EASTERN STAR

Wednesday (Boxing Day) was a day of complete rest for me - I slept in, ate a leisurely breakfast, read, napped, read, napped some more, went to bed early.  My body was telling me I needed to rest and so I did.  Completely.

I woke early on Thursday morning...around 4:30 am, feeling like I was ready for anything.  I was out the door long before daybreak to take a good long walk up the side road, to enjoy the stillness of a cold, clear, crisp morning.  At the head of the lane, I had my night vision and I could see everything quite clearly, especially in the light of a waning moon.  The sky was full of stars.

As I topped the first rise in the road, my eyes were drawn to an especially vivid star shining in the eastern sky ahead of me.  It was brilliant and so much bigger than the other stars, it shone like a beacon in the night.  Only the moon was brighter.

Seeing that star (turns out it isn't a star, but the planet Venus), made me think again of the visitors to the nativity scene - the shepherds from the field and the Wise Guys Men.  Just as we are tempted to think that Christmas is over on December 26th, there's a tendency to stop the birth story at the manger; but, some of the most fascinating parts come afterward.  The signs in the sky seen by the Wise Men-the Kings of the Orient-the Magi - what did they really see?  How did they give meaning or make sense of what they encountered?  When they saw the star in the east, were they looking at Venus like I was?  That would be really cool.

It's that sort of timeless personal connection that can make a story so special and give it life for thousands of years.  I only have to look at a new born baby or see Venus on a cold winter morning to feel more deeply the elements of Jesus' birth which continue to touch and cause me to wonder today.

May your days of wondering never end.

Pat

A Week's Worth of Gratitude

Saturday ~ Laura, Jonah and Georgia

Sunday ~ blessed are those that count the offering

Monday ~ singing with Stephen's daughters

Tuesday ~ heron feathers

Wednesday ~ a day of splendid, complete rest

Thursday ~ the eastern star

Friday ~ leftovers

Friday Prayer

Loving God, stay close to us as we

continue to celebrate the gift of Jesus.

Amen.

GO AHEAD AND CELEBRATE

You're probably tired of me telling you what to do...but I'm going to chance it one more time.

Advent has just about turned into Christmas and my wish for each and every one you is that you will find something to celebrate.  I really don't care what your reason is for celebration, and it doesn't matter to me what form your celebration takes - as long as you celebrate.  Loosen up and let that gratitude and joy out into the world.

Today is the winter solstice.  Rain or shine, we who live at 113 Kingston Beach are going to celebrate the shortest day of the year and the return to longer periods of daylight, with a fierce bonfire.  Okay, maybe that's and exaggeration.  But, the dancing flames of our modest backyard fire will raise our spirits, give us heart for the remaining days of winter and lift our eyes to the approach of spring...yes, SPRING!  If we get a chance to roast some bologna over the coals, that will be a bonus.  I'm not certain why I feel this need to celebrate the solstice; perhaps it's in my blood.  I can imagine long ago in my ancestry, there was an Irish clan of McDonagh's who danced around an open fire on this longest of nights.

A few days later, I'm going to celebrate again, a celebration that will last several days, taking me through Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and on to the New Year.  I'm going to celebrate by singing with you at church, eating (many times) with family, stepping back a bit from work and taking some special care of myself and those I cherish.  I'm going to celebrate the story of a baby born to the world and bringing a special love for each of us, even those of us who might think we are not deserving and that we cannot celebrate it.  Yes, we can!

Celebration is an expression of that sacred regard we have for life.  Create your own celebratory traditions for the people and memories you treasure.  Honour them and hold them up in a way that suits your circumstances - whether that's by silent prayer, a quiet walk with friends, a family dinner or a raucous party with all the neighbours.

Who are you grateful for?  What will you celebrate?

Pat

A Week's Worth of Gratitude

Saturday ~ a day of sunlight

Sunday ~ fishing with Thom

Monday ~ a good dentist

Tuesday ~ friends at the movies

Wednesday ~ the OSHaRE crew from First United

Thursday ~ Susan & Paul

Friday ~ winter solstice

Friday Prayer

I believe in the sun, even when it is not shining.

I believe in love, even though I don't feel it.

I believe in God, even when he is silent.

~ a survivor of Auschwitz ~

LIFE COMPASS

This is the compass I used when I was in the army.  It's a Silva Ranger 15T.  It's graduated in "mils" instead of degrees, a feature unique to military use.  6400 mils are equivalent to 360 degrees...so, one degree = 17.7 mils.  There's a mirror built in to the cover which allows for accurate shooting of a compass bearing.  The mirror is also handy for shaving when deployed in the field.  I keep that compass in my desk drawer.

In my basic training and early years of duty, I was a poor way-finder.  My problem was that I didn't trust my compass.  I was prone to letting my brain's sense of direction take precedence over the information that my compass was showing me.  Most human brains - my brain anyway - are notoriously poor and direction keeping and way-finding.  It was about 6 years before I put confidence in my compass and believed in its accuracy.  I came to accept that my compass was never wrong; it always knew where north was and accurately pointed which direction I needed to travel.  Once I learned to trust my compass, I became an expert navigator.

For most of my adult life, I have sought out some sort of "life compass" to guide me in my living.  I need something, or perhaps someone, as reliable as my good old Silva T15 Ranger.  I've tried many things, with varying levels of success.  I have discovered that whatever it might be that serves this purpose, its accuracy is invariably tied to my confidence in it.  If I trust it, the path is clear and direct; if I lose faith, I begin to drift and soon lose my way.

A recent message from Rev. Paul Ivany of Norval United Church reminded me of a valuable life compass for all of us.  He wrote, "How can God's love really be in us if we don't respond with compassion to people in need?  A compassionate heart is something worth having." 

That's it - that's a life compass.  A compassionate heart.  It's a reliable way-finder for our living, it's something that won't let you down...you can trust and treasure a compassionate heart.

Follow your life compass...it will help you find the Way.

Pat

A Week's Worth of Gratitude

Saturday ~ Betty Crocker

Sunday ~ music in all its forms

Monday ~ Chris & Agnes

Tuesday ~ Church Council team

Wednesday ~ sleeping in, resting up

Thursday ~ Don Sweatman

Friday ~ conversations that matter

Friday Prayer
May I live this day compassionate of heart,

clear in word, gracious in awareness,

courageous in thought, generous in love.

~ John O'Donohue, RIP ~

gift of original art from Sandra Bayne

GRATITUDE CHANGES EVERYTHING

My doctor tells me what to do about my diabetes and high blood pressure.

My dentist tells me what to do about my teeth and gums, how to brush and floss.

My accountant tells me how to manage money...Canada Revenue has thoughts about that as well.

My plumber/furnace tech tells me what I need to have water and heat.

My mechanic (he's a good guy) tells me how to keep my truck running.

That's just the tip of the iceberg...there are a lot of people telling me what to do.

It can be overwhelming at times.

Here's some advice I got recently from author Diana Butler Bass.  I think it's advice that is as important as any that I get from the folks above.  Her advice is about practicing true gratitude - the gratitude that surfaces when life is easy and when life is getting me down. 

Ms. Butler Bass has recently published a book titled, "Grateful: The Transformative Power of Giving Thanks."  She says, "There's a different way to live that's really possible...and I think that gratitude is one of the gateways into that world."  She writes that when it comes to giving thanks, most of us tend to operate from a structure of debt and duty.  In other words, when being offered or when receiving a gift of any sort, I frequently think in terms of some benefactor to whom I will be in debt if I accept the gift.  That's a very transactional response, calculating, not at all grateful.  Instead of a sense of gratitude, my focus is on how I can discharge that debt, how will I return the favour.  There's no grace in that.

There's different way to live in gratitude.  Ms. Butler Bass reminds us of the story of Jesus in Luke's Gospel, about the dinner party and who gets invited.  It's not just family and friends and people who will likely return the favour; instead, the invitation is to guests who are poor, who are marginalized, who are likely never going to afford to repay the debt.  In that story, Jesus tells me to offer my gift without the expectation of payback in any form.  If I can offer and receive what life brings me in that way, it will lead me to abundant gratitude and that will lead to a grace-filled life.

It sounds easy, but I know it isn't.  I've got bad habits that I need to break.  I need to pay attention to how my gratitude comes out - not calculating or controlling, not conditional...just deeply thankful.  I think it could change everything.

May we all be blessed in giving and receiving this season...

Pat

A Week's Worth of Gratitude

Saturday ~ being up and around

Sunday ~ music and friends

Monday ~ crashing waves and roaring winds

Tuesday ~ sunshine and blue skies

Wednesday ~ supper with friends

Thursday ~ the food bank

Friday ~ Ginger and Kathy

Friday Devotion
Christ invites us to a different life,

to a life not of payment and debt, but of God's grace.

God created us to practice a life of grace,

both freely giving and receiving,

until our time is finished and complete.

~ Andrew Yee, Stanwood, Washington ~

DOING WHAT'S RIGHT - FROM THOM MCDONOUGH

One day this past week, the waves were pounding our shoreline as strong northwesterly winds drove the water ahead of it.  I was hoping to get out fishing, but given that I have a twelve-foot boat, powered by a 5 hp motor, the wind and waves made decision making easy.  I did what was right and stayed ashore.

I wish every decision to do what is right, was so easy.  Unfortunately, life is complicated by the circumstances that we experience and by the people we encounter.

The writer of the Book of James, who writes about the way we should live in the world, says that "Anyone, then, who knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, commits a sin."   That's a lot of responsibility on us!

It's a lot of responsibility because we live in a time where there is not a lot of clarity as to what is right and wrong.  We live in a time when it seems that people are taking it upon themselves to determine what is right, using their own circumstances and judgement to make those calls.  Subsequently, what they feel is right, maybe hurtful to others.

I was raised in a Christian tradition that promotes loving one's neighbour, whoever that neighbour might be.  The problem comes in actually carrying out that love, giving it form, as we go through our daily living, trying to do what is right.

There has been a recent bit of debate over the playing of the 74 year old song, "Baby, It's Cold Outside".  Some find the song offensive in this era of #MeToo.  Others are saying that censorship of the tune, in our era of rap and a President of the United States not being sanctioned for his bragging about grabbing women inappropriately, is ridiculous.

What is the right thing to do?  Tough call, this.

What I try to do is know my neighbour.  I try to think about consequences.  I try to think about any hurt that I do might cause just as much as  I consider what good I'm trying to accomplish.

Knowing that I'm an imperfect human being, I also have to recognize when I have not done right and take the appropriate actions to seek forgiveness and make amends.

Doing the right thing isn't always easy, but we'll make fewer mistakes if we approach what we do with love in our hearts and a real desire not to hurt others.

Peace and be well, friends.

 Thom