No crying he makes?

FOR GOD’S SAKE GIVE US SOME REALITY.

FOR GOD’S SAKE GIVE US SOME REALITY.

"O Little Town of Bethlehem", today

Nicely rounded explanations
Safe and sanitised solutions
A magic text for every doubt
A definitive answer for every mystery
“There, there everything’s going to be alright.”
FOR GOD’S SAKE GIVE US SOME REALITY.

A woman abused and left used, abused and lonely
A teenage widow behind the love of her life’s coffin
A child whose legs were ripped from his body by landmines
A ten year old township orphan cooking for her little brothers
A father whose child has been found strangled in the forest park
FOR GOD’S SAKE GIVE US SOME REALITY.

A recently wall papered stable
Freshly washed cattle and perfumed straw
A carpenter with extra mural studies in midwifery
Theologically sound eastern stargazing mystics
A perfect little baby “no crying he makes”
FOR GOD’S SAKE GIVE US SOME REALITY.

Impoverished and homeless
Germs breeding in the filth and squalor
A teenage girl screams birth fierce pain
Death squads in the dawn’s first light
Refugees running in fear of their lives
FOR GOD’S SAKE, BORN INTO THE MIDST OF REALITY.

Taken from Steve Stockman's blog, 2009 (http://stocki.typepad.com/)

The Christmas season is one of my favourite times of year, and at the same time the season that causes me the most frustration. Many of us, and I include myself in this, have made negative comments about how Jesus is often forgotten at Christmas. So, then we go to church to celebrate the 'real meaning' of Christmas. This may include a candlelit service, where we sing 18th century hymns and eat mince pies after the service (if we're in Northern Ireland). We also tend to sing about Bethlehem as if it is, and was, a sleepy village. After we have done all this, we leave knowing we have celebrated the real meaning of Christmas.

But, have we? Or, does the verse below describe more accurately what we have celebrated?

A recently wall papered stable
Freshly washed cattle and perfumed straw
A carpenter with extra mural studies in midwifery
Theologically sound eastern stargazing mystics
A perfect little baby “no crying he makes”

FOR GOD’S SAKE GIVE US SOME REALITY.

I crave the reality of the Christmas story.

Impoverished and homeless
Germs breeding in the filth and squalor
A teenage girl screams birth fierce pain
Death squads in the dawn’s first light
Refugees running in fear of their lives
FOR GOD’S SAKE, BORN INTO THE MIDST OF REALITY

It challenges and comforts me to know that Jesus came into the midst of reality. Into a reality similar to many of the people I work with here in Nashville.

Poverty...

Teenage pregnancy...

Perseverance...

Refugees who had to flee their home country...

Don't get me wrong, I love the festive traditions, and I do not believe there is anything wrong with celebrating the birth of Jesus in this way. However, I do believe the problem arises when we are comfortable in these traditions. When we never question them and when we forget about the reality of the Christmas story.

FOR OUR SAKE BORN INTO THE MIDST OF REALITY

Will you...?

Will you come and follow me if I but call your name?

Will you go where you don't know and never be the same?

Will you let my love be shown? Will you let my name be known,

will you let my life be grown in you and you in me?

(The Summons, first verse)

Will I? Yes, with God's help.

For many years we sang 'The Summons' at a service for Christian Unity in my hometown of Larne. This hymn always made me uncomfortable, in a positive sense. I think this discomfort came from the fact that I knew, from a young age, that God was calling me into the unknown. He was calling me to go to a place where I don't know, and where once I had been I would never be the same. When and where this would be, I had no idea.

On 17th August I left the familiar and stepped on a plane to a place I did not know, Nashville, Music City. I was following that call I had been hearing for many years. I say this not to boast about following God's call, that would be foolish. Instead, it is important to recognise that God still calls imperfect people to do his work. Thanks be to God!

This past weekend I got a plane and to yet again fly to a place I do not know. On Thursday evening I flew to Chicago to visit McCormick Theological Seminary (http://mccormick.edu/). Since being in the US, I have become convinced that the next step on my journey into the unknown, is to pursue formal theological education and McCormick is one of the seminaries I am interested in. On Friday I spent time with some of the staff and students at McCormick, which was a great time of genuine fellowship.  I always find it a spiritual experience when fellow human beings share their stories with each other. I was so thankful to be part of this special group of people, even if it was only for a short time. So, if anyone from McCormick is reading this, thank you!

A few photographs from my time in Chicago...

Where I will be after this YAV year, I do not know, only God knows that. In many ways it feels too early to be considering next years options, however many seminary application dates are coming up soon, if they have not already passed. The final verse of the hymn I mentioned at the beginning of this post describes the call I seek to follow, wherever it takes me. 

Lord your summons echoes true when you but call my name.

Let me turn and follow you and never be the same.

In Your company I'll go where Your love and footsteps show.

Thus I'll move and live and grow in you and you in me.