Just returned from a wonderfully nurturing and worshipfull, ‘Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols’ at the Cathedral.
I really enjoy the hymns and accompanying 9 Bible readings which take us through God’s promises starting at Genesis 3 and through to Luke, Matthew and John; culminating in singing our commitment to Christ, ‘O come, all ye faithful’.
What great soul food. What a great and awesome God.
Thanks to the Cathedral Dean, choir, staff, volunteers and participants.
I love Christmas! 🙂
May the eagerness of the shepherds,
The perseverance of the wise men,
The obedience of Mary and Joseph,
And the joy, peace and adoration of the angels,
be yours at this Christmas time.
And the blessing of God Almighty,
the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit;
be with you and remain with you always.
Amen.
A Blessing to my Blog readers for Christmas, and with prayer for joy and fulfilment in the new year.
Bishop John 🙂
A friend sent me a link to the video below. I had tears in my eyes as I watched. Although the chronology of the nativity may be a little wrong, the message is very moving. Blessings, Ian McGrath, BCA
See if you can guess the accents?
I’ve seen and heard a lot of folly in my life, including my own, but the UK banning of ‘CHRIST-mas’ while retaining the name and symbol ‘Red CROSS’ is supremely stupid and rightly ridiculed.
The Red Cross UK speaks of being sensitive to the Muslim community but the Muslim people I know celebrate Christmas. It is not the Muslim community but paranoid non-religionists bent on flat-earthing religious adherence that are the cause of this strife.
This intolerance will ultimately weaken the peace keeping purposes of the Red Cross: a respected and valued role built on mutual respect not the obliteration of difference. Difference is to be held in mutual respect and tolerance for the community’s common good.
If the Red Cross is fearful of people because the Red Cross shows respect for the faith adherence of Christians they do not have the courage for peace making. Peace making is marked by respect, dialogue and courage, not disrespect, withdrawal and fear.
Article from the Daily Mail UK, The Red Cross bans Christmas.
I would be grateful to know of the policy of the Red Cross in Australia.
See, Religious policy, multifaith dialogue and Australian values.
Over 23 million viewers – what a fantastic event. The expressions of joy and surprise are priceless. PTL!! On Nov.13 2010 unsuspecting shoppers got a big surprise while enjoying their lunch. Over 100 participants in this awesome Christmas Flash Mob. This is a must see! This flash mob was organized by http://www.AlphabetPhotography.com to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas.
Thanks Janet Stone who also sent me a school’s rendition of ‘Silent Monks Singing Halleluia’ – What fun they are having! See, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCFCeJTEzNU&feature=email
In Australia, a Victorian survey finds Christ’s birthday losing meaning:
One in five sees (Christmas) as a celebration of Christ’s birth … When asked which of three statements summed up Christmas, the Galaxy Research poll of 800 people found 75 per cent said it was about good times with family and friends.
It seems to me that a challenging reflection for Christians in the USA via SydneyAnglicans News, applies to Australian Christians:
Christmas is hard for everyone. But it’s particularly hard for people who actually believe in it.
In a sense, of course, there’s no better time to be a Christian than the first 25 days of December. But this is also the season when American Christians can feel most embattled. Their piety is overshadowed by materialist ticky-tack.
[Following the review of two books] … this month’s ubiquitous carols and crèches notwithstanding, believing Christians are no longer what they once were — an overwhelming majority in a self-consciously Christian nation (USA). The question is whether they can become a creative and attractive minority in a different sort of culture, where they’re competing not only with rival faiths but with a host of pseudo-Christian spiritualities, and where the idea of a single religious truth seems increasingly passé.
Or to put it another way, Christians need to find a way to thrive in a society that looks less and less like any sort of Christendom — and more and more like the diverse and complicated Roman Empire where their religion had its beginning, 2,000 years ago this week.
Article in New York Times, A Tough Season for Believers.
Extract fom the Archbishop of Adelaide, Dr Jeffrey Driver’s Synod Address:
Voluntary Euthanasia
I am concerned about the recent renewed push for the legislation of voluntary euthanasia around Australia. I do not disparage the good intentions behind these initiatives. Few matters are more frightening and sad for modern Australians than the loss of personal autonomy and the endurance of severe pain and suffering that terminal illness can bring.
I continue to maintain, however, that the legislation of voluntary euthanasia is not the most helpful response to these concerns.
At the recent General Synod, the Anglican Church of Australia affirmed the sanctity of life and that “life is God’s gift and that our task is to protect, nurture and sustain life to the best of our ability”. Not every citizen would describe human life in these terms, but there remains a strong community consensus to uphold and care for others at their weakest and most vulnerable.
Legislation in favour of voluntary euthanasia, however well-intentioned, runs the risk of eroding our collective will to promote care and find cures for people with disability, for the depressed and mentally ill, for the poor, the aged and for those who are vulnerable in other respects.
The prohibition against deliberate taking of innocent human life is what impels us to research and practice good palliative care. It enables trust within the patient-carer, and patient-relative relationships. It frees the individual from constantly having to interrogate the hidden motives of others, and allows the sick and dying to accept their care without shame. It says to all of us that there is a time when we can stop being productive and allow others to help us.
If politicians believe voluntary euthanasia is a public policy priority of first importance, then let them seek an electoral mandate upon it. It is too significant an issue to be introduced in any other way.
Full report on Adelaide Synod and Archbishop’s Address is in the Guardian on page 6.
Jesus’ teaching continues to discern to the heart of each one of us. In today’s press I was reminded of “Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” Matthew 19:23-25 How easy it is to lose the Jesus story of the upside down kingdom of God. May God protect me from the tyranny of self-aggrandisement.
A luxury hotel in Abu Dhabi which unveiled a Christmas tree decorated with jewels valued at $US11 million has decided to put the record straight against criticism of having gone over the top.
The Emirates Palace hotel said it regretted “attempts to overload the tradition followed by most hotels in the country”, in a statement quoted in Gulf News on Sunday.
“Putting the Christmas tree… is a tradition meant to share in celebrating occasions guests hold while they are away from their home countries and families,” said the hotel in the United Arab Emirates capital.
The silencing of the good news
I recall vividly our time with Palestinian Christians in the Holy Land, living in the shadow of Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait and the commencement of Iraqi shelling of Israel.
I was deeply saddened at the way Palestinian Christians were being treated as ‘the enemy’ by the Israeli military forces and being treated with, at best, caution by Muslim Palestinians. Palestinian Christians were ‘caught in the middle’! This forms part of the tragedy of Christians in the Holy Land and indeed in the Middle East.
Could it be true that the places that Jesus the Nazarene lived and ministered will become bereft of living communities of his disciples?
My full reflection, Christmas fading in the Holy Lands in the December Tasmanian Anglican magazine.
This is different to the digital age The modern Nativity Story because it is based on the social/relationships of the people in the Christmas story.