DAY 36 - CHRISTMAS EVE

Image by Tony Armstrong-Sly

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Celtic Christmas Eve

A GREETING
This is the day that God has made—
let us celebrate with joy!
(Psalm 118:24)

A READING
In the beginning
there was the Word;
the Word was in God’s presence,
and the Word was God.
The Word was present to God
from the beginning.
Through the Word
all things came into being,
and apart from the Word
nothing came into being
that has come into being.
In the Word was life,
and that life was humanity’s light—
a Light that shines in the darkness,
a Light that the darkness has never overtaken.
(John 1:1-5)

MUSIC


A MEDITATIVE VERSE
May your love be upon us, O God, as we place all our hope in you.
(Psalm 33:22)

A POEM
I look; morning to night I am never done with looking.
Looking I mean not just standing around,
but standing around as though with your arms open.
And thinking: maybe something will come, some
shining coil of wind,
or a few leaves from any old tree—
they are all in this too.
And now I will tell you the truth.
Everything in the world
comes.
At least, closer.
And, cordially.
Like the nibbling, tinsel-eyed fish; the unlooping snake.
Like goldfinches, little dolls of gold
fluttering around the corner of the sky
of God, the blue air.
- excerpted from "Where Does the Temple Begin, Where Does it End?,"
found in Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver

BLESSING
Let us go forth today,
In the love of our Creator,
In the strength of our Redeemer,
In the power of our Sustainer,
In the fellowship of witnesses
From every tribe and nation and culture.
Those who are present,
Those from the past,
Those who are yet to come.
Let us go forth today,
United with the Sacred Three,
In harmony with the Holy One,
Compassion in our hearts,
Gratitude in our thoughts,
Generosity in our deeds,
Justice as our passion.
Let us go forth today
Carrying God’s image
Into our hurting world.
from Celtic Advent: Following an Unfamiliar Path
by Christine Aroney-Sine

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"Madonna of the Lakes," a triptych by Irish-Scottish painter John Lavery (1919).
Painted during and after the Great War, Lavery has set Mary in Ireland,
flanked on one side by Patrick and the other by Brigid.
The painting was made for St. Patrick's Church in Northern Belfast
where it can still be found.

On our last day, we imagine St. Brigid transformed into a midwife and sitting at the side of Mary, comforting her just as she would any mother in Kildare. Even if this is not how we typically envision the scene, it can be one way to imagine ourselves into the story. The story is what has endured for more than two thousand years, including the several hundreds of years of the early Middle Ages when monastic life was born and grew in Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales.

In the Celtic tradition, Christmas Eve is a time of storytelling. Prayers are offered for those who have passed out of this world during the previous year, and people gather at their graves at night to lay fresh holly, one of the most important plants for the Celtic winter festivals. Sometimes a door is left unlocked to welcome the spirits of those who are gone, with food and a lit candle for an unexpected neighbour or wayfarer or spirit. This custom of leaving out food and drink was later borrowed for Saint Nicholas and Santa.

The joy we associate with the Christ child and the joy of new Creation are so keenly felt because of the surrounding sorrow and fear. The angels’ call to ‘fear not’ at every step of the nativity journey to Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds, is not just to reassure them in the midst of their startling appearance. It is because they otherwise live in fear. It was true in first-century Bethlehem and it is true in contemporary Bethlehem. It was true in the Middle Ages when the threat of Vikings emerged. It is true for us now in the ways that freedoms and rights are being challenged and threatened in far away places and in places very close to home.

At the same time, these moments are a time to ‘fear not.’ Christ comes to disrupt fear and to fuel our passion for justice, with joy and active hope.

So what happens now? We have listened to the wise and prophetic words of philosophers, scientists and poets who have told us over and over that it is still possible to make a restored world. Advent is over: Jesus is being born once again into our lives. What does it mean to release ‘waiting’ and embody 'hope' in Jesus' name? How can we take the torch being passed to us by our ancestors and all the wise inspiring guides we have listened to -- and walk forward into the light?

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Today marks the end of the LC† Vigil in Hope Celtic Advent devotional. Thank you as always for joining us, and for all of your comments and sharing on Facebook. Gratitude always to Catherine Evenden, Henriette Thompson and Pastor Steve Hoffard for their assistance and companionship along the way.
May the peace of the Christ child bless you this Christmas, and always.
See you in Lent! -- Deacon Sherry.

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Image by Tony Armstrong-Sly

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Scripture passages are taken from The Inclusive Bible.

†

LC† Vigil in Hope is a devotional series of Lutherans Connect, supported by the Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and the Centre for Spirituality and Media at Martin Luther University College. To receive the devotions by email, write to lutheransconnect@gmail.com. The devotional pages are written and curated by Deacon Sherry Coman, with support and input from Pastor Steve Hoffard, Catherine Evenden and Henriette Thompson. Join us on Facebook. Lutherans Connect invites you to make a donation to the Ministry by going to this link on the website of the ELCIC Eastern Synod and selecting "Lutherans Connect Devotionals" under "Fund". Devotions are always freely offered, however your donations help support the ongoing work. 
Thank you and peace be with you!

DAY 35

Image by Gary Robertson

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St. Brigid of Kildare

A GREETING
My heart is ready, God
my heart is ready.
I will sing and make music for you.
(Psalm 57:7)

A READING
Hannah then prayed as follows:
My heart exults in God,
in my God is my strength lifted up.
There is no Holy One like God,
(indeed, there is none but you)
no Rock like our God.
The bow of the mighty has been broken
but those who were tottering
are now braced with strength.
The full fed are hiring themselves out for bread
but the hungry need labour no more.
God makes poor and rich, God humbles and also exalts.
God raises the poor from the dust,
and lifts the needy from the dunghill
to give them a place with princes,
to assign them a seat of honour;
for to God belong the pillars of the earth,
on these God has poised the world.
(1 Samuel 2:1a-2;4-5a;7-8)

MUSIC
Sung in Irish, the lyrics mean "I give praise to Brigid."


A MEDITATIVE VERSE
You will teach me the path of life,
Unbounded joy in your presence,
at your right hand delight forever.
(Psalm 16:11)

A PRAYER
The genealogy of the holy maiden Bride,
Radiant flame of gold, noble foster-mother of Christ.
Bride the daughter of Dugall the brown, Son of Aodh, son of Art,
son of Conn, Son of Crearar, son of Cis, son of Carmac, son of Carruin.
Every day and every night that I say the genealogy of Bride...
No fire, no sun, no moon shall burn me,
No lake, no water, nor sea shall drown me,
No arrow of fairy nor dart of fay [fate] shall wound me,
And I under the protection of my Holy Mary,
And my gentle foster-mother is my beloved Bride.
- found in Charms of the Gaels: Hymns and Incantations,
collected and edited by Alexander Carmichael

VERSE OF THE DAY
Love your friends like your own soul,
protect them like the pupil of your eye.
-- from The Gospel of Thomas, ch. 25,
as found in The Complete Gospels, ed. by Robert J. Miller

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"Saint Bride," by John Duncan (1913).
The painting depicts angels transporting St. Brigid back in time 
to be present as a midwife at the birth of Jesus. 
The garments on the angels include panels depicting the life of Christ.
Brigid is accompanied by a seal and two birds, with the Iona Abbey
barely visible in the lower right, locating the painting in the Outer Hebrides.
The original work is in the Scottish National Gallery in Ediburgh.
A copy hangs at Iona Abbey.

Brigid is the third of the three monastic figures commonly referred to as the patron saints of Ireland (with Patrick and Columba) and possibly the one most diversely remembered. She was said to be the daughter of an enslaved woman whom tradition says gave birth to her while crossing through a doorway with a bucket of milk. This birth has given her the significance of being one who is connected to boundary places and thresholds -- important in Celtic spirituality. Cogitosus, a monk from the order at Kildare that she eventually founded, is credited with writing the first biography of a saint, by recording her life in the mid-seventh century.

Brigid was known for her great motherly compassion for all on the margins. She would provide milk for the poor and those living with leprosy, from cows that offered a flow far beyond what they would normally produce. She sheltered animals and had a special connection with foxes. She is associated with thresholds, and the 'thin veil' between this world and the next. Brigid is often compared to and associated with Mary the mother of Jesus.

The early Celtic Christians believed that in the eyes of God, all of history and time were happening at once. Therefore, an early and enduring folklore about Brigid is that God was able to send her back in time to be present at the birth of Jesus, acting as a midwife. Falling into a slumber, angels transport her back to the side of Mary herself in labour. John Duncan's 1913 painting "Saint Bride," depicts this moment: Brigid is both asleep and spiritually alert, her hands pointed upward in prayer. The angels who carry her have wings that become feathers, blending with Creation. A seal and two birds provide an animal accompaniment to the three holy figures.

Reaching further back in time, just over a thousand years before the scene of the nativity, we find Hannah the mother of Samuel the prophet who, having had a miracle child after protracted childlessness, breaks into song. Hannah and Mary have much in common: Hannah tithes her son to a lifetime of service in the temple; Mary must give Jesus up to God's plan. Hannah's song is echoed in Mary's Magnificat. The response of both women to having unexpected new life within -- is to praise what God is going to accomplish through the prophecy of their children.

The response to abundance is gratitude. As we near the end of Celtic Advent, how can we dive deeply into our own gratitude? Alongside our appreciation for family and the material goods of our lives, how can we find and lift up our gratitude that Jesus chose to become one of us?

St. Brigid is on her way to Bethlehem. How can we join her in our hearts -- and in our hope?

Image by Ian Woodhead

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Scripture passages are taken from The New Jerusalem Bible.

†

LC† Vigil in Hope is a devotional series of Lutherans Connect, supported by the Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and the Centre for Spirituality and Media at Martin Luther University College. To receive the devotions by email, write to lutheransconnect@gmail.com. The devotional pages are written and curated by Deacon Sherry Coman, with support and input from Pastor Steve Hoffard, Catherine Evenden and Henriette Thompson. Join us on Facebook. Lutherans Connect invites you to make a donation to the Ministry by going to this link on the website of the ELCIC Eastern Synod and selecting "Lutherans Connect Devotionals" under "Fund". Devotions are always freely offered, however your donations help support the ongoing work. 
Thank you and peace be with you!

DAY 34

Image by Michael Matti

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'Modranecht' and St. Hilda

A GREETING
My soul [magnifies] your greatness, O God,
and my spirit rejoices in you, my Saviour.
(Luke 1:46)

A READING
Your mercy reaches from age to age
for those who fear you.
You have shown strength with your arm;
you have scattered the proud in their conceit;
you have deposed the mighty from their thrones
and raised the lowly to high places.
You have filled the hungry with good things.
(Luke 1:50b-53)

MUSIC


A MEDITATIVE VERSE
I will send forth my teaching like prohecy,
and will it to future generations.
(Sirach 24:32)

A PRAYER
And now I yearn for justice;
like an infant that cries for the breast,
and cannot be pacified,
I hunger and thirst for oppression to be removed,
and to see the right prevail.

So while I live I will seek your wisdom oh God;
while I have strength to search, I will follow her ways.
For her words are like rivers in the desert;
she is like rain on parched ground,
like a fountain whose waters fail not.

Then shall my soul spring up like grass,
and my heart recover her greenness;
and from the deepest places of my soul
shall flow streams of living water.
- a prayer of the St. Hilda Community,
- found in The Flowering of the Soul: A Book of Prayers by Women,
edited by Lucinda Vardey

VERSE OF THE DAY
From this day forward all generations will call me blessed.
(Luke 1:48)

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"The 47 Most Wanted Foremothers," by Outi Pieski (2019),
found as part of her installation, Rematriation of a Ládjogahpir—Return to Máttaráhkká" (2022),
mounted at the Bonniers Konsthall gallery in Stockholm, Sweden in February - April, 2022. 
Pieski is a Sámi-Finnish artist. The Ládjogahpir is a traditional Sámi women's head garment.
Screenshot of a photo by Jean-Baptiste Béranger

The festival of modranecht is described by Venerable Bede, an eighth-century historian, in his book "On the Reckoning of Time." In that work, he tries to make sense of the various traditions of measuring time that had converged in the Northumbria region of England. (It is from Bede that we get 'Anno Domini.') Modranecht means 'night of the mothers' in Anglo-Saxon. It closely followed the solstice and was a time of celebrating ancestral mothers and goddess figures, not only human beings, but in nature as well. According to Bede, the precise date for this festival was December 25th. Christmas had been set down on that date also in the early 4th century in Rome. The two feast days had coincidental dates -- but venerating the feminine principle and its capacity to generate life seemed to flow between the two, as it did also among the early Celtic Christians who had fallen in love with Mary, mother of Jesus.

One Celtic Christian mothering figure of this time is Hilda, who established a double monastery for women and men. Hilda continues to inspire communities in her name in England. In the prayer of the St. Hilda Community above, Wisdom is invoked in verses that sound very similar to Saturday's concluding verses of Sirach 24. Wisdom is equated with teaching that will flow out in watery ways 'like prophecy,' but which here more than in Sirach, strongly focus on justice. Modranecht and Hilda's prayerful communities (then and now) hold a profound yearning for the restoration of the world, something we hear echoed in Mary's song, the Magnificat.

Northumbria in northeast England in this era, had something in common with Nazareth in the Galilee, in that it was a melting pot of peoples coming and going from other places. Later in this same century the Vikings would arrive and start an era of terror. Today's music looks ahead in the biblical story to the suffering of mothers that will take place at the hand of Herod. It describes the cry of the mothers of the Innocents lost to Herod's purge. Then and now, in places where there is danger from war and strife, mothers sing to comfort and/or mourn their children -- and they endure.

Who are the mothering women in your life who first taught you the true meaning of Christ's coming? And who are the ones that have been present to you through times of struggle?

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Image by Michael Matti

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Scripture passages are taken from The Inclusive Bible.

†

LC† Vigil in Hope is a devotional series of Lutherans Connect, supported by the Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and the Centre for Spirituality and Media at Martin Luther University College. To receive the devotions by email, write to lutheransconnect@gmail.com. The devotional pages are written and curated by Deacon Sherry Coman, with support and input from Pastor Steve Hoffard, Catherine Evenden and Henriette Thompson. Join us on Facebook. Lutherans Connect invites you to make a donation to the Ministry by going to this link on the website of the ELCIC Eastern Synod and selecting "Lutherans Connect Devotionals" under "Fund". Devotions are always freely offered, however your donations help support the ongoing work. 
Thank you and peace be with you!

DAY 33 - THE LONGEST NIGHT

Image by Tony Armstrong-Sly

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The Longest Night

A GREETING
My soul is weary with sorrow;
strengthen me according to your word.
(Psalm 119:28)

A READING
Now I know your word is a lamp for my steps,
for the path just ahead of me.
My eyes greet the night watches
in meditation on your promise.
(Psalm 119:105;148)

MUSIC


A MEDITATIVE VERSE
When you pass through the seas, I will be with you;
when you pass over the rivers, you will not drown.
Walk through fire, and you will not be singed;
walk through flames and you will not be burned.
(Isaiah 43:2)

A REFLECTION
The presence and experience of colour is at the very heart of human life. In a sense, we are created for a life full of color. It is no accident that we abandon the world when the colours vanish... Night is the land where all the outer colours sleep. We awaken and return to the world when the colours return at dawn. There is a beautiful word in Irish for this: luisne -- the first blush of light before dawn breaks.
- from "Beauty, The Invisible Embrace," by John O'Donohue

A BLESSING
To all that is chaotic
in you,
let there come silence.

Let there be
a calming
of the clamoring,
a stilling
of the voices that
have laid their claim
on you,
that have made their
home in you,

that go with you
even to the
holy places
but will not
let you rest,
will not let you
hear your life
with wholeness
or feel the grace
that fashioned you...

Let there be
an opening
into the quiet
that lies beneath
the chaos,
where you find
the peace
you did not think
possible
and see what shimmers
within the storm.
- from "Epiphany 4: Blessing in the Chaos" by Jan Richardson,
found on paintedprayerbook.com

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"Street Light," by Giacomo Balla (1910-11)
The painting was made when electric street lamps were new
and being installed in Rome where the artist lived.
The piece participates in the 'Futurism' movement in art
which sought to glorify innovative technologies.
How does this work challenge/compliment the idea of Christ in all things?

Today is the winter solstice, in which those of us in the northern hemisphere experience the longest night of the year. In many traditions, services are held on the longest night in solidarity with those for whom Christmas is a difficult time of the year, due to separation from loved ones, loneliness, poverty, and many other realities.

In much of the northernmost part of the planet, today will have no sun at all. The Polar Night, in which there is continuous darkness, has been underway for most of this month. There is currently no daylight in Tuktoyaktuk, in the Northwest Territories, and there won’t be until January 13th. On that day, the sun will be up for half an hour.

The Celtic people prepared for the season and knew its nature. From year to year, a log was saved to rekindle, creating a new fire that would burn through the darkness. The Yule log allowed a means for keeping warm, and for doing tasks and chores that had to continue in the dark.

Jesus understands darkness, it is a part of his life. Jesus is born into chaos and violence and Jesus dies that way too. These framing realities do not alter his purpose or his commitment to bringing love to the world. Love lives in darkness, love lives in light. Jesus comes into all of it to bring his whole self to us, so that we may know him — in darkness, in light and in all the shades between. The birth of Jesus reminds us that we never have to be alone within our own internal pain, temptation or isolation. Jesus has experienced suffering and his love is always with us.

In today's music, we hear African-American composer Mark Miller's song, "I Choose Love," co-written with Lindy Thompson. In the video, a solo dancer is followed by a duet, as if to show that while we struggle alone, we are never actually alone: God holds us and carries us, sometimes through the activity of the people who surround us. Our lives in community are a dance in which sometimes we need support and sometimes we are there to support others. As you watch, reflect on the times when you have been either of these -- the solo dancer, or the dancer who comes in behind to support and accompany.

On this longest night, what is the anguish that Jesus is holding with you? How can you feel his strength as you move forward together, one love-drenched dance at a time?

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Image by Uwe Jungherr

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Scripture passages are taken from The Inclusive Bible.

†

LC† Vigil in Hope is a devotional series of Lutherans Connect, supported by the Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and the Centre for Spirituality and Media at Martin Luther University College. To receive the devotions by email, write to lutheransconnect@gmail.com. The devotional pages are written and curated by Deacon Sherry Coman, with support and input from Pastor Steve Hoffard, Catherine Evenden and Henriette Thompson. Join us on Facebook. Lutherans Connect invites you to make a donation to the Ministry by going to this link on the website of the ELCIC Eastern Synod and selecting "Lutherans Connect Devotionals" under "Fund". Devotions are always freely offered, however your donations help support the ongoing work. 
Thank you and peace be with you!

DAY 32

Image by Capt. Spaulding

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Celtic Soul Friendship or Anam Cara

A GREETING
My heart is ready, O God,
my heart is ready;
I will sing and play for you.
(Psalm 57:7)

A READING
“And I, I was like a stream branching off a river,
like a waterway running through a field
I said, ‘I will water my garden,
soak my flower beds.’
And behold! My waterway became a stream
and my stream became a river.
Once again I will send forth my teachings, shining
like the dawn,
that its light may be viewed far and wide.
I will send forth my teaching like prohecy,
and will it to future generations.
Let it be known that I have not toiled just for myself,
but for all who thirst for wisdom.
(Sirach 24:28-33)

MUSIC


A MEDITATIVE VERSE
No matter how many promises God has made, they are “yes” in Christ.
(2 Corinthians 1:20)

A REFLECTION
The love in you—which is the Spirit in you—always somehow says yes. Love is not something you do; love is something you are. It is your True Self. Love is where you came from and love is where you’re going. It’s not something you can buy. It’s not something you can attain. It’s the presence of God within you, called the Holy Spirit or what some theologians name uncreated grace.
- from The Divine Dance: The Trinity and Your Transformation
by Richard Rohr and Mike Morrell

PRAYER FOR THE DAY
Kindliness be in my gaze,
Gentleness be in my speech,
Humility be in my step,
Love be in my heart,
The Spirit of God be in my soul.
- Scottish Gaelic prayer from the West Highlands and Hebrides,
found in Charms of the Gaels: Hymns and Incantations,
collected and edited by Alexander Carmichael

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"Young Girls," by Amrita Sher-Gill (1932)
Sher-Gill was the first woman and first Asian person to
be accepted into the Paris Salon in 1933. This painting
won the gold medal for that year.

Today's music may seem like an odd selection to find more than a week before the new year. But in its Scottish context, the song is sung at weddings and funerals all year long and anywhere that old relationships are missed and remembered and held up for the gifts they had offered.

An aspect of early Celtic Christian life was the soul friendship or anam cara. Soul friends upheld each other’s spiritual wellbeing, offering support and encouragement. The relationships were typically born out of mentorship and teaching but went on to become friendships that held up over decades and often through long separations. It was such an expected part of Celtic Christianity that St. Brigid (whom we will soon get to know) used to require her monastic sisters to "go forth and eat nothing until you get a soul friend." These partnerships were unlike any other: they were expected to last one's entire life, a kinship deeply felt even when apart. An essential aspect of these connections was freedom: each person lived their life according to their own journey - wherever it may take them. The connection survived long absences and geographic distance. They endured because they offered what no other kind of relationship could; they were thought to have their own innate holiness.

One such friendship has been already named in Saint Ita and Brendan the Navigator (see Days 23 and 29). St Columba (who founded the community at Iona) and St Baithéne mac Brénaind had such a connection. These relationships worked across gender and status and defied social classifications. At their heart they entwined prayer and mission, were outward focused in work but inwardly intimate. These friendships occupied a 'threshold,' a liminal space in which the profound love offered sought to enliven the spirit and affirm spiritual growth as a relational experience more than as the outcome of solitary piety.

Amrita Sher-Gill's Young Girls was painted when the artist was just nineteen. Born in Budapest in the early twentieth century to a Sikh aristocrat and an Hungarian-Jewish opera singer, she went to art school in Paris. There her mixed racial identity was a focus and tension in her work, which often represented relationships of intersectionality. In the painting above, a South Asian woman and a European woman sit in close connection. The relaxed engagement points to an intimacy as friends that defied the social norms of its time. In her short life (she died at 28), Sher-Gill painted many works that were of cross-cultural deep friendship among women.

As we take one final look at both Richard Rohr and Sirach 24, we can hear how much Wisdom is expressed through teaching, and through a love embodied as kindness. In the Celtic worldview, kindness is not just a gesture, it is a covenantal way of being.

With whom do you feel a deep kinship and covenantal commitment to kindness? How can you show your appreciation of that person today?

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Image by Capt. Spaulding

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Scripture passages are taken from The Inclusive Bible.

†

LC† Vigil in Hope is a devotional series of Lutherans Connect, supported by the Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and the Centre for Spirituality and Media at Martin Luther University College. To receive the devotions by email, write to lutheransconnect@gmail.com. The devotional pages are written and curated by Deacon Sherry Coman, with support and input from Pastor Steve Hoffard, Catherine Evenden and Henriette Thompson. Join us on Facebook. Lutherans Connect invites you to make a donation to the Ministry by going to this link on the website of the ELCIC Eastern Synod and selecting "Lutherans Connect Devotionals" under "Fund". Devotions are always freely offered, however your donations help support the ongoing work. 
Thank you and peace be with you!

DAY 31

Image by SC

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The Celtic Joseph

A GREETING
I will praise your Name in song,
and glorify you with thanksgiving.
(Psalm 69:30)

A READING
“Come near, all you who yearn
to eat heartily of my fruit;
you will be reminded that I am sweeter than honey,
more precious than the honeycomb.
Once you feed on me, you’ll yearn for more;
once you drink of me, you’ll thirst for more.
(Sirach 24:18-20)

MUSIC


A MEDITATIVE VERSE
Serve one another in works of love, since the whole of the Law
is summarized in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
(Galatians 5:14)

A REFLECTION
I think the simplest way to discern the presence of the Spirit is to look for where there is unity, where there’s movement toward reconciliation, for two becoming one, for enemies becoming friends. The Spirit self has no need to think of itself as better than anyone. We just live with an energy and aliveness that Paul called the fruit of the Spirit: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22–23). Our job is simply to stay inside the flow of the Spirit which is love.
- adapted from Richard Rohr, The Divine Dance: Exploring the Mystery of Trinity,
found in "Transforming Spirit," a blog post on the website of the Center for Action and Contemplation.

VERSE FOR THE DAY
So since we live by the Spirit, let us follow her lead.
(Galatians 5:25)

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"Glassy apples," by Mary Pratt (1994)

The image of "fruit trees" appears frequently in the biblical story, often associated with God's continued provision of abundance which never ends. It is also offered as a sign of consolation in times of restoration as when God promises in Ezekiel 36 that there will be fruits of the tree after the famine of the nations, or when in Joel 2, God reassures the soil and the animals and the children of Zion that life will be renewed for them. Fruit trees in the New Testament are mostly symbolic, acting as a metaphor for righteousness and the lack thereof (see Matthew 7). The exception is Revelation, where fruit trees form an essential part of the vision of new creation.

There is no specific mention of the 'cherry tree' in the canon of Scripture, but in a text known as Pseudo-Matthew, there is a nativity story in which the unborn Jesus commands his father to pluck cherries from a tree for his mother. In the verses of today's carol, which captures that story, Mary and Joseph are en route to Bethlehem. Mary is hungry and asks Joseph to get her cherries from the tree. He denies her twice. Jesus speaks from the womb to Joseph and makes the command, and Joseph suddenly understands that the request is bigger than what he thought.

The early Celtic Christians identified strongly with the figure of Joseph. To them he embodied a hidden holiness and a deep and generous hospitality -- a primary Celtic value. They saw in Joseph a companion of the 'peregrinatio,' the oarless wandering voyage that is led by God's call. He is visited by an angel a remarkable three times in the Matthew nativity story: once to be told the news of the coming birth, once to be told to flee to Egypt, and once again after Herod's death when it is time for them to return again. Joseph remains open to God's messengers: from the midst of his uncertainty and fear, he is able to receive and hear them when they draw close. They trust Jesus to his care. And he trusts in God's desire for him. It is with that courage that he is able to walk out of the darkness of the future and into the glory of the present. Joseph is a Celtic hero.

Within each of us, God plants, nurtures and enables the seeds of our transformation which become the fruits of our faith. When we respond to God's call with humility, patience, and openness, we help renew the world and ourselves. Its no wonder that the Celtic imagination often experienced fruit as the site of divine 'shimmering' energy. The root of the word for 'almond blossom' means 'to waken,' 'to watch.'

As we stay awake and watch for the coming of Jesus, and as we move into the longest nights of the year, how can the Celtic Joseph help us remember to trust God, listen to the Spirit's calling in us, and have patience and courage? What will be the fruit of our Advent faith?

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Image by Charlie Marshall

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Scripture passages are taken from The Inclusive Bible.

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LC† Vigil in Hope is a devotional series of Lutherans Connect, supported by the Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and the Centre for Spirituality and Media at Martin Luther University College. To receive the devotions by email, write to lutheransconnect@gmail.com. The devotional pages are written and curated by Deacon Sherry Coman, with support and input from Pastor Steve Hoffard, Catherine Evenden and Henriette Thompson. Join us on Facebook. Lutherans Connect invites you to make a donation to the Ministry by going to this link on the website of the ELCIC Eastern Synod and selecting "Lutherans Connect Devotionals" under "Fund". Devotions are always freely offered, however your donations help support the ongoing work. 
Thank you and peace be with you!

DAY 30

Image by Stephen Ros

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Celtic Practice of Solitude

A GREETING
In God alone my soul finds rest,
for my deliverance comes from God.
(Psalm 62:1)

A READING
I have put down roots among an honored people,
selected to be God’s portion.
There I flourished like a cedar of Lebanon,
as a cypress on Mount Hermon;
there I grew like the date palm of Engedi
and the roses of Jericho,
like an olive tree in the orchards,
a plane tree growing tall.
I exuded aromas like cinnamon and acacia,
like sweet balm, precious myrrh,
galbanum, and gum resin,
like burning incense in the tabernacle.
I spread my branches Like a terebinth,
branches heavy with grace and beauty.
I put out graceful shoots like a vine;
my blossoms bear fruit of honor and wealth.
(Sirach 24:12-17)

MUSIC

A MEDITATIVE VERSE
I searched for a place to rest among all these places,
where would I dwell among all of creation?
(Sirach 24:7)

A REFLECTION
The simplest spiritual discipline is some degree of solitude and silence. But it’s the hardest, because none of us want to be with someone we don’t love. Besides that, we invariably feel bored with ourselves, and all of our loneliness comes to the surface. Silence is the ability to trust that God is acting, teaching, and using me — even before I perform, or after my seeming failures. Silence is the necessary space around things that allows them to develop and flourish without my pushing. God takes it from there.
- adapted from Radical Grace: Daily Meditations
by Richard Rohr

PRAYER FOR THE DAY
For the might of your wind on the waters
For the swelling of the open sea
and the rushing of crested waves
thanks be to you oh God.
For the strength of desire in my body
for the sap of life that flows
and the yearnings for birth and abundance
thanks be to you.
Restore me in the image of your love this day
that the longings of my heart may be true.
Restore me in the image of your love this day
that my passions for life may be full.
- from Celtic Benediction: Morning and Night Prayer
by J. Philip Newell

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"Stormy Weather, Georgian Bay" (1921)
by Frederick Varley

"When the dark wood fell before me, and all the paths were overgrown. When the priests of pride say there is no other way, I tilled the sorrows of stone.”

These are the lyrics of Loreena McKennitt’s song called Dante’s Prayer, inspired by a journey she made by train across Siberia while reading the Italian poet Dante’s poem Inferno. McKennitt’s strong affinity with Celtic spirituality and music has led her to write and record many songs in the Celtic tradition. “When the dawn seemed forever lost,” is another lyric, and later, "please remember me." How many times have we laid awake at night, wondering if God remembers us?

As we move toward the solstice in a few days, the shortest days are a good invitation to sit with our inner selves in the long nights. The emotional anguish and mental health challenges that we experience are born out of lived experience in our bodies. We carry our histories around in our bodies like turtles. We carry our ancestors and their wisdom, and we also carry the body memory of the pain and challenges they bore. We may feel sometimes like we don't even understand why we have the feelings or responses we do. We just have them. All of this can feel especially true at this time of year.

The meditative verse above from Sirach 24:7 carries over from yesterday's text, but in a different translation/version. The Inclusive Bible emphasizes how much 'Wisdom' is looking for a place to rest and find peace and stillness. The verse emphasizes the understanding that true rest comes from dwelling in Creation.

Peace and repose are part of the Celtic way of being with God, and of overcoming our own inner darkness. Many of us have already understood in our own lives that being in Creation is indeed being with God. But how much do we stop to think about ourselves as part of that Creation? When the tide of a lake gently rolls to our feet over sand and rocks, do we think of the water as meeting another part of nature in us? Or do we see ourselves as separate, just enjoying the watery light?

Noted Franciscan priest and spiritual writer Richard Rohr teaches us that our hardest confrontation in silence might be with ourselves: our loneliness, boredom and fears about worthiness. We can be assured that God meets us there. Some of us choose solitary lives. Others enjoy brief moments of respite and peace in otherwise busy days. While still others may feel lonely most of the time - with too much of the disquieting 'peace' that Rohr speaks of. All of these belong to God. The solitary tree in a vast open space may have nothing to protect it from rain or wind, and no one to see its beauty. But God dwells there.

Who in your world might be feeling like that tree? How can you reach out in Advent hope to make this day just a bit easier? If you are that tree, how can you feel remembered by God, held in God's embrace and cherished always?

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Image by Paul

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Scripture passages are taken from The Inclusive Bible.

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LC† Vigil in Hope is a devotional series of Lutherans Connect, supported by the Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and the Centre for Spirituality and Media at Martin Luther University College. To receive the devotions by email, write to lutheransconnect@gmail.com. The devotional pages are written and curated by Deacon Sherry Coman, with support and input from Pastor Steve Hoffard, Catherine Evenden and Henriette Thompson. Join us on Facebook. Lutherans Connect invites you to make a donation to the Ministry by going to this link on the website of the ELCIC Eastern Synod and selecting "Lutherans Connect Devotionals" under "Fund". Devotions are always freely offered, however your donations help support the ongoing work. 
Thank you and peace be with you!

DAY 29

Image by Jason Boldero

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The Celtic Trinity

A GREETING
Create a clean heart for me, God;
put a new, faithful spirit deep inside me!
(Psalm 51:10)

A READING
Wisdom will praise herself,
and she will boast in the midst of her people.
In the assembly of the Most High,
she will open her mouth,
and in the presence of
God's heavenly forces, she will boast:
“I came forth from the mouth
of the Most High,
and I covered the earth like a mist.
I lived in the heights,
and my throne was in a pillar of cloud.
I alone encircled the vault of heaven
and walked in the depths of abysses.
In the waves of the sea and in every land,
and among every people and nation,
I led the way.
I sought a resting place
among all of these.
In whose allotted territory
should I make my home?
(Sirach 24:1-7)

MUSIC


A MEDITATIVE VERSE
The mouths of the righteous recite wisdom;
their tongues discuss justice.
(Psalm 37:30)

A POEM
We, unaccustomed to courage
exiles from delight
live coiled in shells of loneliness
until love leaves its high holy temple
and comes into our sight
to liberate us into life.
- from "Touched by an Angel" by Maya Angelou

A PRAYER FOR THE DAY
Thanks be to Thee, Jesus Christ,
Who brought’st me up from last night,
To the gladsome light of this day,
To win everlasting life for my soul,
Through the blood Thou didst shed for me.
Praise be to Thee, O God, for ever,
For the blessings Thou didst bestow on me:
My food, my speech, my work, my health...
O Christ of the wounds!
Give me wisdom along with Thy grace.
May the Holy One claim me,
And protect me on sea and on land.
 from Charms of the Gaels: Hymns and Incantations,
collected and edited by Alexander Carmichael

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"Scorned of timber; beloved of the sky," by Emily Carr (1935)

The book of Sirach, also known as Ben Sira or Ecclesiasticus, was a popular book of wisdom in the first and second centuries BCE for educational purposes and, despite being originally written in Hebrew, was circulated largely in Greek, thanks to Sirach’s grandson, who is responsible for assembling it and publishing it. A lengthy prologue by the grandson explains all this, with an apology for any gaps in translation. From today until Saturday, we will reflect on the 24th chapter of Sirach, which celebrates Creation and Wisdom.

In today’s reading, the beginning verses of Sirach 24 speak in the voice of Wisdom, who identifies herself with having been born from the mouth of God, and then covering the earth "like a mist.” The verses go on to use images of creation to establish how Wisdom grew and became strong and imbued all aspects of life. Here Wisdom is identified within the divine presence of God, that fills every created thing with its own knowledge.

In this chapter, Wisdom is also associated with aspects of the Holy Trinity. Wisdom characterizes herself in many incarnations, in which she 'comes from the mouth of God,' 'walks the earth,' and 'dwells in the clouds.' Although Sirach pre-dates Jesus, the idea of Wisdom as an embodied 'Word' that comes from God -- was not new.

The early Celtic Christians loved the Trinity and often invoked it in daily life, as much as in ritual or worship. This preoccupaton developed into a passion for 'threeness.' Saint Ita (whom we visited in Day 22), who was the great educator, was visited early in her life by a dream in which she was given three stones. She understood the stones to be the Trinity of God. The stones appeared to her throughout her life to provide direction and guidance. St. Brendan, her pupil, friend and anam cara, is reputed to have asked her what was most pleasing to God. She replied that God loved three things: a pure heart of faith, a grateful spirit, and a compassionate generous nature. This way of grouping values together has been referred to as the Celtic practice of "three essential things."

Sirach 24 holds some common ground with John 1, which is often associated with the birth of Jesus and the coming of the incarnated Christ. Wisdom leads the way and is entwined like a Celtic knot with the Word. What are the "three essential things" or ways that the Trinity moves in your own life? How much can you recommit yourself to those values as we wait for the coming of Jesus?

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Image by Jason Boldero

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Scripture passages are taken from The Common English Bible.

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LC† Vigil in Hope is a devotional series of Lutherans Connect, supported by the Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and the Centre for Spirituality and Media at Martin Luther University College. To receive the devotions by email, write to lutheransconnect@gmail.com. The devotional pages are written and curated by Deacon Sherry Coman, with support and input from Pastor Steve Hoffard, Catherine Evenden and Henriette Thompson. Join us on Facebook. Lutherans Connect invites you to make a donation to the Ministry by going to this link on the website of the ELCIC Eastern Synod and selecting "Lutherans Connect Devotionals" under "Fund". Devotions are always freely offered, however your donations help support the ongoing work. 
Thank you and peace be with you!

DAY 28

Image by Linton Snapper

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The Lindisfarne Gospels

A GREETING
Send forth your light and your truth—
let them guide me,
let them bring me to your holy mountain,
to your dwelling place.
(Psalm 43:3)

A READING
Who has the right to enter your tent, O God,
or to live on your holy mountain?
Those who conduct themselves with integrity
and work for justice,
who speak the truth from their heart
and do not use their tongues for slander,
who do not wrong their neighbors
and cast no discredit on their friends,
who look with contempt on the corrupt
but honor those who revere God,
who always keep their promises
even when it hurts,
who don’t demand interest on loans
and cannot be bribed to exploit the innocent.
If people do these things,
nothing can ever shake them.
(Psalm 15)

MUSIC


A MEDITATIVE VERSE
I, because of your great love,
will enter your House;
I will worship in your holy Temple
in awe and reverence.
(Psalm 5:7)

A POEM
In winter's house there's a room
that's pale and still as mist in a field
while outside in the street every gate's shut firm,
every face as cold as steel.

In winter's house there's a bed
that is spread with frost and feathers, that gleams
in the half-light like rain in a disused yard
or a pearl in a choked-up stream.

In winter's house there's a child
asleep in a dream of light that grows out
of the dark, a flame you can hold in your hand
like a flower or a torch on the street.

In winter's house there's a tale
that's told of a great chandelier in a garden,
of fire that catches and travels for miles,
of all gates and windows wide open.

In winter's house there's a flame
being dreamt by a child in the night,
in the small quiet house at the turn in the lane
where the darkness gives way to light.
"In Winter's House," by Jane Draycott
first published by commission in The Guardian, Dec. 18, 2010.

PRAYER FOR THE DAY
Door of the Sheepfold,
Water of the Well of life,
True Bread that satisfies all hunger,
True Word that nourishes the heart,
May we follow the mystery
of Cuthbert's faith and passion,
as they placed their footsteps
in the way of the Good Shepherd.
- found on the website of the Scotland Churches Trust


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The Chi Rho Iota page of the Lindisfarne Gospels,
which opens the Gospel of Matthew. (Click to enlarge.)
The letters include entwined creatures and plants
inextricably woven into the Greek name for Christ,
and coming at the start of the Matthew geneology of Jesus,
linking Jesus, his ancestors, and all of Creation.

Psalm 15, offered here in its entirety, imagines a holy hill or temple where the people considered most righteous could gather. The psalm suggests that only those most showing the named virtues would be deserving of such a place. The early Benedictine communities who formed monasteries all over northern Europe and in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, recited this psalm as part of their daily office. In our own reading of it today, we might see it as a theological guide for how we all might best lead our lives, while also believing that Christ becomes one of us -- for all people. The verse from Psalm 5 helps us think this way.

The Holy Island of Lindisfarne lies off the Northumberland coast in northeast England, not far from the border with Scotland. It was here that the monk Aidan arrived in 634 CE with a small band of monks and set up a monastery on a 'perilous' precipice near a sheer drop to the sea. Although it was believed to exist somewhere on the island, this original site was only discovered in 2017, along with a signalling tower, most likely used to send flares across to the mainland when something significant had happened. Aidan was eventually succeeded by Cuthbert later in the same century. Aidan had been formed by Columba and the monks of Iona, and had made his way across the land to establish this brand new community on the eastern part of the country. By contrast, Cuthbert had lived out his monastic life largely on the road in Northern England and Scotland, never staying anywhere long, and finally taking up residence on another local island, building a dwelling that faced out to sea, so no one would bother him. It didn't work: the king himself rowed out in person to ask him to become Bishop of Lindisfarne. He reluctantly agreed.

While Cuthbert was still alive, work began on what has since become known as the Lindisfarne Gospels, an illuminated manuscript in Latin that is complexly illustrated with designs of spirals and creatures that have since been interpreted as representing the Celtic understanding of the Cosmic Christ. The letters 'Chi,'(pronounced 'chee', with the 'ch' like the end of 'Bach,') 'Rho,' (as is in rowing a boat) and 'Iota' (ee-o-ta) formed the Greek shorthand for 'Christ.' Since the volume is written in Latin, with some Old English thrown in, these Greek letters stand out -- as often in manuscripts of the Middle Ages, the divine name does.

In 793 Vikings raided the island, killed most of the monks, destroyed the structures and despoiled most of the treasures. Somehow the gospels, along with the remains of St. Cuthbert -- survived. We can imagine that the survivors, still bloodied and injured, walked them across the seabed to safety.

Perhaps there are cherished objects of faith that you or your family have lovingly preserved. How can we see ourselves as the cherished objects of God, who transmit the faith in our hearts to future generations? How can we help to uphold those in the world for whom being Christian marks them for danger?

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This walking tour of the Holy Island of Lindisfarne is mostly visual, and shows the entire scope of the island and its structures. At minute 3:31, the camera passes by the 2017 discovered ruin site of what is believed to be the original monastery built by Aidan, but the youtuber either didn't know, or didn't feel a need to stop and comment on it. From time to time, we also see the overturned fishing boats that have been converted into maritime storage spaces.


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Scripture passages are taken from The Inclusive Bible.

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LC† Vigil in Hope is a devotional series of Lutherans Connect, supported by the Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and the Centre for Spirituality and Media at Martin Luther University College. To receive the devotions by email, write to lutheransconnect@gmail.com. The devotional pages are written and curated by Deacon Sherry Coman, with support and input from Pastor Steve Hoffard, Catherine Evenden and Henriette Thompson. Join us on Facebook. Lutherans Connect invites you to make a donation to the Ministry by going to this link on the website of the ELCIC Eastern Synod and selecting "Lutherans Connect Devotionals" under "Fund". Devotions are always freely offered, however your donations help support the ongoing work. 
Thank you and peace be with you!