"The Holy Innocents" (Matthew 2:13-18)

 (Matthew 2:13-18)  

Why, O God,

must we remember

the words

of the slaughter

of the Holy Innocents

today?  

Just days ago,

we sought the Christ-child.

The heavens exploded

with joy

and proclamation

and we raised our candles

as if they were

the soft twinkling

of stars in the

Bethlehem night sky.

We heard once again

the story

of shepherds running

from their flocks,

to the very place

where Love was born

and our hearts

were filled with their

excitement.

We are now looking East,

toward the horizon

for magi

bearing gifts

and we wonder

what gifts

might we also bring.

Why, O God,

must we remember 

these Holy Innocents now

when we have knelt

at a manger 

to witness Love

first-hand?

It is 

less painful

and sorrowful

for us

to close 

our eyes

to all of this.

Is it because

there are still

Innocents today?

In South Sudan or Aleppo ...

or in our own streets?

Nameless and named?

Is it because

there are still

Innocents today ?

Hungry

and cold?

Nameless and named?  

Is it because

there are still

Holy Innocents today?

Battered and bruised

in the very place

they call home?

Nameless and named?  

Why, O God,

must we remember

the Holy Innocents?

"Because, my child,

there are Innocents

in this world today,

and 

mothers

weeping and

refusing to be

comforted.

There are still

Herods who

have both 

great power and

great fear

within them.

You must not forget

and you must not

look away."

(c) 2016 revised   anna murdock

"Preparation"

(Sung to the tune of "O Come, O Come Emmanuel")

Oppressed, they once cried out, "O LORD, how long?"
And we now pray, "O God, Thy kingdom come."
Expectancy and hope is in the air.
Prepare the manger, for the time is near.

(Refrain)

Make soft, our hearts -
A place for you to dwell.
O come to us
Emmanuel.

"Joseph"

(Sung to the tune of "O Come, O Come Emmanuel")

O Promised Light, placed in the hands of man.
A carpenter becomes part of God’s plan.
He trusts, in faith, words sent from above.
Obedience becomes a father’s love.

(Refrain)
Draw near, O God.
Draw near and walk with us.
Lead us to faith, obedience and trust.


(c)2011 anna murdock

"Mary"

(Sung to the tune of "O Come, O Come Emmanuel")

A young girl chosen, bless-ed be her name.
A messenger said, “Fear not, nor feel shame.
Prepare your heart to bear the Holy One
as God prepares the world for God’s own Son. ”  


( Refrain)
Prepare our hearts,
O God of all the earth.
Prepare our hearts
to welcome your Son’s birth.

"THE FACE OF ADVENT JOY"

One day in December, years ago, I found myself in Duke Chapel, beginning my own Advent time of waiting and worship with the Chapel choir’s offering of Handel’s MESSIAH. The Chapel is breathtakingly beautiful. The voices, raised in song and proclamation, filled the sanctuary with God’s promises and victory. The orchestra lifted the words even higher. And yet, all of these proved to be secondary to my looking into the face of "Advent Joy".

As I sat in the sanctuary, a very distinguished elderly gentleman sat beside of me.  He was quite the dapper one! The first thing that I noticed was that he had a ready smile. Well before the music began, we spoke of God and Jesus. We spoke of writing and poetry and of those God-placed friendships in our lives. And then, the face of Advent Joy began to appear on this man’s face in such a way that is almost beyond description. He opened his program and with great joy said, "May I show you the incredible mix of Scriptures in the MESSIAH?" This gentleman pointed to the combination of Old Testament and New Testament Scriptures, intermingled in such a way that God’s love, promises and intentions would radiate throughout the music. With a twinkle in his eye, he smiled and said, ‘Isn’t God grand?" The face of Advent Joy began to glow in a very special way.

The music began. His eyes were closed and a faint smile emerged, as if he knew something that perhaps I didn’t. Scriptures of joyous glad tidings were sung and his smile couldn’t have become any larger. He softly chuckled at the words of Isaiah, knowing full well that they would come to pass. He cried tears of joy in those places where hope in the face of death was so beautifully sung. As we stood for the "Hallelujah" chorus, he looked to the heavens for a while and then bowed his head in prayer. And as the last chorus was sung, "Worthy is the Lamb", he sat with his hands folded in his lap, tears streaming down his cheeks.

The music stopped. He threw his arms around me and hugged me saying, "Wasn’t this marvelous? I have loved hearing God’s words in this music and I have enjoyed sharing God’s words with you." Then he disappeared into the crowd, but not before I noticed a countenance of praise on his face that was gentle and beautiful and radiant. I had looked into the face of Advent Joy.

How do you tell someone else about an encounter such as this? I search for words. And I search for those who might understand what I am about to say. I walked away from those hours in Duke Chapel not quite certain "who" I was sitting beside. I voiced this to a pastor and he reminded me of Hebrews 13:2. The man seemed angelic as if he had been afforded special holy glimpses. Perhaps that is what Advent Joy is about … being filled with the words of Isaiah as we wait for and pray that the Christ-child be born anew in us … being filled with the promises of God as we wait for the coming of Jesus once more … being filled with Jesus in such a way that our soul, too, magnifies the Lord as did Mary’s … and being willing to become a servant of our Lord, for God’s radical change in this world

Oh that I too might have the face of Advent Joy.

ADVENT SUNDAY #2 "The Three-Legged Lamb in All of Us"

It was a conversation

overheard.

It wasn’t eavesdropping …

not really.

(or was it?)

“Isn’t our church lovely,

decorated so beautifully

for Christmas?”

“Yes, it is."

"And aren’t we glad

that the three-legged lamb

is no longer 

in the creche’ in the narthex?

Aren’t we glad 

that it has been retired?”

Tears came to my eyes

in my eavesdropping.

Isn’t it for those of us

who are lame in some way …

who are pushed back 

as ‘imperfect’,

who limp to the manger,

weary in body

and spirit,

who hobble toward Bethlehem

heavy-laden with

injuries inflicted

by others …

Isn’t it for those of us

‘three-legged lambs’

that the Christ-child came?

I begged … 

“Put the little lamb back.”

   

"Help Us to Clear the Way" (Advent #2)

A portion of the lectionary scriptures for this Sunday (2nd Sunday of Advent) is Isaiah 11:1-10 and Matthew 3:1-12

Our prayer might include "O Advent God, help us to clear the way." Here is a prayer, sung to the tune of "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" that you might use as you dwell in the lectionary scriptures:

Isaiah heard the words of Advent God.
"A branch shall grow from Judah's tribal sod."
John's voice cried out, "No, I am not the one.
Prepare the way,
make straight paths for God's Son."

(Refrain)
O Advent God,
help us to clear the way
within our hearts,
make straight the Lord's highway.