Poem for 17th December: The House of Christmas - GK Chesterton

Poem

The House of Christmas

There fared a mother driven forth
Out of an inn to roam;
In the place where she was homeless
All men are at home.
The crazy stable close at hand,
With shaking timber and shifting sand,
Grew a stronger thing to abide and stand
Than the square stones of Rome.

For men are homesick in their homes,
And strangers under the sun,
And they lay on their heads in a foreign land
Whenever the day is done.
Here we have battle and blazing eyes,
And chance and honour and high surprise,
But our homes are under miraculous skies
Where the yule tale was begun.

A Child in a foul stable,
Where the beasts feed and foam;
Only where He was homeless
Are you and I at home;
We have hands that fashion and heads that know,
But our hearts we lost - how long ago!
In a place no chart nor ship can show
Under the sky's dome.

This world is wild as an old wives' tale,
And strange the plain things are,
The earth is enough and the air is enough
For our wonder and our war;
But our rest is as far as the fire-drake swings
And our peace is put in impossible things
Where clashed and thundered unthinkable wings
Round an incredible star.

To an open house in the evening
Home shall men come,
To an older place than Eden
And a taller town than Rome.
To the end of the way of the wandering star,
To the things that cannot be and that are,
To the place where God was homeless
And all men are at home.

GK Chesterton

Reflection

This was sent by Tricia, it is a different telling of the nativity, reminding us of the power Rome held over the people of that time. But what I think is so amazing is that after telling of the nativity, we are taken through the way things are now, with people living secular lives, looking for nothing more than that, that is enough, the earth and the air. But then we are given the invitation, extended to all men, to come to the place where all are at home, to come home to God.

Prayer

Lord
As we see images of the nativity in ever increasing numbers
Help us to see the real story
Help us to remember that when Christ came down to earth
He was homeless
He was born in a stable
But that now he has risen 
He offers a place of rest
A home
To each and every one of us.
Amen

Third Sunday of Advent - Advent 1955 by John Betjeman

Poem

The Advent wind begins to stir
With sea-like sounds in our Scotch fir, 
It's dark at breakfast, dark at tea,
And in between we only see
Clouds hurrying across the sky
And rain-wet roads the wind blows dry 
And branches bending to the gale 
Against great skies all silver pale
The world seems travelling into space,
 And travelling at a faster pace
Than in the leisured summer weather 
When we and it sit out together,
For now we feel the world spin round 
On some momentous journey bound 
- Journey to what? to whom? to where? 
The Advent bells call out 'Prepare, 
Your world is journeying to the birth
Of God made Man for us on earth.' 
And how, in fact, do we prepare
The great day that waits us there – 
For the twenty-fifth day of December, 
The birth of Christ? 
For some it means 
An interchange of hunting scenes
On coloured cards, And I remember 
Last year I sent out twenty yards, 
Laid end to end, of Christmas cards 
To people that I scarcely know – 
They'd sent a card to me, and so
I had to send one back. Oh dear!
Is this a form of Christmas cheer?
Or is it, which is less surprising,
My pride gone in for advertising?
The only cards that really count
Are that extremely small amount
From real friends who keep in touch 
And are not rich but love us much 
Some ways indeed are very odd
By which we hail the birth of God. 
We raise the price of things in shops,
We give plain boxes fancy tops 

And lines which traders cannot sell
Thus parcell'd go extremely well
We dole out bribes we call a present
To those to whom we must be pleasant
For business reasons. Our defence is 
These bribes are charged against expenses 
And bring relief in Income Tax 
Enough of these unworthy cracks!
'The time draws near the birth of Christ'. 
A present that cannot be priced
Given two thousand years ago
Yet if God had not given so
He still would be a distant stranger
And not the Baby in the manger. 

John Betjeman

Reflection

I love this poem, it starts with the most beautiful description of our winter, and as I am writing this it hasn't really reached proper daylight all day, and with  wind and the rain, it fits beautifully, but then we are lead through the reminder of where our journey is going and the challenges, the commercialism, the traditions and things we do because we ought, not because we want to. But just as you are wondering about why we do the things we do he brings us back to the reality of the precious gift given to us all, the Baby in the manger.

Prayer

Dear Lord
In the midst of the advertising
In the opening of cards and round robins,
We thank you that the true excitement is in the 
Gift given all those years ago
Your Son, on earth. 
Amen

Saturday 15th December - The Guest

Poem

The Guest

Yet if his majesty, our sovereign lord
Should of his own accord
Friendly himself invite,
And say "I'll be your guest to-morrow night."
How should we stir ourselves, call and command
All hands to work! "Let no man idle stand.
Set me fine Spanish tables in the hall,
See they be fitted all;
Let there be room to eat,
And order taken that there want no meat.
See every sconce and candlestick made bright,
That without tapers they may give a light.
Look to the presence: are the carpets spread,
The dazie o'er the head,
The cushions in the chairs,
And all the candles lighted on the stairs?
Perfume the chambers, and in any case
Let each man give attendance in his place."
Thus if the king were coming would we do,
And 'twere good reason too;
For 'tis a duteous thing
To show all honour to an earthly king,
And after all our travail and our cost,
So he be pleas'd, to think no labour lost.
But at the coming of the King of Heaven
All's set at six and seven:
We wallow in our sin,
Christ cannot find a chamber in the inn.
We entertain him always like a stranger,
And as at first still lodge him in the manger.

Thomas Ford

Reflection

This poem gives a wonderful picture of how a well-run wealthy household would look in Jacobean England, and the time spent preparing for an honoured guest. 
I don’t know whether to be cheered or despondent about the fact that idea of waiting and preparing for our honoured guest in Advent hasn’t really changed and the general feeling is that we are still not really ready! 

Prayer

Lord
We watch and wait
We try and prepare,
Help us to prioritise
Ensure we have the focus we need
So that if you came to us tomorrow
We would be ready
We would know you and praise you
Amen.

Friday 14th December - The Work of Christmas

Poem

THE WORK OF CHRISTMAS.

When the song of the angels is stilled
And the star in the sky is gone
When the kings and the princes are home
And the shepherds are back with their flocks,
The work of Christmas begins;
To find the lost
To heal the broken
To feed the hungry
To release the prisoner
To rebuild the nations
To bring peace among the people,
To make music in the heart.

Howard Thurman

Reflection

This poem has been chosen by Tricia, and it sits beautifully as a reminder of all the work that goes on behind the scenes, with our pastoral team, those involved in KIT and all those who pop in, give lifts and perform those small acts of kindness that so often go unnoticed, the true work of those wanting to live in the way that Christ showed us.

Prayer

Lord
Guide us in the days and weeks ahead
Open our eyes to the things we need to see
Open our ears to the messages we need to hear
Open our hearts to the things we need to do
Fill us with your wisdom, compassion and mercy
Amen

Advent Poem for 13th December - God's Perfect Plan

Another short poem by ZaKyr Davis


Poem

God's Perfect Plan

God guides me every moment, 
He has a perfect plan.
I want to share His purpose, 
And proclaim Him where I can, 
The problem is, I try too hard; 
I Preach, push, and plead.
It takes a while to understand, 
It's best to let Him lead.
And when I do, it's oh so neat, 
To see His plan unfold.
It only happens though, I've learned, 
When I do just what I’m told. 

Reflection

Again a poem from David, and what a practical no nonsense reminder of the fact that if we offer up everything to God that things will unfold and we will have a sense of being a part of that grand plan. That doesn’t mean of course that there won’t be part of our lives that can be difficult, sad, and sometimes almost senseless, but within all the mess there is love, compassion and mercy that comes from God.

Prayer 

Lord
Remind us that you are with us in all we do
Give us the strength if faith to trust in you
Whenever our path becomes difficult, help us to trust
Whenever our path is full of joy
Remind us to give thanks
Amen

Advent poem for December 12th - The Overshadow by Luci Shaw

Poem

The Overshadow

“…. the power of the Most High will overshadow you… “ -Gospel of Luke

When we think of God, and 
angels, and the Angel,
we suppose ineffable light.

So there is surprise in the air
when we see him bring to Mary,
in her lit room, a gift of darkness.

What is happening under that
huge wing of shade? In that mystery
what in-breaking wildness fills her?

She is astonished and afraid; even in
that secret twilight she bends her head,
hiding her face behind the curtain

Of her hair; she knows that
the rest of her life will mirror
this blaze, this sudden midnight.

by Luci Shaw

Thought

Our lives are full of light and shade, joys and sorrows, but darkness isn’t usually associated with angels. So many images of Mary have her surrounded by the light of the angels, but in her innermost being there must have lurked a shadow, fear of the unknown, being unsure that she was able to fulfill this task, along with the joy of knowing a new life was beginning.

Prayer

Lord
Our lives are full of light and shadows
Help us to praise you as our hearts blaze with joy
And to turn to you in our times of darkness,   
Give us the strength and faith to do your will
As Mary did all those years ago

11th December – Advent Themes

Poem

Advent themes by ZaKyr Davis

The hope we have in Jesus Christ, 
Brings Joy into our heart; 
And when we know the love of God, 
His peace He will impart. 

Reflection

In searching for poems for Advent, I came across this very short – but to the point – poem by the very young ZaKyr Davis. It seems to me to sum up very concisely the waiting for Jesus’ arrival.

Carolyn writes: not all our poems need to be long, as a complete contrast to yesterdays, this one chosen by David would be a great one to learn by heart, it would be a wonderful thing to recite under your breath as you are being shoved out of the way in the supermarket, standing hearing some over stressed person ranting at an unfortunate assistant or just trying to find somewhere to park!

Prayer

Lord
Your greatest gift to us is your love
Help us to keep your love in the centre of our lives 
And open our hearts to your peace
Amen

10th December - TS Eliot

For today, Carolyn has chosen an excerpt from TS Eliot’s Choruses from “The Rock”

Poem

O weariness of men who turn from God
To the grandeur of your mind and the glory of your action,
To arts and inventions and daring enterprises,
To schemes of human greatness thoroughly discredited,
Binding the earth and the water to the service,
Exploiting the seas and developing the mountains,
Dividing the stars into common and preferred,
Engaged in devising the perfect refrigerator,
Engaged in working out a rational morality,
Engaged in printing as many books as possible,
Plotting of happiness and flinging empty bottles,
Turning from your vacancy to fevered enthusiasm
For nation or race or what you call humanity;
Though you forget the way to the Temple,
There is one who remembers the way to your door:
Life you may evade, but Death you shall not,
You shall not deny the Stranger.

Reflection

This seems a quite a dark poem but one that resonates with many who feel that we are not good stewards, that we are exploiting God’s creation, it also creates in the reading that feeling of being on an ever speeding treadmill, with all the things we drive ourselves to do, when in all reality we just need to love one another.

Prayer

Lord
We ask you to help us to be good stewards,
To love and appreciate the beauty, and abundance of your creation
To avoid the trap we so often fall into, 
That of wanting things now
Of wanting things just right.
Our lives are a journey towards your perfect love.
Help us to enjoy the journey instead of looking at the destination
Amen.

9th December – 2nd Sunday in Advent – Shared Blessings

Tricia has picked today’s poem: Shared Blessings by Duncan Turk

As we continue on our Advent journey,
may we know that God is there.
By the strength of His Spirit,
share our faith with the uncertain;
share our love with the unloved;
share our presence with the lonely;
And share God with everyone,
just as God has shared with us
in the unfading blessing of Jesus Christ.

Reflection

This poem was sent to us by Tricia who says,  “For me this is a reminder amongst all the busyness of preparations at this time of the year that prayer and friendship go hand in hand with those who need that companionship and will receive a blessing as a result.”

Prayer

Loving God,
Our hearts and minds are full of our own needs and desires;
Help us to be open to you that we may share your blessings showered upon us
with those we meet  in these coming Advent days
bringing friendship and companionship.
Amen.

Advent poem for 8th December – Happy Holidays

This poem was sent to me by one of my US friends:

Cleverly  done!!!

Twas the month before  Christmas
When all through our  land,
Not a Christian was  praying
Nor taking a  stand.

Why the PC Police had taken  away
The reason for Christmas - no  one could say.
The children were told by  their schools not to sing
About Shepherds and Wise Men  and Angels and things.
It might hurt people's  feelings, the teachers would say
December 25th is just a '  Holiday'.

Yet the shoppers were ready  with cash, checks and credit
Pushing folks down to the  floor just to get it!
CDs from Madonna, an X BOX, an  I-Pod
Something was changing,  something quite odd!

Retailers promoted Ramadan and  Kwanzaa
In hopes to sell books by  Franken & Fonda.
As Targets were hanging their  trees upside down
At Lowe's the word Christmas -  was no where to be found.

At K-Mart and Staples and  Penny's and Sears
You won't hear the word  Christmas; it won't touch your ears.
Inclusive, sensitive,  Di-ver-si-ty
Are words that were used to  intimidate me.
Now Daschle, Now Darden, Now  Sharpton, Wolf Blitzen
On Boxer, on Rather, on Kerry,  on Clinton!
At the top of the Senate,  there arose such a clatter
To eliminate Jesus, in all  public matter.

And we spoke not a word, as  they took away our faith
Forbidden to speak of  salvation and grace
The true Gift of Christmas was  exchanged and discarded
The reason for the season,  stopped before it started.

So as you celebrate 'Winter  Break' under your 'Dream Tree'
Sipping your Starbucks, listen  to me.
Choose your words carefully,  choose what you say
Shout MERRY  CHRISTMAS, not Happy  Holiday!
Please, all Christians join  together and wish everyone you  meet

MERRY  CHRISTMAS

Christ is The Reason' for the  Christ-mas Season!

Reflection

I always find the most Christian Christmas cards form y US friends because many of the US originated ones are simply “Happy Holidays” in spite of their significant Church attendance. If you haven’t seen these, there’s a link to websites with dozens of Happy Holiday e-mail cards you can send: and if you look at the top of the page of the first one, they are for December!

However, as we read this, we need to think about how many times a news article appears in the media about a council refusing to put up posters that advertise Christmas services, commercial enterprises that start referring to  ‘Wintertide’, and so on, political correctness isn’t just in the States. 

The challenge is at the end of the poem, we should all ensure that we remind people of the real message of Christmas. Carolyn has been into Great Missenden Early Years this week and one very young little boy put his hand up and said

“ Christmas is all about Jesus”

Wise words and ones we need to remember.

Prayer

Lord, 
In the days and weeks ahead
Give us the strength to beat against the tide of commercialism
Give us the faith to challenge political correctness
Give us the hope that will push back secularism
And give us the inner peace to know your love for this world
Amen

Web sites

http://www.123greetings.com/events/happy_holidays/

http://www.jackcards.com/card?refine=Happy+Holidays

Advent poem for 7th December – Christmas is Waiting

Chosen by Carolyn

Poem

Christmas is Waiting

Christmas is waiting to happen
Outside, a vacant hillside
Lies silent, strangely empty
Of any angel’s choir.
A stable waits
For bookings at the inn to multiply.
Distant Kings study charts
And keep gifts in cold storage,
While shepherds plan their memoirs 
In expectancy of unexpected fame
And keep a chapter free 
for miracles.
A small velvet patch
In the black night sky
Stands ready to hold a new born star,
And oppressed people everywhere
Cling wildly to prophecy and song
And whisper the word: Messiah.
They’ve switched on the lights
In Oxford Street,
Counting off the buying days.
Like Guardsmen on parade, 
shops are stocked and standing by,
revving up the engines
of their debt powered swiping machines,
and history watchers mark another year
in the slow count to 3000.
But here an old man lies
In the stairwell where he fell three days ago
And no one knows.
A girl loiters
In a streets unholy halo
To sell the only thing she owns
That men will pay for.
And here an infant sleeps
On a sack on the hard earth floor
Where even a mother’s hand 
is empty
and there are places where Christmas 
is still waiting
to happen. 

Gerard Kelly

Thought

We can get so swept along with our own preparations, that even the appeals that drop through our letterboxes become just junk mail, another begging letter, more recycling. Christmas seems so far away to some people, this year, support the Old Tea Warehouse, think about Save the Children and the awful statistics Sally gave us when she visited a couple of weeks ago and try and spread the spirit of Christmas to those dark forgotten places.

Prayer

Lord
We are all God’s children
We know that we should love our neighbour
Challenge us Lord to help those who are perhaps not loveable,
Who don’t fit into the worthy cause slot,
But who never the less, need to feel your love through the touch of another.
Amen

Advent poem for 6th December – Snowflakes by Longfellow

Carolyn's poem again, Snowflakes by Longfellow

Poem

Snow-Flakes
Out of the bosom of the Air,
Out of the cloud-folds of her garments shaken,
Over the woodlands brown and bare,
Over the harvest-fields forsaken,
Silent, and soft, and slow
Descends the snow.

Even as our cloudy fancies take
Suddenly shape in some divine expression,
Even as the troubled heart doth make
In the white countenance confession,
The troubled sky reveals
The grief it feels.

This is the poem of the air,
Slowly in silent syllables recorded;
This is the secret of despair,
Long in its cloudy bosom hoarded,
Now whispered and revealed
To wood and field.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 

Thought

I read this and immediately thought of Little Hampden, now I hope that we don’t have snow just yet, but it brings to mind the beauty of the snowflakes drifting to earth, a silent poem, that if you stand and look up, surrounds us, touching us lightly, almost as gently as the soft whisper of God’s voice.

There was snow in Little Hampden yesterday morning. Not as much as in the picture below which was taken in 2009

Prayer

Lord
Open our hearts now to hear again your word
To welcome the living Christ
And to reflect on our response to his call

Advent poem for Wednesday 5th December - Advent Calendar

Today's poem, chosen again by Carolyn, is Advent Calendar by Rowan Williams

Poem

Advent Calendar 

He will come like last leaf's fall.
One night when the November wind has flayed the trees to bone, and earth wakes choking on the mould,
the soft shroud's folding.
He will come like the frost.
One morning when the shrinking earth opens on mist, to find itself
arrested in the net
of alien, sword-set beauty.
He will come like dark.
One evening when the bursting red December sun draws up the sheet and penny-masks its eye to yield
the star-snowed fields of sky.
He will come, will come
will come like crying in the night,
like blood, like breaking,
as the earth writhes to toss him free. He will come like child. 

Thought

It seems appropriate to have a poem from Rowan as he leaves his post as Archbishop. Advent is the season of watching and waiting and this reminds us that we have no idea when Christ will come again, so we should watch, wait and be ready.

Prayer

Lord
Help us to see each day as an opportunity
To prepare for your coming
To look for you in the morning mists 
And the eventide
Amen

Tuesday 4th December - Advent by Daniel Berrigan

Chosen by Carolyn again 

Poem

It is not true that creation and the human family are doomed to destruction and loss --
This is true: For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son,
that whoever believes in him, shall not perish, but have everlasting life.

It is not true that we must accept inhumanity and discrimination, hunger and poverty, death and destruction --
This is true: I have come that they may have life, and that abundantly.

It is not true that violence and hatred should have the last word, and that war and destruction rule forever --
This is true: For unto us a child is born, and unto us a Son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder,

And his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, the Everlasting, the Prince of Peace.

It is not true that we are simply victims of the powers of evil who seek to rule the world --
This is true: To me is given authority in heaven and on earth,
and lo, I am with you, even unto the end of the world.

It is not true that we have to wait for those who are specially gifted, who are the prophets of the Church, before we can be peacemakers. This is true: I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,
and your sons and daughters shall prophesy,
your young shall see visions,
and your old shall have dreams.

It is not true that our hopes for the liberation of humanity, for justice, human dignity, and
peace are not meant for this earth and for this history --
This is true: The hour comes, and it is now, that true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth.

So let us enter Advent in hope, even hope against hope. Let us see visions of love and peace and justice.

Let us affirm with humility, with joy, with faith, with courage: Jesus Christ -- the Life of the world.

Thought

In this time of global communication, news travels so fast, and bad news seems to travel faster and further. During the World Wars thousands of men died months before their families were informed. Today we hear of these tragic deaths within hours of them happening.

It can be hard to maintain a sense of perspective, but with the alternating statements in this poem we can maintain a deep sense of hope.

Prayer

Dear Lord

Guide us with your light and your truth

Affirm us with humility, with joy, with faith, and with courage

Amen