Mike's musings

My first Midnight Mass

(backposting) Lunchtime with Si, D, Morgs, Boo and Simon, Jo's godfather. Good to see everyone: we need to find a time to get together for some child-free time to chat, eat and drink with Si and D. Simon spent some great quality time with Jo: I suspect he's a very good teacher.

Well, the afternoon brought us the Halstead crib service, which I was attending with the girls. The church was pretty full, and the girls were sheep, which was very sweet. Got them to bed afterwards - as before, took rather a while to get them to sleep. Mum, Dad and Moo went to bed, and I headed off to the Midnight service at St Andrew's, Halstead, where I was to preside at the altar.

We had about 138 people, including choir and clergy, and it was one of the most joyous experiences of my life. Sharing the great gift, as He was shared for the first time with us, was just so special. I just can't begin to explain the emotion, I really can't.

Labels: Christmas, communion, eucharist, god, joy

Well done the U.S.A.

You should all be proud of youselves.

Labels: joy

Good news

Not just that I'm heading home - and should be in business class, as I have an upgrade token that I can use - but a friend of ours who's had some terrible problems in her life is pregnant. The child, a boy, is well, as is his mother, and it's one of those "thank God" moments. I've been praying for this couple lots, and I'm so glad that God has taken them from a terrible place and given them something to hold on to. We spend so much time praying about the bad times that it's sometimes fantastic to be able to offer a great prayer of thanks and joy and jubilation to God.

Labels: joy

Friday five: rivers in the desert

For this Friday Five, name five practices, activities, people or _____ (feel free to fill in something I may be forgetting) that for you are rivers in the desert... From Sally - I consider myself tagged...

1. walking with the dog. Long, and hard. I walk pretty fast, and upwards of 2 miles is where it starts to get interesting.
2. music. Cathedral choral music. Palestrina, Lassus, Tallis, Byrd, Stanford, Harvey, Gibbons, Howells, Walton, Tippett, Ades, Weelkes... You get the idea. Also organ music. Messiaen...
3. family. Time with Jo. Time with Moo. Jo's such fun at the moment. And Moo needs quiet and support as she gets ready for the next baby
4. reading. I, like Sally, read fast, and multiple books at the same time. Always have. Don't get confused. Can speed read and still take things in. very useful.
5. a nice glass of single malt. oh yes.

Labels: family, joy

Christians awake, salute the happy morn!

A lovely family Christmas with Kate, Mac, Nana and Aunty Kitty. A great 0900 service in Rempstone - 10 people, which ain't bad - a very good sermon. If we don't allow ourselves to move beyond the infant Jesus to an understanding of an adult Jesus, then our faith will never be adult, either.

Moo had to go to the emergency doctors when she finally admitted that her earache, throat pain, sinus pain, jaw pain and eye pain really _weren't_ getting better, and that she needed to find someone to give her some medication. Not so easy, given that she's pregnant, but they agreed to give her some antibiotics, and hopefully she'll get better soon.

Alleluia! Christ is born! Alleluia!

Labels: family, illness, joy