Everyday Liturgy

Today We Welcome A King

Thomas — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 20:56:10 +0000

Today we welcome a king. He has come to the earth in a lowly state, but now we throw him a party. He has been born, baptized, prophesied over, taken his first steps, watched his mother cook and his father work and sweat. He might even have an inkling of the poverty that surrounds his family, his community, his nation. He has tasted his first injustice, even though he does not yet know the word to describe it or have the mind to declare it. He has seen blood trickle from a scrapped knee, and the reverberations of human pain resounded in his toddler bones. He has barely grown up, but is big enough to be seen as a member of a fallen race. He is human.

But he is king. A poor, slightly malnourished boy who is approached by mysterious kings. They are oracles, truth tellers, wise ones who know the secrets of the world and the complexity of all things. It only half surprises them that their prophetic journey has led them to this toddler, this budding infant who seems just like every other boy his age.

Accept for the stars. The stars knew better. The prophecies had been foretold. They had the faith to journey into the unknown and courage enough to let the unknown be a little impoverished child.

And still more courage: they had the humility to bestow gifts upon him. This wasn't some mall manger scene. It was a below the poverty line type scenario. A "trailer park" if you will. Yet they bring him gifts not to better himself, not to pull the kid out of a "tight spot" and give him a "better life" but to worship him and give him praise and glory. This wasn't a deed celebrities or rich people do to get mentioned on Entertainment Tonight...this was a humble gift from the greatest of these to the least of these.

The gifts flip the whole world upside down. They are an open admittance that the "haves" of the world can owe everything to a "have not" who has been declared by God the ruler of the world, the eternal King, the Prince of Peace, the Lord of All. They are willing to accept this and do the unthinkable: they give not an offering of pity but one of honor and justice, a justice that recognizes that the first will become last and the last will become first, that the lyrics the little child's mom sang before God would ring true for all peoples in all times.

The king is here. He may not look it. But the stars have spoken, moved by the hand of God. This is him, the king, and we owe him everything.

May all have a blessed Epiphany.

As a little bonus, here is the collect for Epiphany from the Book of Common Prayer:

Almighty God, your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ is the light of the world. May your people, illumined by your word and sacraments, shine with the radiance of his glory, that he may be known, worshipped, and obeyed to the ends of the earth; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Quick Reminder About Twitter!

Thomas — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 14:58:24 +0000

Just wanted to remind everybody that Everyday Liturgy is on Twitter. Follow me at http://www.twitter.com/everydayliturgy.

For those who do not know what Twitter is, it is a tool that enables quick and easy access to short snippets of conversation, such as status updates, quick questions, shared links, or a shout out for ideas or help. It's a hybrid between a message board and Facebook status update with social networking capabilities. Very useful.

Pray for Christians in Gaza

Thomas — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 21:26:51 +0000

It is all too easy for Christians in America to buy into the media's dichotomy of Israeli versus Palestinian fighting as a war between Muslims and Jews. It is all too easy to forget that this is a place that has a sizeable Christian minority, just like Lebanon, but a minority that is overlooked.

Off the Agenda has compiled reports that an Israeli missle hit Gaza Baptist Church and killed 40 in its wake. This is a church that had one of its members martyred last year. Both sides are to blame for this cycle of violence that is killing Christians from all fronts.

So, how should we pray for Gaza?

Pray for peace. That God would protect and encourage the Christians that are mourning lost friends and family or longing to be reunited. And that he would make them bold to persevere in their faith and share the Good News with their neighbors.

We should also have joy that we are building a kingdom that will withstand such persecution.

Pray earnestly that peace would come without the use of violence, that the cycle of retaliation would end.

My Feature on Blogapalooza Tomorrow

Thomas — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 20:57:29 +0000

Tomorrow I will be featured on Middle Zone Musings Blogapalooza. Turn into Middle Zone Musings tomorrow at three o'clock to see the best of Everyday Liturgy from 2008.

Thanks to Robert Hruzek for his work in organizing and encouraging everything!

Call for Materials: Women in Theology

Thomas — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 13:22:09 +0000

For the Spring issue of The Everyday Journal the theme will be women in theology: women writers, pastors, artists, etc. and how they are influencing how we all understand the kingdom.

The following material is needed:

Short articles
Essays (8-10 pages)
Poetry
Memoir
Book/Music/Movie/Art reviews

Please send material to everydayjournal [at] gmail [dot] com by February 28th, 2009. For questions about submissions please read our Submissions page.

Some Random Best Of 2008s

Thomas — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 16:22:52 +0000

Around this time of year everyone comes up with Top 10 lists or Best of lists that form a cohesive substance of critique.

I don't feel like doing that.

So here is just a random list of what I think was the best this year. These may not all be from 2008, but it is the year that I discovered them.

Best Album: Fleet Foxes by Fleet Foxes

Best Movie: Wall-E

Best Radio Show: Wait! Wait! Don't Tell Me!

Best Poetry: Czeslaw Milosz's Second Space

Best Non-Fiction:The Unsettling of America by Wendell Berry

Best Fiction: Washington Irving's Sketchbook

Best Vacation spot: Vermont...North...South...wherever, as long as it is Vermont it is wonderful.

Best Island: Roosevelt Island, Manhattan, New York

Best Fans: Giants Fans

Best Video Game: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Enjoy yourself tonight!

My Article Posted On Emergent Village

Thomas — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 20:20:47 +0000

Hey all, I am still resting my mind and soul as I prolong my Christmas break (it's twelve days, remember?). Just wanted to let you know that my article Liturgy in the Local Community is up on Emergent Village.

Blogging will be light until Epiphany. I will be heading up to the lake country in New Jersey for a few days around secular New Year's Day and enjoying the cold and icy lake.

If you have not yet listened to Advent Songs by Sojourn on Noisetrade.com, I suggest you do. They are songs you can listen to all year long. They are seriously awesome.

I hope this Christmas season is joyous for all, and the remembrance of our Lord's birth is sweet indeed!

A Big Christmas Thank You!

Thomas — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 15:33:29 +0000

To all who read, shared, and used my poems as devotion, liturgy, and worship. Feedback is appreciated.

I will definitely be doing this again next year.

I will be consolidating the poems soon and putting them in a pdf for your enjoyment!

And did I mention feedback is appreciated?

Advent Poem Day 25

Thomas — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 17:15:46 +0000

Christ is light to all,
and his light shines
in the darkness,
and the darkness
is overcome.

We come before you God
and ask for you to shine
your light on this place
and overcome all darkness
with the eternal light of Christ
the true morning star.

Amen.

This is the twenty fifth (and final!) poem in a series of Advent poems on Everyday Liturgy. I am taking Christmas off, as should you!

Advent Poem Day 24

Thomas — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 19:06:07 +0000

O Morning Star! Shining Light! Born to all,

The child of God. Remember us now, Lord,

As we remember you, our own, our flesh,

Our own in want, in hunger and desire,

Remember us when you come again,

As we remember you, our own, our flesh,

Who is flesh, a child born of young Mary,

Born of a woman, born of human kind,

Into our collective trust of a fallen world,

A morning star, bright light, to our darkness.

This is the twenty fourth poem in a series of Advent poems on Everyday Liturgy.