Mike's musings

Christmas Day!

(backposting) Not up too late, and not up too early, to be honest. But Jo just had a lovely Christmas. Mainly because she got to open pretty much every present, whether it was for her or not. She's not desperately well, but thanks to sleeping through half of the service that we attended at Cheddar church this morning, managed the day OK.

Presents included:

• 20 balls of wool (me, from Moo): so that she can knit me a jersey
• a scooter (Jo, from my parents): something she decided a couple of weeks ago that she wanted from Father Christmas (my Dad had a quick word with him)
• a spa day (Moo, from me): she really needs a pampering day
• The Scouting for Girls CD (me, from Moo): marvellous
• multifarious small presents for Jo, which kept her happy opening things through the day

Labels: Christmas, church, family

Caga Tio

It's amazing what you can learn from Teletubbies. Today we learnt that in Catalonia, they take a log into their home around the 8th December, warm it in a blanket, feed it food and generally welcome it as a member of the family. On Christmas Eve or Christmas morning, they beat it with sticks, exhorting it to "shit nuts, not sardines", and then look under the blanket to see what they've got. Traditionally, it seems, they get nuts if they've been good, and sardines if they haven't, but more modern interpretations seem to involve sunglasses or jigsaw puzzles. Then they set fire to it.

There's a parable there, I think, about the dangers of being welcomed into a stranger's home around Christmas. Or maybe not.

At least we don't do anything stupid like warn children against the dangers of talking to strangers, then waiting until the Christmas season and exhorting them to sit on the knee of any bloke with a beard and a red suit, who will give them presents and tell them to "be good" and "keep secrets" for him. And who will (if they're lucky), enter their (normally secure) home at night via a (frankly Freudian) domestic orifice which is closed to all "normal people" and make a special delivery in a set of underclothing.

Labels: Christmas

Carols

We went to a service of lessons and carols this morning at Great Yeldham, and I was reading Luke 1:26-38 (the Annunciation). Jo dressed up as an angel and stood next to me. It was very sweet.

We did the cards today. Not feeling _very_ Christmassy about it.

Labels: Christmas

Christmas starts

We got the tree, and decorated it today, so the Christmas season has really started. I think we're finished with all the present-buying, too, with the exception of presents for each other, but I know what I'm getting Moo, so that's easy.

Labels: Christmas

Redeeming the Season

What did John the Baptist mean by "Produce fruit in keeping with repentance"? (Matthew 3:8). That's what he told his doubters to do, and if we're going to be ready for Christmas, that's what we're supposed to do, according to received church wisdom and tradition. Being ready for Christmas, of course, is being ready to accept the gift of God's Son, here on earth. So, whatever views we have of the season - the commercialism, particularly, that's probably what we should be about. The last couple of Christmas seasons have been different for me: I'm less interested in getting things, acquiring, shopping, consuming. I suspect this is largely to do with having children, one of whom is beginning to get the wonder, and is very aware of what Christmas is actually about. I suspect it's also to do with my journey towards ordination - God, ERMC and my bishop willing - and my spiritual growth. It's not that I'm disgusted by it: just not very interested, and unsure what it's all for. Maybe that's the first step down the road of redemption.

But I'm not sure that I'm producing the right kind of fruit yet. Maybe that'll have to wait a couple more years.

Synchroblog

Today is a "synchroblog" on the subject of "Redeeming the Season". If you've liked what you read here, or, more particularly, if you didn't, and you'd like to read some other opinions, please visit one of the other participating blogs:

• Marieke's Grace Rain
• John Smulo
• Sally's Journeys
• Brian Heasley - 24/7 Ibiza
• Webb's Stumbling's
• More Than Stone
• Steve Hayes' Notes from the Underground
• Adam Gonnerman's Firey Stone Feather Pen
• Kirk Bartha
• Mike's Musings
• I'm In Over My Head
• Hello Said Jenelle
• Be the Revolution
• Fernando's desk
• Cindy Tracks the Edge
• Calacirian
• Billy Calderwood
• Carl's Personal Bubble
• John Morehead's Musings
• Matt Stone Journeys in Between
• Handmaid Leah
• Tim Abbott
• Josh Rivera

Labels: Christmas, synchroblog

Eighteen Lessons and Carols

I listened to the King's Nine Lessons and Carols on Radio 4 today. The first time for a while: I find it difficult, not being there, and particularly at the moment, as I'm missing the amount of music - certainly live liturgical music - that I'd like in my life. But that was a good enough reason to listen to it, in fact. So although I didn't catch all of it - old relatives, young daughter, pregnant wife and all, but I caught most of it. The treble was very nervous at the start of "Once in Royal", but did very well once he got into it.

We then went to Rempstone church for their local one. Jo did pretty well, but found it difficult keeping still - and quiet, come to that - but it didn't matter. Enjoyed the service, and I'm gearing up for the Gift.

Labels: Christmas, Jo, singing

Christmas and laughter

It's not always easy to laugh, but having a 22 month old daughter certainly helps things along sometimes. She's a big fan of reading her bible in the morning ("Jesus in it"), and this morning, as most mornings, she wanted to read the Christmas story. So we opened it up. "Angel, Mary". We agreed. "What," I asked Jo, "did the angel say to Mary?" "Boo!" she replied. Which probably pretty much sums it up, from Mary's point of view. How she had the presence of mind to come up with Magnificat, given the fact that she'd just been informed - completely out of the blue, by an angelic being - that she was not only going to give birth to a child out of wedlock, but that he'd be God's own son, is beyond me, but all credit to the girl/woman.

They must have been almost at Bethlehem, or maybe already installed in a stable, trying to make the most of a bad job. As a father, I can imagine Joseph, scared witless (think about infant and female mortality rates in childbirth at the time), and being as positive as possible: "it's not too dirty, darling, and I can get some softer hay to replace the straw, and maybe we can use the manger: we'll feed the ox and the ass on the floor, or by hand. At least the animals will keep us warm, and we've got the swaddling clothes that your cousin gave us after their little John was born." And all the time, knowing that the baby was not entirely his. We pay less attention to Joseph than we ought to do.

I'm finding it easier to explore the godly and the theological at the moment. And I don't know why. The obviously spiritual aspects of my life are close to missing, but God provides. Through family, through this blog, through the blogs of others, through the other media, particularly the radio. I have an essay to write, and no idea where it's going to come from, but that's the way of the world. God's world.

Jo knows to say "Amen" now. And "Alleluia", though her pronunciation's a little bit off. We'll take her to carols tomorrow.

Labels: Christmas, Jo, Joseph, Mary, theology

Happy Easter

You must remember that the clergy have a lot to do in the lead up to Christmas, and it can all get too much. That didn't stop me laughing, however, when Keith, our rector, left me a message this morning to wish us a happy Easter. He said "Christmas" later in the message, and didn't seem to have noticed the switch, but I told Dorothy, his wife, who has agreed to rib him about it.

Jo is at a stage where she really, really wants to tell you things, and, when she tries hard, she can get there, but it takes her a lot of thought and hard work. She's coming out with some fantastic and surprising things. "What are the balloons doing?" "Floating in the sky." Wow. She was sick a few times last night, and ended up with Moo in our bed (so I wnet off to the spare room again). We think it was because I took her swimming and she drank too much water.

We did a secret Santa with the other kids after swimming, and Jo got a "Mr Potato Head". To my surprise, she loves it, and calls it "Monster Egg". When it doesn't have any of its accoutrements (eyes, ears, nose, etc.) attached, it does look like an egg. And it _is_ kind of monstrous.

Moo's still not well - but I took Jo out card-delivering this afternoon, and Moo got a little more sleep.

Labels: Christmas, clergy, Easter, Jo