Do You Know The Way? ...to San Jose? by Sheila Webster

Which Way Do We Go?

Directions are an important part of life and many songs have been written about direction such as, “Do you know the way to Santa Jose?” to the  “We Three Kings of Orient Are.” Humans are always following something or looking for direction.

There are those that go their own way as outlined in the early Fleetwood Mac song “You Can Go Your Own Way.” Others may realize that going back to the beginning brings some clarity as in Steve Bells’ pop-folksy trans-seasonal classic, “Turn it Around.” There are a multitude of other ‘directional songs over the decades and centuries.

The first picture in this blog was taken this past week at a camp I have loved for two decades.  I love that it tells newcomers where they can find the important things in life - the beach; a shower or a sanctuary for their soul. Sounds like some good self care!

The latter picture in my directional set was also taken this past week at a drive-through live nativity scene - I think I loved the picture more than the experience as it took me back in memory to my time kicking around the hills of Bethlehem, Jerusalem and Nazareth. 

The drive through experience became an excruciating forty minute wait in a long line of restriction bound citizens who longed for a glimpse of Christmas past and connection.  Ten minutes in I wished I could ‘turn it around,’ but the bumper to bumper sightseers prohibited such an exodus.

The din in my car was reaching epic proportions from my sometimes rude little rabble-rousers and quickly took the joy out of showing  them the sight.  Although the requisite “awe” over the live nativity and follow up “can we pet them” inserted itself, soon the anticipated bloodied noses from sibling rivalry exploded in my backseat. It was a bizarre ride to the end as sweet Christmas music contrasted the scene in my car. As we left the parking lot briefly I opened my drivers window so the parking lot ushers could shove a long pole laden with a handmade wire star tree ornament and a holiday card. They looked slightly shocked at the wailing emitted through the cracked open window and my terse thank you. I am absolutely positive they would pray for my salvation.

Life is a moment by moment course of action, we are all headed in a direction, often following someone, sometimes we even want to exit and do our own thing.  The message of 2000 years ago is even more poignant today as we all feel a darkness close to us and long for a star to guide us. We crave our tribes to travel with through the darkness to find hope underneath that guiding light.  

In whatever direction you are headed this season be assured there are other travellers looking for the hope at the end of the destination who may need your words, your song or your unique perspective on the journey.

Sheila Webster

Silent Night, Holy Night by Lynn Dove

 The second wave of Covid-19 is hitting us especially hard here in Alberta.  My small town of Cochrane has had over fifty active cases and a staggering number of people have been diagnosed province-wide with the virus.  To combat the spread, our Provincial Government is forced to place more restrictions on us.  On the minds of everyone is, "How do we celebrate Christmas this year?"

We are told that we can no longer have any kinds of indoor gatherings other than those who live in the same household together.  We cannot have outdoor gatherings with numbers of more than ten people, and even if we keep the numbers to ten outside, we must all wear masks, keep distance from one another, and not share food.  Keeping in mind Alberta temperatures can dip to -25 degrees Celsius, so meeting outside may not be an option.

I have three married adult children and five grandchildren.  Including my husband and I, that makes thirteen loved ones whom I had hoped to gather on Christmas Eve for our dinner and gift opening.  There is the strong likelihood that we may not be able to do that this year due to the Covid restrictions.  For my husband and I, it would mark the first time we would be alone for Christmas since our children were born.  

And it is breaking my heart.

2020 is a year best forgotten I suppose.  I keep hearing people say it was the "worst" year ever!  I would imagine to many who are experiencing financial hardship, grief, isolation, and anxiety brought on by this pandemic, 2020 may be the most challenging year some have ever faced.  I can't say that personally.

2020 was my "recovery" year from my battle with cancer in 2019.  I celebrated strength, stamina and my hair returning!  My youngest daughter was married in July, and my fifth grandchild was born to my son and daughter-in-love the day before the wedding.  My husband and I managed to get out camping quite a bit to combat the Covid blues.  Just being able to enjoy the great outdoors kept our minds off the stresses brought on by forced lockdowns.  We took long drives, exploring sights we had all but taken for granted before Covid forced everyone to change travel plans.  My oldest daughter and son-in-love sold their house quite unexpectedly and are now building their "forever" home only ten minutes away from us.  Although we do not know what will happen in the days or weeks to come, my children still have jobs, we all have homes, and we all have our health.  All things considered; I certainly cannot call it the "worst" year for us as a family. 

Setting up my Christmas tree this year, I put on a DVD with a compilation of all my favourite Christmas hymns, carols and songs, to force myself to get into the spirit of the season.  I tried to sing along to some of them, but admittedly my heart just was not into it until I heard "Silent Night".    

"Silent Night", written by an Austrian priest named, Joseph Mohr just after the end of the Napoleonic Wars, was an attempt to bring a sense of hope to his little congregation who had suffered through twelve years of war and were now experiencing bitter cold and widespread famine.  Mohr hoped that the song's message of peace and of God's goodness in giving us the Gift of His Son, would speak into the hearts of those who were experiencing such hardship in 1818.  

"Silent Night" has always been one of my most beloved Christmas songs.  We sing it every Christmas Eve at church and at home.  It describes so melodically what my Danish parents always called the night before Christmas: "Hygge Aften".  

"Hygge" is a Danish word used to acknowledge a feeling or moment.  "Aften" is the Danish word for "evening".  Many of my Danish relatives will tell you that "Hygge" cannot be translated adequately into English because there is no one word to describe it.  To experience a sense of "hygge" is to be fully present in the moment, to recognize the blissful feeling of tranquility; to be in a state of perfect peace.  The Nativity scene, with Mary embracing Baby Jesus in her arms while He sleeps in heavenly peace, is the closest I can come to describing a visual representation of the first perfect "Hygge Aften". 

"Silent night, Holy night

All is calm, all is bright

Round yon virgin, mother and child

Holy infant, tender and mild

Sleep in heavenly peace,

Sleep in heavenly peace." 

My husband and I are already thinking about how we might be spending this Christmas without our family gathered around us.  I know we will profoundly feel the silence of the night, without our children and grandbaby voices and laughter around us.  It will be a far different Christmas than the one I had thought we would have, but I am still determined this year to experience "Hygge Aften" with the same sense of wonderment as I do every year.  I will purposefully immerse myself in quiet contemplation of what Christmas is all about.  I choose to fully embrace the Joy of the Season giving praise to God for the incomparable Gift of His Son given to us on the most holy of nights.  

The song "Silent Night" alludes to the fact that the first Christmas was not at all what was expected on that starry night over two thousand years ago.  Although the Saviour of the world was prophesied, no one expected a King would be born in such lowly estate, with angels heralding His birth.  The shepherds never imagined that a baby lying in a manger would be their Deliverer and mine as well.

"Silent night, Holy night

Shepherds quake, at the sight

Glories stream from heaven above

Heavenly, hosts sing Hallelujah.

Christ the Savior is born,

Christ the Savior is born.

Silent night, Holy night

Son of God, loves pure light

Radiant beams from Thy Holy Face

With the dawn of redeeming grace,

Jesus, Lord, at Thy Birth!

Jesus, Lord, at Thy Birth!"

The first three verses of "Silent Night" I know so well, but it is the rest of the song I seldom sing that have a poignant meaning for me this Christmas as never before:

"Silent night, Holy night

Here at last, healing light

From the heavenly kingdom sent,

Abundant grace for our intent.

Jesus, salvation for all.

Jesus, salvation for all.

Every year I pray that friends and family will accept the Gift of Salvation through Jesus Christ, and that the Good News will bring the promise of Hope to a lost and hurting world.  Singing the last two verses of "Silent Night" becomes my heartfelt prayer for 2021, that each of us would be reminded that God is in control, no matter our circumstances.  I pray for that peace that surpasses understanding as we celebrate, each in our own way in 2020, and look forward with great anticipation to the New Year ahead.

"Silent night, Holy night

Sleeps the world in peace tonight.

God sends His Son to earth below

A Child from whom all blessings flow

Jesus embraces mankind.

Jesus embraces mankind.

Silent night, Holy night

Mindful of mankind's plight

The Lord in Heav'n on high decreed

From earthy woes we would be freed

Jesus, God's promise for peace.

Jesus, God's promise for peace."

Amen!

(read more of the history of  the song, "Silent Night" here: https://theconversation.com/the-humble-origins-of-silent-night-108653) and the translations of the song: https://www.stillenacht.at/en/text-and-music

(This post was originally published on December 7th, 2020 on Lynn's blog: "Journey Thoughts")

Lynn Dove is the award-winning author, of the YA “Wounded Trilogy”- a contemporary Christian fiction series with coming-of-age themes.  A wife, mom, grandmother, and free-lance writer with articles published in several magazines and anthologies including Chicken Soup for the Soul books, her blog, “Journey Thoughts” is a Canadian Christian Writing Award winner.  Readers may connect with her at lynndove.com 

A Christmas Like No Other - by Robert Stermscheg

“I hate Christmas!” His tone is matter-of-fact. 

What?! How can anyone hate Christmas? Obviously not spoken by a holiday reveler or churchgoer. On closer examination and prompted by my “how can you even think that?” rebuke, I get a quizzical look but not the answer I was looking for. 

Instead, I get a modified response from my acquaintance – who shall remain nameless – a little less severe but just as powerful. “Well, I hate the Christmas season.” And that sentiment is probably shared by more than just a few. 

Hold it! Let’s back up just a bit. Christmas and all its trappings is easily swallowed up by the countless children who’ve been indoctrinated from an early age to look forward to the magical season. Unfortunately, the appeal stems from a mythical figure and not the divine Christ child. 

Although to be fair, it all started with the right motivation and good intentions. A certain Greek bishop, St. Nicholas, lived during the Roman era, circa 280 CE. He was known to be a patron of many groups and his generosity to the impoverished was well-known. Perhaps that is where folklore took over and morphed the good bishop into a saintly figure who eventually became a giver of gifts to all children. 

Sadly, the giving of gifts has taken on a whole different meaning, one that I’m sure was never intended. A poem by Clement Moore in 1822, entitled, A Visit from St. Nicholas, was well received by family and friends. However, once it was published under a new title, The Night before Christmas, it was quickly propelled into something not intended by the original author. The generous and wise St. Nicholas had transformed into a jolly rotund man who had the ability to whisk through the night sky on a magical sled pulled by reindeer no less. 

Now better known as Santa Claus, the mystical figure no longer stems from central Europe but apparently lives at the North Pole, surrounded by elves who seem to do all the work. I trust they have a generous compensation package.

And with that revelation, everything has changed. Sure, we still have the nativity scene depicting the manger and baby Jesus, but all too often, it’s an after-thought and the figurines are relegated to the side or occupy a corner of the fireplace. The prominent display now consists of a large over-decorated Christmas tree, its base filled with brightly coloured wrapped presents. Hence the dislike for the so called Yuletide season. 

It’s changed so much that some even dread going to the local shopping centre, afraid of being accosted by the frenzy that accompanies harried shoppers. 

Well, “that was then, and this is now”, as the saying goes. The pandemic swept into North America, slow at first, but it quickly gained momentum. The first wave of infections was manageable, but how many of us were prepared for that second wave?  

Hospital wards are filled to capacity, staff are overworked, yet the patients keep coming. There was a glimmer of hope that if the public adhered to current restrictions, Christmas celebrations and gatherings were a possibility. 

Unfortunately, with the latest case numbers (infections) still climbing, Christmas in 2020 will be anything but normal. The malls are in danger of being closed altogether, with most of the stores shuttered due to government regulations. People are encouraged – the Premier of Manitoba even pleaded on local TV – to abide by recent protocols and stay home if at all possible.

Over 2000 years ago, everything changed with the birth of the Christ child. There was the initial celebration by the shepherds and the Magi. That, however, was short-lived, as a ruthless dictator sought to destroy the hope God had given humanity. 

We’re faced with a similar situation today. An unseen virus is attacking humanity. Much like Herod sought to destroy the most vulnerable, children under two years old, this pandemic is also seeking to kill the most vulnerable, albeit on the other end of the age spectrum. 

Let’s do our part by adhering to local health regulations, but also hold out hope, placing it in the One who gave it to us in the first place. We need to remember the elderly and pray for them, reaching out in meaningful ways whenever possible. Let’s put Christ back into Christmas and joyfully proclaim, “I love Christmas”.

Robert Stermscheg, born in Europe in 1956, was exposed to many wonderful writers – Edgar Rice Burroughs, Alexandre Dumas, and of course Karl May. He appreciated how they opened up a whole new world to our imaginations through their portrayal of life. Find out more at his website.  Robert is also currently serving as bookkeeper for ICWF. 

Lift Your Voice in Songs of Praise by Nina Faye Morey

 

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly;

teach and admonish one another in all wisdom;

and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms,

hymns, and spiritual songs to God.

~ Colossians 3:16

Have you been brave (or perhaps foolhardy) enough to be out and about shopping for gifts this Christmas season despite the current Covid-19 Pandemic? I completed all of my Christmas shopping armed with my face mask and lots of hand sanitizer. But now the Saskatchewan government has restricted us to members of our own household. So Christmas celebrations with my daughter and her family, who were planning to travel here from Alberta, will be placed on hold for the foreseeable future. Their gifts have now been stored away, and cards with a little something tucked inside have been delivered. At least, as the only person in my household, I’m allowed one guest, so I’ll still be able to celebrate with my son who lives nearby.

If you have gone out Christmas shopping this year, whether you’ve visited the huge shopping malls or just frequented the little gift shop around the corner, you’ve no doubt been either entertained or exasperated by the constant refrain of familiar Christmas carols. If, like me, you fall into the entertained category, you probably know most of the words to these carols and enjoy cheerfully singing or humming along.

No matter what troubles I might be dealing with at that moment, whenever I hear voices raised in hymns of praise to my Lord, I always experience feelings of love in my heart, joy in my spirit, and peace in my soul. These well-known and well-loved carols that Christians sing during the Christmas season are really inspirational hymns that express our love for Jesus and our thanks to God for His glorious gift.

Have you ever been curious, as I often have, about what inspired those creative songwriters to write their Christmas carols? My curiosity led me to look into the lives of some of these gifted hymn writers to find out the stories behind their expressions of praise to the Lord that I’ve listened to and sung along to for many joyous Christmas seasons: Martin Luther, father of the Reformation; Charles Wesley, co-founder of Methodism; and John Mason Neale, recognized Anglican minister and poet.

In the 1500’s, congregational hymn singing flourished under Lutheranism. Martin Luther was an Augustinian monk; his wife, Katharina Von Bora, belonged to a cloister of nuns. When these nuns sought Luther’s help to escape the confines of their convent, he recruited a nearby merchant to smuggle them out in the empty barrels from the pickled herring he delivered. Luther successfully arranged marriages for all but the young, bright, and spirited Katharina. When Luther teased that he might have to marry her, his father encouraged the match. After they wed, they moved into a former Augustinian monastery on Wittenberg’s main street.

Soon their son, Hans, arrived and Luther was an adoring father. He wrote Hans a children’s Christmas carol, “From Heaven Above to Earth I Come.” The couple sang this renowned Lutheran carol with their children every Christmas Eve. A contemporary songbook entitled Dainty Songs for Little Lads and Lasses, also contained another carol written by Luther that’s been one of my favourites since childhood, “Away in a Manger.” Its compiler, James R. Murray, referred to this carol as “Luther’s Cradle Hymn.” His citation read, “Composed by Martin Luther for his children and still sung by German mothers to their little ones.” Although its authorship has been disputed, many still credit Luther with writing this popular children’s carol.

Congregational hymn singing continued to thrive in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. During his years of itinerant ministry in England and America, Charles Wesley, co-founder of the Methodist movement, constantly composed hymns as he completed his “circuit” on horseback. Requiring no specific creative inspiration, Wesley composed approximately 6,000 hymns during his lifetime.

Wesley was always adamant that others reprint his hymns exactly as he had written them. Fortunately, his old friend and fellow preacher, George Whitefield, wisely rewrote some of the lines from Wesley’s 1739 carol, “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” to create the now familiar version he reprinted in his 1753 collection. This is one of my all-time favourite Christmas carols. Its rousing verses never fail to lift my spirits.

As a recognized Cambridge scholar and poet, John Mason Neale dedicated himself to the preservation of ancient churches and medieval “songs of praise.” He translated several Medieval Latin and Greek hymns into English and recovered several segments of Latin responsorial songs that he combined to create the Christmas carol, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.” His research also led him to write a translation of the fourteenth-century hymn, “Good Christian Men Rejoice.” His devotion to charitable work resulted in the poem, “Good King Wenceslas,” in honour of this medieval king’s Christian charity.

We Christians, despite our diversity, are united in fellowship every Christmas by our love for these carols. These melodious hymns provide a means to convey our heartfelt gratitude for Gods’ glorious gift of redemption and abundant life through His son, Jesus Christ. So in this spirit of unanimity, let us proclaim our love for our gracious Lord and Saviour by lifting our voices in “songs of praise” this Christmas season.