Praying Twice
Now you know, we are coming into the season of singing. Even those who do not come to churches on any kind of regular basis find themselves drawn back to the light and songs of the season. It is the Advent Hymns, the Christmas Carols, the music that bursts with joyfulness and hope that speak to our internal longing for a more equitable world, for a more peaceful spirit, to be in love, with ourselves, with those closest to us, with the world and the endless possibilities it offers.
Yes, it will be a different Christmas this year. Traveling is limited, so too visiting. And no doubt, like Bruce and I, you are yearning to hold those in your communities of affection, remembering when not so long ago we could hug strangers and friend alike with impunity. We cannot do that for the time being. Nor, it seems, are we able to gather in person and sing together.
But this does not mean that our internal journeys this year will not be rich and life giving. After all, Advent is the season of waiting, a season of reflection, Christmastide is the season of enlightenment, and new birth. And all these we can have and celebrate in quietness, in prayerfulness, in hopefulness for all that is yet to be. And if we do that, when the time comes when once again, we can move about freely, we will bring a richer presence to all our encounters.
Call to Worship, Mary Oliver
Dear Lord, I have swept, and I have washed but
still nothing is as shining as it should be
for you. Under the sink, for example, is an
uproar of mice — it is the season of their
many children. What shall I do? And under the eaves
and through the walls the squirrels
have gnawed their ragged entrances — but it is the season
when they need shelter, so what shall I do? And
the raccoon limps into the kitchen and opens the cupboard
while the dog snores, the cat hugs the pillow;
what shall I do? Beautiful is the new snow falling
in the yard and the fox who is staring boldly
up the path, to the door. And still I believe you will
come, Lord: you will, when I speak to the fox,
the sparrow, the lost dog, the shivering sea-goose, know
that really, I am speaking to you whenever I say,
as I do all morning and afternoon: Come in, Come in.
Signs of Hope with and for our Young People
Up to the Task
Four members of Shelburne’s Anti-Black Racism, Anti-Racism and Discrimination Task Force discuss their mission and the vision they have for Shelburne.
Tralee Pearce, In The Hills
As Alethia O’Hara-Stephenson and Althea Casamento wrapped up their online Anti-Black Racism, Anti-Racism and Discrimination Task Force presentation to Shelburne town council the evening of October 5, their closing slide was a fitting coda to an intense process that had started in June.
An illustration from Wab Kinew's "Go Show the World: A Celebration of Indigenous Heroes," by Joe Morse. (Photo courtesy Penguin Random House Canada)
This Christmas, consider looking beyond classic children’s books
How nostalgia stifles diversity on kids' bookshelves
Erin Alladin, Broadview
Children’s books have changed—but our buying habits have not.
For many of us, buying a book for a new baby or a beloved young relative is a chance to revisit happy memories. We buy them the books that once brought us joy, secure in the knowledge of a cultural job well done. But this nostalgia-based shopping has unexpected consequences: it stifles efforts to introduce new, diverse voices to our children’s bookshelves.
This Christmas, choirs are looking for new ways to sing together
A nostalgic peek back at Christmas Eve Service, 2018, Trinity
COVID-19 restrictions mean we're more nostalgic this holiday than ever
Glynis Ratcliffe, Broadview
Every year on Dec. 1, I wake up, go downstairs to the kitchen, make my coffee and do something slightly ridiculous and self-indulgent: I play Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas Is You at full volume. When the drums kick in, I dance around the house, singing at the top of my lungs and grinning the whole time. My kids stare at me in confusion but then quickly join in, laughing, and we have a silly, happy time together.
You see, I love Christmas music.