Christmas Carols

Here in Cambridge Christmas has already really started as it's all about getting in early so that the students who go back home don't need to miss out but they too can join in and remember and celebrate together. On Sunday at church we had a Carol service, and Monday evening I attended another carol service with many others.

 

In Australia I am from a quite small community and then in the city belonged to a smaller church. Every year at Christmas time I am always amazed, astonished, astounded at just how many people come out for Carols. And I find myself excited, exhilirated, euphoric at how many people have the opportunity to hear the gospel, the good news, of Jesus Christ, and sing praises to God together with one voice.

 

The amount of people is only limited by the venue, and in most cases for these services - the venue is full. In Australia Christmas is in the summer. Our venues are outside. People gather by the thousands to join together for Carols by Candlelight. Mostly though, it becomes much more of a performance rather than something you join in with. People sing together still and our voices go up and out swallowed up almost immediately by the night around us.

 

In the UK Christmas is in the winter so the venues must be indoors. In a large church which fits around a thousand people inside its walls, with candles shimmering nearby, we sang. The choir up front, around the organ, and the people filling the pews, the sound being held for a short time inside those walls before disappearing.

 

The main difference here is between a traditional type service and a contemporary type service. Both have their benefits and drawbacks but the most important thing to remember is that no matter where we are, now many of us are gathered, what songs we are singing, we are all raising our voices together in praise to the same one and only God as we remember how He came and revealed himself to us in this world some two thousand years ago.

 

A particularly common bible passage which is used at these services, I have found, is the beginning of John 1. I have included a small excerpt below, to read the full passage follow this link.

 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. ... The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

 

God Bless

My Friend!

I would like you all to meet a friend of mine.

 

He hasn't had the easiest life but it is still a lot better than many could ever ask for. He has taught me a lot about what is most important in life - what to hold on to and what to let go, where to put your trust and hope, and when to speak up and when to stay silent.

 

He was no one particularly special where he came from, except to his family and perhaps some of the girls as he is not bad looking. He had a pretty normal childhood, following his parents, and spending time with his friends. He loved to learn though and so had become quite wise for his age by the time he was a teenager just from taking notice of many different things.

 

He never has told me exactly why he was so determined and persistent at such a young age. Maybe it was something he heard and decided, 'I'm going to be like that', or 'I'm never going to be like that'. I don't know, maybe I should ask him. Anyway, when he was a teenager he wasn't the jock of his town but he was still popular amongst his crowd - although considered a bit strange by others because of his commitment to his beliefs.

 

Have you ever had one day in your life that changed everything? Sometimes it's obvious, his was, and sometimes it's not so much, mine wasn't - but it's still there when you look back later. Mine was a change in the way I thought about things after a series of small events. His was much more physical, with the invasion of his home by the army of another kingdom, another country. Some stood and fought, some surrendered, some joined the other side - many places were destroyed, many people died, and many were exiled (sent away from their home to another place where they were held like prisoners).

 

He doesn't like to talk about that time, understandably, the only thing he does say is that he was one of the lucky ones. He didn't know why he was taken while others were killed, but later found out it was because of his good looks and inquisitive mind. He didn't question it too much, just followed along and did as he was told. Some of his friends were also taken, so at least they had each other. He once told me that he didn't know how he would've made it through those first few months without them.

 

They didn't know what was happening and it was a very confusing time but eventually they found themselves being picked out from the others who were kept as prisoners and taken to live near the palace in the capital of this foreign country. The kings idea was that from each place they conquered they would take some of the smart young men and bring them back and train them in many things but most importantly to think their way, to become true members of his kingdom, and have them work in his kingdom (so, they better look good too). That way, the other people would not attack the kingdom as their own were there too and as they saw how great the kingdom was and how their own people protected the king they would become true members of his kingdom too. They didn't know this at the time, but found out later just what the kings plan was.

 

The one thing the king didn't bargain on was having someone as committed to his beliefs as my friend. He told me once that he was so scared that he just followed along and did as he was told, and almost just gave up believing several times, just waiting for the end to come. He kept quiet for a while until he realised that he couldn't stop believing the truth and he had more to fear from his God than from this king and his men. He talked with his friends who were still with him and gradually mustered up enough courage to approach the chief who was in charge of them and speak up.

 

I remember he once said to me that a hundred and one things ran through his head that he could ask for until he finally blurted out a request to abstain from the food offered to them in preference for vegetables and water only as their beliefs denied them these other foods. It might sound simple now but at the time he was quaking in his boots as such a request is a rejection of the king, as that is where the food came from. I remember he described it to me as a hundred years passing in those few minutes, and then another thousand while the chief tested them over the next ten days to see if they would still be fit and healthy. And every second of those thousand years they were silently praying to their God that He would keep them safe.

 

They were kept safe, and so it continued that way for the next 3 years while they learnt many things, and continued to pray to their God many times that He would keep them safe, that He would send them home, that He would give them understanding. Well, they were all kept safe, and they definitely got knowledge and understanding - they were the best of all the students, and even better than some of the kings scholars. Luckily for me, they haven't made it home yet - if they had I might never have met them and become such good friends.

 

I wasn't sure that this was because of their God though, I thought maybe it was just luck and hard work. That was until someone else told me about the kings dreams. It wasn't that long ago, the king had some dreams that really scared him and he thought they meant something but he didn't know what. Nobody else could tell him either, and he was starting to take his anger of not knowing out on others in his palace. He was becoming a real tyrant. Anyway, they say that Daniel told the king that he could tell him what they meant the next day. And the next day, he did! He says that his God, the God in heaven, is the revealer of mysteries and has told him the kings dream and its meaning, so that the king might know it.

 

I asked him about this just the other day, and all he said was 'yeah, that's right'. He's grown up now but from what he's told me I think he's just the same now as when he was a kid back home. Persistent and determined, smart and exceptionally wise, good looking, well regarded by those around him, a bit strange at times, and committed to his beliefs - to his God. I was a bit pessimistic about his God having so much control but after hearing about the dream thing I asked him if he would tell me more about his God, teach me. He has been, and now I call his God, my God too. He's a pretty cool guy to know, all important in the palace but still a real person - not all high and pompous like some of them. I think it's because of his God - he says that everything comes from God so he doesn't take credit for things like the others do. I think he will have an interesting life and I'm glad I can share it with him, even in just a little way.

 

I would like you all to meet a friend of mine. His name is Daniel.

 

Just Stop.

Do you ever just stop?

 

Like, in the middle of your day as you're walking back from lunch - or while  you're doing your grocery shopping - or when you're sitting at a cafe - or when you go for a jog or bike ride - or on your way to work...

 

Do you ever just stop and look around?

 

At the person alongside of you - or the dog chasing a ball - or the bird flitting to and fro - or the bus passing by - or the child who just tripped - or the waiters clearing plates - or the young couple hand in hand...

 

Do you ever just stop and listen?

 

To the splash as a car passes through a puddle - or the soothing words of a parent towards their sobbing child - or the sharp words exchanged between two arguing - or the leaves in the trees as the breeze passes by - or the clatter of crockery as it is collected - or the ding of a bicycle bell warning others of its coming - or the distant sound of a siren telling everyone of its hurry...

 

Do you ever just stop and feel?

 

The breeze as it crosses your face - or the rough ground as it passes beneath your feet - or the gentle bump as someone moves past you - or the change in temperature as you pass a store door - or softest touch as a raindrop or leaf or blossom falls on your head...

 

Do you ever just stop and smell?

 

The warming aromas coming from the nearest hot food store - the fresh slightly earthy smell after rain - the sweet flowers sneaking over the fence - the exhaust fumes as you stand a little too long near a running car - the friendly smell of the pages in an old book...

 

Do you ever just stop and wonder?

 

About the lives of the people you're passing - or how many people are noticing you pass by - or how much everything just here is going to change in the next minute - or how much you're not noticing...

 

Do you ever just stop?

 

I do - and it gives me great joy to witness life. Sometimes I will even give people I see names, characters, and lives in my head, but when I do this I often wonder just how their actual lives would compare. Real life is always much more interesting, simply because it is real. But the thing I wonder most I think, is how many people here have heard about Jesus Christ as I know him, and have a personal relationship with God, our creator?

 

So... do you ever just stop... and look around... and listen... and feel... and smell... and wonder... and praise God?!

 

God Bless

Waiters in my Head

Of recent, my mind has been a little bit all over the place, making it difficult to pin down any one thought, or point, to share with you all on here. I'm sure over the next month as I unjumble my brains a little you'll hear about some of the things which are stuck there.

 

Our brains are funny things, our thoughts and memories. Some things which I wish would stay zoom right through - in one ear and out the other - barely even leaving a wake behind them. Other things which I wish would go, have taken up permanent residence and continue to every now and again nudge some part my head to make sure that they will never be forgotten, to remind you that they're there. Then there's others again which have just come for a short time, like they're visiting some of the other thoughts in your head, before passing on. And I just thought of another, the sly guest who comes and then hides away and doesn't say or do anything for such a long time you don't even know they're there until one day a long time later they decide that it's time to come out of hiding. Sometimes they join the permanent residents, and other times they make friends with the leaving thoughts and decide to move on with them (they will often return for visits at irregular times though).

 

And don't even get me started on emotions. They're like the ones who are catering to these others and it often depends entirely on just how well they are being treated by the guests to how they will react - and of course just which one is currently on duty, and which one is off. Personally I'd like to think that Happy is a full time worker, while say Nervous has a little part time work, and Angry only picks up the occasional holiday shift which is available.

 

With so much going on up there on the social side of things I sometimes wonder how it manages to get business done - telling my fingers where to go next to type this message for you all to read. But it does, and I don't know about you, but I am very grateful.

 

Sometimes I wish I was more like my brain, and a little less like a muttering stream. My brain can somehow manage to do so much at the same time, getting everything done, and done well. A muttering stream is moving along but never quite in the same direction moving from one way to another, constantly churning a little but never enough to say it's bubbling, and definitly not enough to call it a rapid. A muttering stream is not sure just what it is and serves no great purpose - it should simply decide, stop muttering, and make itself heard - either as a gentle murmur constantly in the background to help provide an idyllic and calming atmosphere or as one shouting from the front lines ready for action and adventure. Yes, sometimes I wish I was a little more like my brain.

 

While what I say here is true, when it comes down to it, I am very thankful that God has made me the way I am, and in time (I'm just not sure when that time will be) I will move on from being a muttering stream to something more discernable.... or at least I think I will.

 

God Bless