrate at this time of year DOES understand that some people are having a Blue Christmas.

Amen.

Hey you, Mr Robertson

There is some " Quackery" going on regarding Duck Dynasty's patriarch  and his views on homosexuality today. When I turned on my laptop this morning and logged on to Facebook I was saturated with comments about what Robertson patriarch said regarding his views on homosexuality.

Now don't get me wrong: I totally disagree with Phil Robertson's views on homosexuality. I Totally think his views are errant. Several of my close associates and one member of my family are GLBT. My life is enriched by having these folks in it & I would not want them to try to " change" an essential part of their identity.

 But on the other hand, I will continue to enjoy the entertainment his show provides to me. I grew up among many men who look a lot and act very much like Mr Robertson. { If y'all think rednecks are conservative, come to where I grew up & meet my hillbilly kin and friends}  One does not need to agree with the star of any " reality TV" show to enjoy the entertainment value of said shows. I've read Phil Robertson's book, and I came away from that thinking that he { Robertson} tries to do what he thinks is right. Sometimes I found myself agreeing with his philosophies, and other times I think his views are rather extreme.

The bottom line is: we need not agree with Mr Robertson to appreciate his show. Similarity, we need not agree with Chik-Fil-A's anti-homosexual stance to enjoy the occasional sandwich from that franchise.

Live & let live.

Amen.

Las Posadas: Hospitality.

Best Dude and I are hosting Las Posadas in our home this evening.

We set the figurines of the Holy Parents in a spot of honor under our small tree.

 I've been thinking about what it means to practice REAL , and RADICAL  hospitality.  How good are we Christ-followers at practicing real hospitality?

Think about it for a minute:

If a young , poor expectant couple came knocking on yours or my door seeking help, how would we react? Would we invite the young couple in for a cup of tea or coffee and ask them if they are hungry? Would we offer them a place to sleep for the night?

Or would we call the police...or " take matters into our own hands".

The sort of hospitality that Jesus asks us to practice is not about setting a nice meal for our friends from similar backgrounds, ethnicity's  or lifestyles.

What if the young couple who knocks on our "door" is of another race? What if the don't speak English at all? Or what if said couple is comprised of two men or two women? What if the couple had with them a child {or adult} with special medical needs?

" Sorry, there is no room at this inn for you. You don't look like me or my neighbors. You smell yucky. Are you even married? Your type isn't wanted here. . Go away before I call the police."

Let me be clear: I am not necessarily speaking about a literal couple knocking on the door of our literal homes. Rather I am talking about how we behave when encountered by such  strangers who, for whatever reason, put us ill-at-ease.

How would we react? How DO we react? More importantly, how does Our Lord Jesus Christ expect us to act?

Are we supposed to extend the peace of Our Lord to those with whom we share commonalities? Who is welcome to join our fellowship? Are we " Instruments of God's peace " or are we gatekeepers with a power-hungry complex? Do we find joy in trying hard to keep out those who are different from ourselves and from most of our social circles?

Scripture tells us that He ate with strangers of all types --ESPECIALLY those whom, in first-century Judea, were pretty much " untouchables".  he healed on the Sabbath. he let a Samaritan woman touch him.  He set a small child on His lap as an example to the type of faith the adults present should possess.

Jesus did not turn away strangers , or people " not like Him." If He is our Lord, shouldn't we follow His example and also welcome others?

Amen.

Convention '13

Yesterday we had our Annual meeting at Small Parish. Among other things, we elected new vestry members and delegates to Convention. Our parish gets three voting lay delegates and as many alternates to each yearly Convention. I am among the  alternate delegates.

Convention is one of my favorite parts of Church life. Each February, I see many of my friends from around the Diocese at these yearly gatherings. This years' Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of the central Gulf Coast is in Pensacola. Since I am an alternate, unless there is a real need for me to step in and vote in place of one of our regular delegates, I can attend Convention and totally enjoy the experience.

Yay, Church!

Las Posadas

 
 We at Small Parish is observing Las Posadas this Advent. Images of the Holy Couple will make their rounds to homes within the parish during Advent. A bit of research  revealed to me today that  traditional Las Posadas is a novena { nine-day prayer period} that starts December 16 and goes through until Christmas Eve Night { December 24} 

Best Dude and I will host the Holy Couple on Tuesday . I am looking forward to this , although both Best Dude and I are not *quite* sure what Las Posadas will look like for us, but we are anticipating this spiritual practice with joy.

I'm back! Its December 1.

As anyone who follows me on Facebook knows, I have been participating in National Novel Writing Month all of November. the object of " Nanowrimo" is to write 50,000 words in 30 days during November. I put aside all other writing projects, including blogging, to do this year's Nanowrimo. Although I STILL did not complete the 50,000-word challenge, I DID start a heck of a writing project that I plan to {eventually} finish.  I'm writing a young adult paranormal novel about a young werewolf's freshman year at university.  Writing in the YA/Paranormal Romance genre has proven to be more challenging than I had anticipated, but I am in no way giving up on completing the draft of the novel.

It has also been a rough weekend, football-wise, for me. My Steelers lost to those hated Baltimore Ravens on Thanksgiving eve and yesterday my Crimson Tide fell at literally the last daggone SECOND to that other Alabama college football team. Ugh.

Today also marks the beginning of the Advent season in the liturgical year. When Best Dude and I walked into the nave today before morning Mass, I noticed that the altar cloths, our priest's vestments and the wall hangings on the east wall are a glorious purple hue. To me, Advent is a season of hopeful anticipation for new beginnings.

This year Best Dude and I will participate in Las Posadas, a symbolic procession of a likeness of the Blessed Mother & St Joseph that will travel from house to house among parishioners throughout the Advent season. I've not done this before, so I'm looking forward to Mary & Joseph " visiting"our house on the 10th of this month. Las Posadas reminds me that the hopeful anticipation of the season sets the tone for what the Christmas hustle & bustle REALLY should be about: Our Lord Jesus Christ. I'm as guilty as the next person when it comes to the secular,. albeit FUN aspects of the holiday season.

It is hard, but I am making a concerted effort to take " time out for the coming Christ" this Advent. Won't you join me?

Amen.

1 Advent 2013