+ First, I spent time with Brian Wren's new liturgies for Advent/Christmas/Epiphany. I cherish them as they are grounded, creative, provacative and nourishing all at the same time. We will be using his "Service of Songs and Scripture - Year B" for our late worship this year. I will also be using his short Holy Communion liturgy for our midday Eucharist after the New Year. One of the Eucharistic prayers goes:
Holy One, Holy Three – Spirit, Son and Father – you unfolded time and space and created us to love and be loved, to live on this earth and tend to it for your glory. With all our heart:
We praise you and thank you.
Holy One, Holy Three – Author, Word and Breath – you chose your covenant people and revealed yourself as holy, incomparable and elusive; as liberator, judge and compassionate, forgiving love. With all our heart:
We praise you and thank you.Holy One, Holy Three – Lover, Beloved and Source of All Love – you became human in Jesus, whose love goes beyond our limits, reaching out to good and bad alike and calling us to practice peace, mercy and kindness; to forgive as we have been forgiven; and to love even our enemies. With all our heart:
We praise you and thank you.
+ Second, I played some music at a local nursing home with my buddy Andy. Nursing homes are sad places this time of year ~ sometimes any time of year ~ so it was a little bit of mercy to share the sounds of the season with these dear old friends.To say that it was a hard crowd to work ~ most folk were unreceptive ~ would be an understatement. And for an entertainer that is hard going. But by the end, we were able to create a groove so that some folk were up and dancing and singing along. Hard work but also soul food.
+ Third, Andy and I shared a pint ~ as good Irish men are want to do ~ and talked about the year past and the year to come. I love this guy and he has been so wonderful to me on so many levels. I have grown to care for his family, too ~ I'll have the privilege of celebrating the wedding of his daughter in August. I've played a St. Patrick's gig with his son. And, of course, shared Istanbul with Andy and his dear wife. So this was a little soul food too ~ and the Killian's Red was an unexpected bonus!
Now I'm headed off to eat Mexican with Di before band practice tonight. We're gearing up for some sweet, sweet Christmas Eve music with my church mates ~ and were blessed as well to have the Master of the Universe, the Big Man of the Saxophone himself, Charlie Tokarz joining us. It will be a joy to rehearse with these fine players and plan for this special night. What's more, I just got a note that one of our young seminarians is home from Yale and will join us tomorrow at Eucharist. Then we'll have a chance to connect ~ and spend a few hours in conversation. Dig these lyrics...
Will blast the sky till it’s reborn
With Gabriel’s power and Satchmo’s grace
He will surprise the human race
The trumpet he will use to blow
Is being fashioned out of fire
The mouthpiece is a glowing coal
The bell a burst of wild desire
The trumpet child will riff on love
Thelonious notes from up above
He’ll improvise a kingdom come
Accompanied by a different drum
The trumpet child will banquet here
Until the lost are truly found
A thousand days, a thousand years
Nobody knows for sure how long
The rich forget about their gold
The meek and mild are strangely bold
A lion lies beside a lamb
And licks a murderer’s outstretched hand
The trumpet child will lift a glass
His bride now leaning in at last
His final aim to fill with joy
The earth that man all but destroyed
Today has been the day when Advent's waiting started to shift for me towards the deep, deep joy of Christ's gentle birth: rejoice, rejoice...
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