Christmas 2018 - Poetry and the Promise of Light
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"...embrace Christmas but understand it far more deeply than you have to this point. Look at the poetry of it..."
~ Thomas Moore in The Soul of Christmas This online Christmas service includes music and readings from our 2018 Christmas Concert and poetry from our Christmas Eve service. Complete readings from the concert written by Ben Luedcke are available here: 
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O Come, O Come Emmanuel
~ arr. Trevor Manor |
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Waiting
The fine art of waiting. Suspension Holding the long note The fragility of staving off despair Pulling myself back from it's tentacled grasping reach. It's in the breathing In and out Concentrate on that It's in the heartbeat Up and down Focus on that Count sheep Count blessings Name every state you've ever been to Repeat all the verses of every song on Tapestry, in order. Do whatever it takes Not to slip And then slide on the unforgiving green algae to the bottom Or suffocate in the rising water of the Titanic. |
No instruction book came with the packet For surviving grim nights and the trying hours of the soul. I've had to make it up as I go along... Waiting for daylight Waiting. ~ Janet Hasselblad |
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Candlelight Carol
~ arr. John Rutter Katie Kelley, Belle Chenault, Eric Jeffords, Jim Ginn, Jared White |
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It's the Thought that Counts
Myrrh and frankincense and gold-- The first Christmas gifts, or so it’s told. “These’re for the baby,” the kings told her. “This frankincense and gold and myrrh.” Mary nodded and bowed her head. “Thanks—put them there by the manger bed.” But when they were gone, she said to Joe, “Let’s take these back and get the dough. “I’d rather have a little onesie, Or a Teddy bear, or something funsie. Or even a start on the funds for college-- From those wise men, themselves full of knowledge.” But her husband sighed and said to her, “This frankincense and gold and myrrh Aint what we need, but it’s all they had. It’s the thought that counts, for good or bad.” |
Down through the ages, it hasn’t got better; Who wanted a fruitcake or an ugly sweater? And now, it’s all Walmart and Amazon Prime, Or gift cards from Safeway, to save yourself time! The perfect gift of course was love, Conceived in heavenly thought above-- The thought that counts, so wise ones say-- That came to earth on Christmas Day. The love of God to earth come down In that manger bed in Bethlehem town. Gifted by kings from the orient With their gold and myrrh and frankincense. ~ Patricia Kile |
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Jubilate Deo
~ Giovanni Gabrieli |
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Advent
I've had months Of just plain living Settling into the routine of Dealing with life as it comes. And now it's time For evaluation Time to weigh and analyze What has worked? What hasn't? In what ways can my life be Different? In what ways do I Want it different? Who can I become? It is advent The conception of Christ light In my life. As I conceive the Answers to my questions The shining light of Christ Grows in me To be birthed Into my world at Christmas. |
Christmas How joyous How terrifying. The light of perfection beckons. How can I possibly measure up? (Maybe I decry my ability So I won't have to try?) No, the Light is in me already To be born in my life anew My life will change. How fearful to contemplate! I could change my life! Oh Divine spark Coming to lie in the rough straw, Coming forth out of the humble manger of My present life, Divine spark Inflame me! Grow large in my world! ~ Rebecca Alder |
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O Come All Ye Faithful
~ arr. Daniel Forrest |
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Manger
Manger: a feeding trough for sheep, goats, and cows. That’s the best they could do for the new born King? For real? Emmanuel—God with us, The one we hoped for, The one we’ve waited for-- In a barn, not a palace? |
Not sure where they would sleep that night.
The time came, The Anointed One arrived, In a pinch even a barn will do. Child of the Most High God, they called him, Yet, he slept on hay, Not even on a down duvet! Nothing fancy—pedestrian in fact. They laid him in a manger-- A feeding trough for sheep, goats, and cows. It really makes no sense, Yet, the heavens rejoiced, The angels clapped for joy!, Make way for the new born king! What kind of child is this? ~ Patricia Hunter |
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The First Noel
~ arr. Dan Forrest |
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Christmas Eve: Where Christmas and Homecoming Meet
This is the night when joy abounds, When stars shine brightly, And heaven and angels sing. This is the time when we talk of peace And the infancy of hope. And yet, And yet, lurking beyond all that is calm and bright, Is our fear of what is and what is to come, Our fear of the stranger. And whether that stranger is A Spanish-speaking single mother Seeking asylum at San Ysidro, Or an acquaintance calling us On the racism we thought ourselves Well beyond, Whether it is a friend whose change in self-descriptive Pronouns finds us struggling to adjust, Or a hostile teenage girl sleeping on the steps Just beyond these doors. Whether that stranger is in Syria Or White Center, Whether that stranger voted the Other way, Or just sat too close to us on the bus, Talking gibberish, Whoever that stranger might be, We confess that in response we are too often Builders of walls. Yes, the emperor speaks frequently of the need For walls. But we too build them, Hide behind them. Every day. Us. Bethlehem, that romantic little town Of the Christmas story, Is now a walled-in city, With checkpoint, armed soldiers And metal detectors. Christian Pilgrims, visiting the Church of the Nativity, Shop at Palestinian souvenir stores Like the Holy Star Gift Shop, Which is surrounded on three sides by yet another wall Reputedly erected to protect the holy site of Rachel's Tomb. |
Rachel -- mother to all Who was buried by the side of the road In Bethlehem By Jacob When she died in childbirth. Left there To become the one who would Listen to the peoples' sorrows As they were exiled, To intercede for them, To hold their hopes when they could not, And to welcome them When they came home. For anyone who is burdened, She listens still from behind that wall. Tonight, even as we remember the little town Where shepherds were called to be free Of fear And wise ones followed a star To the place where an infant was lauded by angels, Tonight We seek to bring down walls -- In the holy places, In the minds of emperors And in our own hearts. Tonight as we strive to reconcile Our harshest instincts With our deepest calling, May we hear the voice of Rachel Reminding us that we are not alone, Imploring us to lay down our burdens, Welcoming us home. Home to our best selves Home to every stranger, And to one another. Home to that sacred place Where the hopes and fears Of all the years Find common bond. Tonight. ~ Cherry Johnson |
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Magnify the Lord
~ Ruth Elaine Schram |
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Poem
If, as Herod, we fill our lives with things, And again with things; If we consider ourselves so unimportant that we must fill every moment of our lives with action; When will we have the time to make the long, slow journey across the burning desert, as did the Magi? Or sit and watch the stars as did the shepherds? Or brood over the coming of the child, as did Mary? For each of us: There is a desert to travel, A star to discover, And a being within ourselves to bring to life. ~ Archbishop Raymond Hunthausen |
Choose Something Like a Star
O Star (the fairest one in sight), We grant your loftiness the right To some obscurity of cloud-- It will not do to say of night, Since dark is what brings out your light. Some mystery becomes the proud. But to the wholly taciturn In your reserve is not allowed. Say something to us we can learn By heart and when alone repeat. Say something! And it says, 'I burn.' But say with what degree of heat. Talk Fahrenheit, talk Centigrade. Use language we can comprehend. Tell us what elements you blend. It gives us strangely little aid, But does tell something in the end. And steadfast as Keats' Eremite, Not even stooping from its sphere, It asks a little of us here. It asks of us a certain height, So when at times the mob is swayed To carry praise or blame too far, We may choose something like a star To stay our minds on and be staid. ~ Robert Frost |
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Dona Nobis Pacem
~ J.S. Bach |
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The Animals
It's 3 am In December 18 degrees outside Ice and snow Deep on the meadow What's that sound? That tinkling? Reindeer? Really? No Dog tags Otto shakes and paces In Otto-ese that means I need to go out Now! Ugh... Bed is so warm Out there is so cold But Otto insists And we know what happens When we ignore his insistence Pull on pants Sweatshirt Jacket Hat Boots Gloves Outside we go |
Otto sniffs Searches No urgency now So many smells In the ice and snow Must investigate them all Find just the right spot These things take time Frustrating dog! It's 18 degrees Hurry up! Sniff Search Sniff I give in And wait And look up Clear sky No moon Stars everywhere Orion gleams The Milky Way Drips across the heavens This is better than Santa Back in bed Warm Otto is already snoring I'm awake With wonder |
An ancient dog Got me up In the middle of the night And there Amidst my grumblings I found The universe Something similar Happened 200 years ago In a country church Mice in the bellows Broke the organ On Christmas Eve What to do? Sing that new song With guitar Stille Nacht Silent Night Animals At very inconvenient times Show us the universe Introduce us To heavenly peace. ~ Jim Segaar |
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Hodie Christus Natus Est
~ Jans Pieters Sweelinck |
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Blessing
At Seattle First Baptist, we believe that God has not only sent us to bring the good news to the oppressed, the prisoners, and the broken-hearted, but that we are called to bethat light, to be servants of peace and justice. The Promise of Light is not some far-off unseen magical fix to the world’s problems. The Promise of Light is YOU. Take Jesus’ life as a model for how to bring peace: never underestimate the effect of your actions or words. When you feel powerless as the world around you spins out of control, always remember the significance of just showing up and speaking out. In addition to singing praises to God, in our celebration of song we seek to renew our strength as a welcoming community as we go out into the world to serve our neighbors. We hope to inspire you to do the same. Go forth with this message of joy. Go forth with this Promise of Light.
~ Ben Luedcke
~ Ben Luedcke
Music Credits
The Sanctuary Choir
Ben Luedcke, director
Margie Paynton, organist
Instrumentalists:
Jim Ginn, Louanne Lotz, Mark Lotz, Brian Lew, Eli Weinberger, Gabriel Palmer, Lauren Anderson, David McBride, Benn Hansson, Ben Berlien, Karen Sunmark
Ben Luedcke, director
Margie Paynton, organist
Instrumentalists:
Jim Ginn, Louanne Lotz, Mark Lotz, Brian Lew, Eli Weinberger, Gabriel Palmer, Lauren Anderson, David McBride, Benn Hansson, Ben Berlien, Karen Sunmark