SONG FOR MONDAY

Christmas is coming!  Beds all made for family coming from Geneva, hearts scattered around the place and the tree's up.  

The desk painted up beautifully Emma.

Song for Monday here

SONG FOR SUNDAY

This is not a photograph of the environment I am living in at the moment with temperatures in the high 30's - centigrade that is.

When I sing Christmas carols, the Australian ones don't quite do it for me.  Here's a beauty set in the bleak mid-winter by Christina Rossetti (1830 - 94).

Christina Rossetti, an English poet, was the daughter of a distinguished Italian political exile who became Professor of English at King's College, London.  Her brother Dante Gabriel Rossetti, more famous that she, was also a poet and a painter.  They lived in a time of high creativity in which the religious imagination often furnished material for artistic and literary works.  A devout High Anglican who engaged in many charitable works, Rossetti wrote a large number of poems, although she was a semi-invalid for much of her life.

The Nativity is the theme of the poem that follows.  Notice how vividly Rossetti sets the scene, a wintry setting worthy of an English Christmas.  She is intense and visionary, looking beyond the first Christmas to the Lord's second coming, 'when he comes to reign'.  Her contrasts are steep and wide, as they are in Mary's Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55).  Heaven and earth are always in tension;  riches and poverty, and God's triumphant power revealed in a small and humble space - these high contrasts of the Infancy Narratives become this poet's material as well.

Rossetti's intense spirituality most forceful in the last verse, which by itself stands as a wonderful prayer of Christmas celebration and joy.  (SPIRITUAL CLASSICS ed Richard Foster & Emilie Griffin)

A CHRISTMAS CAROL

In the bleak mid-winter

Frosty wind made moan,

Earth stood hard as iron,

Water like a stone;

Snow had fallen, snow on snow, 

Snow on snow,

In the bleak mid-winter

Long ago.

Our God, Heaven cannot hold him,

Nor earth sustain;

Heaven and earth shall flee away

When he comes to reign:

In the bleak mid-winter

A stable-place sufficed

the Lord God Almighty

Jesus Christ.

Enough for him whom cherubim

Worship night and day,

A breastful of milk

And a mangerful of hay;

Enough for him whom angels

Fall down before,

The ox and ass and camel

Which adore.

Angels and archangles

May have gathered there,

Cherubim and seraphim

Thronged the air,

But only his mother 

In her maiden bliss

Worshipped the Beloved

With a kiss.

What can I give him,

Poor as I am?

If I were a shepherd

I would bring a lamb,

If I were a wise man

I would do my part -

Yet what I can I give him

Give my heart.

Photograph of my darling sister and you can find a beautiful rendition of the carol sung by Annie Lennox here

SONG FOR SUNDAY

Song for Sunday here (Isaiah 30:41)

Photograph taken a number of years ago when Aaron made origami birds for Emma's Christmas tree.

SONG FOR SUNDAY

Song for Sunday

Photograph taken near Gerda's in New South Wales

PROVENCE STAR AND A SONG FOR SUNDAY

One of my 'quilting' fingers became infected about ten days ago, so I spent this week at my sewing maching making this quilt.  Isn't it gorgeous?  I sewed the red and blue borders on yesterday and will take a photograph today.  Going to make the binding today and next Friday, baste it at Robyn's all ready for quilting.

Song for Sunday

When the disciples asked Jesus how to pray this is what he taught them. 

A NEW IDEA OF GREATNESS

While the leg heals, I have lots of time for reading.  Here's an excerpt from this book:

"...The second major feature of Jesus' life;  Jesus lived for others.  He was not simply called but actually was the friend of publicans and sinners.  He befriended the rabble, the riffraff of his own culture.  One of the mysteries of the gospel tradition is this strange attraction of Jesus to the unattractive, his strange desire for the undesirable, his strange love for the unlovely.  The key to this mystery is, of course, the Father.  Jesus does what he sees the Father doing, he loves those whom the Father loves.

The gentleness of Jesus with sinners flowed from his ability to read their hearts and to detect the sincerity and goodness there.  Behind men's grumpiest poses and most puzzling defense mechanisms, behind the arrogance and airs, behind their sneers and curses, Jesus saw little children who hadn't been loved enough and who had ceased growing because someone had ceased believing in them. Perhaps it was his extraordinary sensitivity and compassion that caused Jesus (and later the apostles) to speak of the faithful as "children", no matter how tall, rich, clever and successful they might be.

When Jesus tied a towel around his waist, poured water into a copper basin, and washed the feet of the apostles (the dress and duty of a slave), the Maundy Thursday revolution began, and a new idea of greatness in the kingdom of God emerged..."

THERE'S NOTHING I CAN DO

Before preaching on Sunday, Andrew played this song for us to listen to.  I just wanted to jump up and sing along but managed to control myself.  Beautiful song.  Have a listen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JxqQYc9aIU