Daily Dose (Dec 24 – 27)

TUESDAY DEC 24 —

In Sabbath Moment yesterday, we told the story of Hope in No Man’s Land, where on Christmas Eve in 1914, during WWI, in a place of mud and cold and bloodshed, something unexpected and extraordinary occurred.
A reminder that sometimes we need stories more than food to stay alive. Stories to remind us what really matters, and allow us to see with our heart.
In a world where “we desperately need to make clearances in our entangled lives to let our souls breathe. We must take care of ourselves and especially of our suffering brothers and sisters,” as John O’Donohue reminds us.

And a few of you reminded my of the song “Christmas in the Trenches,” written and performed by John McCutcheon, about the story of No Man’s Land. So very grateful. Listening to the song, and reading the lyrics, reminded me of the power that peace is indeed, our gift to each other.
Enjoy the lyrics below.
And you can listen to the song here.

My name is Francis Tolliver. I come from Liverpool
Two years ago the war was waiting for me after school
To Belgium and to Flanders, to Germany to here
I fought for King and country I love dear
It was Christmas in the trenches where the frost so bitter hung
The frozen field of France were still, no Christmas song was sung
Our families back in England were toasting us that day
Their brave and glorious lads so far away
I was lyin’ with my mess-mates on the cold and rocky ground
When across the lines of battle came a most peculiar sound
Says I “Now listen up me boys”, each soldier strained to hear
As one young German voice sang out so clear
“He’s singin’ bloddy well you know”, my partner says to me
Soon one by one each German voice joined in in harmony
The cannons rested silent. The gas cloud rolled no more
As Christmas brought us respite from the war
As soon as they were finished a reverent pause was spent
‘God rest ye merry, gentlemen’ struck up some lads from Kent
The next they sang was ‘Stille Nacht”. “Tis ‘Silent Night'” says I
And in two toungues one song filled up that sky
“There’s someone commin’ towards us” the front-line sentry cried
All sights were fixed on one lone figure trudging from their side
His truce flag, like a Christmas star, shone on that plain so bright
As he bravely strode, unarmed, into the night
Then one by one on either side walked into no-mans-land
With neither gun nor bayonet we met there hand to hand
We shared some secret brandy and wished each other well
And in a flare-lit soccer game we gave ’em hell
We traded chocolates, cigarettes and photgraphs from home
These sons and fathers far away from families of their own
Young Sanders played his squeeze box and they had a violin
This curious and unlikely band of men
Soon daylight stole upon us and France was France once more
With sad farewells we each began to settle back to war
But the question haunted every heart that lived that wonderous night
“whose family have I fixed within my sights?”
It was Christmas in the trenches where the frost so bitter hung
The frozen fields of France were warmed as songs of peace were sung
For the walls they’d kept between us to exact the work of war
Had been crumbled and were gone for ever more
My name is Francis Tolliver. In Liverpool I dwell
Each Christmas come since World War One I’ve learned it’s lessons well
That the ones who call the shots won’t be among the dead and lame
And on each end of the rifle we’re the same
John McCutcheon “Christmas in the trenches”

Savor your Christmas my friends. And a Happy Hanukkah.

WEDNESDAY DEC 25 —

I loved this recent news bulletin: “Another way to beat the holiday travel stress is to spend a little time cultivating mindfulness, compassion and gratitude, said Larry Wissow, psychiatrist with the UW School of Medicine and Seattle Children’s Hospital.”
Not bad at all…

Let us take with us Elie Wiesel’s reminder that “Peace is our gift to each other.”
And here’s the deal (and the very good news): Peace is always, always born and nurtured in small steps. In little gestures of compassion and grace.

And I realize that it is no different with the need to nourish and replenish my soul in places where peace is vulnerable and necessary. So, preparing begins here: peace and gentleness to one’s self. We forget that. The power of self-care, and how that spills to the small world around us.

On Christmas Eve in 1914, soldiers on both sides chose hope. And I say that even if only for a day (or a moment), it’s always the choice worth pursuing.

A Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah to all.

And gratitude to Sabbath Moment friend Michael Citrini, for this poem…

“Real Presence
Making room for Jesus isn’t easy;
Cleaning out stables of hatred is tough.
Forgiving mean innkeepers is trying;
Loving what’s unlovable is rough.
We live in a world of division –
In our hearts, in our homes, in our minds;
Sometimes deaf to the insight and wisdom
To treat ourselves and our neighbors more kind.
Yet on a cold winter’s night in Bethlehem,
Someone no one suspected would call –
Came into our world of confusion,
Modeling Peace, Love, and Justice for all.
So as we follow the stars on our journey –
Seeking salvation in faraway lands,
Let’s remember the life-saving Presence
Made real in our hearts and our hands.”
Michael Citrini

THURSDAY DEC 26 —

I hope your first day of Christmas and Hannukah deposited moments for you to savor.
Our weather here in the PNW is winter squall. So, my morning walk was, well, challenging, unless you are one of the geese, or unless walking in an unremitting wind-driven-very-chilly-rain is your thing. Bottom line, savoring wasn’t a verb I used on my walk.
But I write this now back in front of the fireplace, warmed, and enjoying a wee bit of the Christmas gift chocolate and wine that came our way.
And I close my eyes, and give thanks for all the little gifts that have enriched my recent journey with grace and nourishment and hope. Yes indeed. The healing power of little gifts. A perfect reminder of why the Christmas season is so powerful. What theologian Walter Brueggemann called “the scandal of particularity.”
Paulo Coehlo’s reminder that, “It’s the simple things in life that are the most extraordinary.” Yes. The ordinary is the hiding place for the holy.

So. Here’s my invitation to you; take a moment to pause, and give thanks for all the small and simple gifts that have enriched your life during this holiday season. (And yes, which may include the gift of daily walks in rainy weather.) As you recall, take heart knowing that the light from simple gifts, spills and gives hope to the world around us. Yes, remembering that “Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world.” (Howard Zinn)

And to take with us through our day;
“It seems to me, life only asks us to take care of one another.
Not to fix, not to replace, and not impose our personal beliefs, just care about our space and others that are in it.
It’s not hard; it’s simply love.
It’s done in small doses.  Not taking on huge problems.
It’s done by gesture, extended hands, a kind word.
Clean. Easy. Truthful.
We need more of this especially this time of year.
Reach out. Touch someone’s heart. Be their star.
Just take care.”
Thank you, Debbie Lynn.

FRIDAY DEC 27 —

December has always been a perfect reading month for me. Well, December and the other eleven months. But in December, there is the special joy in “hibernation reading”. Reading by the fireplace, after the sun goes down not long after four in the afternoon. Making Annie Dillard’s affirmation come alive, “She read books as one would breathe air, to fill up and live.”
And it is not just books. I enjoy the gladness and delight in articles, columns, reflections that people send my way. Especially the stuff that gives me the permission to pause. To savor. To drink in the moment. And perhaps, to hit the reset button.
And I smile real big, when sharing Mary Oliver’s outlook, “You can have the other words–chance, luck, coincidence, serendipity. I’ll take grace. I don’t know what it is exactly, but I’ll take it.”
Here’s the deal: Any time we give one another the gift of embracing the present, of being glad to be alive, or a generous word and gentle hug when times feel unkind, then grace is alive and well. And this I know: Joy is born in the soil of that grace.

Speaking of Joy—the theme of our fourth week of Advent—I was so grateful to receive this gift of excerpts from an Advent reflection “My Advent journey leads me to joy” by Rev. Patty Becker.
“Joy is a deeply profound sense of happiness and contentment. It is a powerful feeling that is stimulated from experiencing something fulfilling, pleasurable, fulfilling, or meaningful. It can be sparked by small, everyday moments as well as by large, significant events. Oftentimes it is accompanied by feelings of warmth, gratitude, relief, or a sense of being fully alive in the present moment.
Unlike happiness or a moment of pleasure that can be short lived, joy is more enduring. It is rooted in authentic connection to another person, to nature, to an accomplishment, or to oneself. Additionally, joy need not depend on external circumstances. By cultivating attitudes of mindfulness, appreciation, and gratitude, joy can emerge from our inner beings as a state of uncompromisable peace and well-being…
Another joyful and liberating teaching from Jesus is that of love. Love yourself, love one another, love your life. We are desperate for love. Feeling unloved plunges us into the depth of real hell. We will deny our own beauty and value if we thought by doing so would make us loveable. But Jesus told us differently. Again and again he showed us how much we are loved just as we are not only by his words, but by his actions. He provided food, and companionship, and healing, and understanding, and compassion, and encouragement, and clarity.
Rejoice! A new way of life has been given unto you. Be glad of heart. Let peace reside in your soul. For one has come in the midst of our troubled world and psyches with tidings of great joy. You are loved beyond measure. You are whole of spirit. You are amply provided for and forgiven of all trespasses. You belong to the universe and are treasured in the kingdom of heaven.
With Love and Joy,”
(Thank you Rev. Patty Becker)

Prayer for our week…
This Christmas I pray for
Those who are homeless to find shelter.
Those who are depressed to discover joy.
Those who are addicted to find release.
Those who are lonely to find a friend.
Those who are confused or lost
to find a path.
Those who are heartbroken
to know that it will pass.
Those who are sick to find healing.
Those who live in darkness
to be covered in light.
Those who are dying
to know that they have lived.
I pray today for peace where there is unrest,
for love to prevail over all
Amen
(PeaceCompassionLove)

Photo… “Good Morning Terry, The morning of the winter solstice December 21 brought magical hoar frost here in Wisconsin that made everything glisten. Wishing you a magical Christmas.” Sue Sieger…. Thank you Sue… I’m so grateful for your photos, please send them to [email protected]