The Day After Christmas

For the first time in several weeks I am sitting in my favorite chair for a devotional time. What a rarity, or maybe what a shame for one who calls himself a contemplative, or maybe what a treat/blessing!


Janet has been gone a month, lacking one day. The arduous return journey was followed by a full day of relatives and nice gifts and watching the new dvd movie we had all been waiting for, Napoleon Dynamite. We all laughed through it again. All in all we are thankful we are alive.


The Guardian


"One duty of a door-keeper is to stand guard against all that is harmful; another is to welcome whoever may come as a guest."(From the Celtic Prayer Book)


I have also been reading from Ecclesiastes, chapter 12, which describes pretty much the effects of age, or the feelings of those of us who have grown older.


My paraphrase is something like this, "it is a day when the guardians of the house tremble, the strong men stoop, and the few women left see dimly through the windows. The daughters of song grow faint, the grasshopper loses its spring, and they are afraid of heights and dangers on the road." Nothing beats good poetry for describing real life.


The gas logs heat the room. How I enjoy a fireplace, one of my favorite things. My faithful dog, Prissy, sits at my side. The sun shines outside.


I am energized by the discussions related to the emerging church, partularly Chris Marshall and others, but realize that age has its toll gate. Health becomes a major concern for those hampered by this aging disease. Life is more uncertain. And even the church and its meaning seem to dissolve when one stands for 30 minutes singing praise music (this actually happened to me 2 weeks ago when I timed how long we stood). You have to be young to
physically stand for that long!


Yes, living the Christian life from the sidelines may be more important than we realize. Remember it was the shepherds doing nothing but gazing at the stars who heard the heavenly choir.


Where am I hearing God's voice?