Noel by J.R.R. Tolkien

I've never been a Tolkien fan. The Hobbit and all the related books just never appealed to me at all. I was totally taken by surprise recently to discover that Tolkien also wrote a beautiful Christmas poem that was basically unknown and "lost" until 2013. It had been published 1936 in an obscure literary publication, received little notice at the time and receded into oblivion, not coming to light even after Tolkien's death in 1973. I regret not ever having heard Noel by Tolkien. It is written in a traditional ballad form with a regular rhythm and rhyme, a feature that I strongly prefer in poetry. It has a strong metre of alternating 8 beats and 6 beats per line, with regular rhyme, plenty of imagery, and poetic devices like alliteration that appeal to the ear. It is 5 stanzas of 8 lines each and is a beautiful tribute to the amazing salvation brought to the weary world in the birth of Jesus. Although it was republished in September of this year, it is not very easily found with Google yet, and I have copied it into my blog for my own convenience.

Noel

by J.R.R. Tolkien

Grim was the world and grey last night:
The moon and stars were fled,
The hall was dark without song or light,
The fires were fallen dead.
The wind in the trees was like to the sea,
And over the mountains’ teeth
It whistled bitter-cold and free,
As a sword leapt from its sheath.

The lord of snows upreared his head;
His mantle long and pale
Upon the bitter blast was spread
And hung o’er hill and dale.
The world was blind,
the boughs were bent,
All ways and paths were wild:
Then the veil of cloud apart was rent,
And here was born a Child.

The ancient dome of heaven sheer
Was pricked with distant light;
A star came shining white and clear
Alone above the night.
In the dale of dark in that hour of birth
One voice on a sudden sang:
Then all the bells in Heaven and Earth
Together at midnight rang.

Mary sang in this world below:
They heard her song arise
O’er mist and over mountain snow
To the walls of Paradise,
And the tongue of many bells was stirred
in Heaven’s towers to ring
When the voice of mortal maid was heard,
That was mother of Heaven’s King.

Glad is the world and fair this night
With stars about its head,
And the hall is filled with laughter and light,
And fires are burning red.
The bells of Paradise now ring
With bells of Christendom,
And Gloria, Gloria we will sing
That God on earth is come.

Good and Faithful Servant

 In June of 2002, a friend and church member of ours at Douglasville United Methodist Church, E.G. (Kel) Kelley, wrote this: 

Good and Faithful Servant

To honor: Jim Turrentine, good and faithful servant. From Kel Kelley on the day after your surgery. We all love and miss you. Get well soon. I am certain that many of those in our congregation and in past congregations would, if given this recent gift that Abba Father has given me, write exactly the same words showing the same sentiments and heartfelt feelings. 

In the book of Ecclesiastes

There is a time for everything

A time to laugh, a time to cry,

A time to dance and sing.

There comes a time to honor,

From us who have been blessed,

You who have been a blessing

Always giving us your best. 

We know you'll say it wasn't you;

But God who lives within.

But we know that God uses willing vessels,

Godly women, righteous men.

For you this day we give Him praise

For the work He's done through you;

For the sharing of the gospel

And the times you've prayed us through.

You have listened to our troubles.

You have helped to calm our fears.

You have led us to our Savior

As you've loved us through the years

In joyous laughter and happy tears

We thank you for the time

You've spent with us as pastor

In Jesus's work divine.

Because you knew our Jesus,

Because you know our Lord,

You shared with us as needed

A gift worth more than gold.

One day we'll meet in glory

And we'll walk hand in hand.

We always knew that you'd be there.

Because you took a stand.

You visited in hospital and home

And prayed on bended knee.

Jesus said, "As you've done it to the least of these

You've also done to me."

Some day we'll rejoice as you're honored in heaven

In the presence of the Son.

Because you loved, because you cared,

"Well done," He'll say, "Well done!"

A Fond Fairwell

 (Found 10/23 in my old writing notebook. I wrote it in 1990)

Fairwell to Varnell UMC

I am not the speaker in the family, but I could not let this occasion go by without telling you all what you have meant in my life and in the life of our family. Knowing that each of us is formed by who and what touches our lives, I want to thank each of you for having had the opportunity to know you for the last 3 1/2 years. Having grown up in a minister’s home and having a basically slow to get acquainted nature, I always hated moving and said that I would never marry anyone whose job required frequent moving. Of course, I ate those words when I married a Methodist preacher.

But over the last 26 years I have learned some important lessons about moving. I have learned that God's people are everywhere. I have learned that, even though I painfully leave wonderful friends in one place, God provides other wonderful friends in the new location. I used to think that I was to be pitied because I had to constantly leave situations just as I was beginning to feel at home in them. Now I know that I am blessed to have had the opportunity to make friends, true Christian friends, all over Georgia.

Had we not had the painful experience of leaving close friends after 7 1/2 years at prospect, we would not have had the blessing of living near my parents when Daddy had his first heart attack and being able to be there for my family during those rough times. Had we not had the painful experience of leaving Newman springs after six years, we would not have had the unequal joy of fellowship and support that we have experienced among this body of believers.

Now we are again going through the moving trauma. While we are fearing leaving you whom we have learned to love and who have helped us grow in the last few years, we don't know what other joy and opportunity for service awaits us. We do know that now we have friends in the Dalton area, we know that God's chuch is alive and well here, we know that each of you has friends in the Atlanta area now.

I want to say ”Thank you!” to Varnell United Methodist Church. Thank you for showing me Christian love in action through the long hours of work and the money needed to provide the community meal, local mission activities, and foreign mission support. Through the ministry of concern shown by the entire congregation when there is an illness or death in someone’s family.

Thank you for showing me Christian unity through the way everyone works together at Prater’s Mill, and through the way everyone pitches in to make a success of whatever is attempted: the nativity scene, the turkey trot, the sweetheart banquet, the children's programs, and many other instances of teamwork.

Thank you for showing me real Christian dedication through the absolutely unequaled music program which is attained only through dedicated time spent in practice, through the hours obviously spent in preparation by five of the best adult Sunday school teachers I've ever been taught by.

Thank you for being the church here for us and for the rest of this community

Please don't think me presumptuous, but I'd like to close my remarks by reading some words which Saint Paul wrote to friends when he left them. You know he spent his ministry making friends and then leaving them; so in that way, I can identify with him. The scriptures I want to read come from his letters to his friends in Philippi, Corinth, Thessalonica, and Ephesus. I'd like to use the plural pronouns to include our entire family and read them now to our friends here at Varnell.

“We thank God every time we remember you. In all our prayers for you we always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the very first day until now, being confident that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. It is right for us to feel this way about all of you since we have you in our hearts; all of you share in God's grace with us. God can testify how we love all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.”

“And this is our prayer that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ. And God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. Pray also for us, that whenever we open our mouths, words may be given to us so that we will fearlessly make known the gospel. Pray that we may declare it fearlessly, as we should. Finally, brothers and sisters, goodbye. Aim for perfection, live in peace, and the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every day.”

Living Christmas

 Avondale-Patillo United Methodist Church was preparing a booklet of daily devotions for the Advent season in 1991. I was asked to write one. I wrote this one, but they chose not to use it. I figured that it was because I mentioned Caitlin’s impending birth; and after she was stillborn, they made that decision. They didn’t ask me; that was just a choice somebody made, with good intentions I am sure, to avoid potential additional pain.

 

Living Christmas

Scripture reading: Luke 1:26 through 22:52

The Christmas season this year finds me more aware than usual of the anticipation involved in the biblical account of the birth of Jesus. As we anticipate the birth of our first grandchild and see our daughter-in-law becoming “great with child” during this advent season I’ve begun to wonder about the feelings, thoughts, and responsibilities of the earthly family of the savior as they looked forward to his birth. How did they respond to so great a joy and responsibility? The biblical record gives us a few clues to answer these wanderings. What clues we have center almost entirely on the feelings, thoughts, and responsibilities of Mary, the mother of Jesus (and to a somewhat lesser degree Joseph, his earthly father.) Through rereading the story of Christ’s birth and focusing on Mary and Joseph's character and responses to life, I find some suggestions about how any person might experience the birth, and therefore the life, of Jesus today.

 

We know that Mary had faith that God knew what was best and would provide strength and wisdom to those who follow his will. Mary first reacted to the knowledge that she had been chosen to bear the son of God by questioning. However, that questioning was followed immediately by acceptance of God's will. In Luke 1:38, Mary says, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be to me according to your word.”

Joseph also was willing to accept God's word and will for his life. In Matthew 1:24, after the angel of the Lord told joseph that he should not be afraid to take Mary as his wife, the scripture says, “He did as the angel of the Lord commanded him. He took his wife.”

Lord, help me to have faith to live by your will in my life.

The Bible shows us that Mary and Joseph were true to the divine trust that was given to them. They provided physical care for God's son. By providing food, nurture, and training, they brought the child Jesus to full manhood.

Mary and Joseph were thoughtful and deeply spiritual parents who provided spiritual leadership for their children. The Bible tells us that Mary “pondered all these things in her heart.” Some of the most beautiful scripture we have is what is called The Magnificat, found in Luke 2;46-55. In this passage Mary expresses her feelings about this responsibility. She expresses awe, and wonder, and obedience, and gratefulness, and joy. The wisdom and spiritual discernment of Mary and Joseph was further shown in the circumcision of her Son, his presentation at the temple, and Mary's own purification 40 days after the birth. Through the years, they made the customary returns to the temple for sacrifices and worship. Every parent who gives birth to a child has received a trust from God and will someday give an account of his/her stewardship. Each of us has an area of responsibility for which he/she will be held accountable.

Lord, help me be true to the trust that you have given to me.

Jesus came to bring peace on earth. Those of us who are seeking peace in this advent season would do well to follow the example that Mary and Joseph gave us as they prepared for Jesus’s advent into the world:

·         have faith to live by god's will for our lives and

·         be true to the trust he has given us.

And this way, perhaps we can truly be prepared for the advent of Jesus in our lives.

 

Jim Turrentine, My Husband

 In about 1990, I was asked to write a poem for a church program honoring Jim.

Jim Turrentine

I introduce to you here with a laugh

The man who calls himself MY better half.

 But if the truth should be known,

And all secrets shown,

He's 3/4 instead of 1/2.

 

There were two dates to remember in ‘41:

One brought destruction, the other brought fun.

The 7th of December

We all will remember.

March 12th is the other one!

 

For that day Jim entered this world.

Raise the flag. Come on, get it unfurled.

In high school and in college

He played all sports, it's common knowledge.

But a jock's not all he was, Merle!

 

At 16 he was called to preach.

 The world he was anxious to reach.

 He began his own sphere;

 He ministered to his peers.

 God's message he began to teach.

 

 

I've lived with him now half his life.

Who knows a man better than his wife?

Soon 24 years

Of blood sweat and tears;

But joy and happiness have outweighed the strife.

 

Now we come to a time of summation.

Though our lives have had complications,

I must here admit

That I love his quick wit,

And I'd repeat vows without hesitation.

New Year's Resolutions

 In today's The Catholic Think newsletter, Michael Pakaluk made this interesting and valid insight into New Year's resolutions or any attempt we might make at self-improvement. "If I resolve not to eat between meals, or to put away machines when spending time with my family, I am making a merely 'corrective' resolution. If I am successful, I simply put myself back to where I should be. I don’t improve myself but keep from getting worse." He goes on to expound on how to make "additive" resolutions

or changes that add step upon step to make a cumulative improvement to one's situation. This would be something like "saving $10 every week." Then Mr. Pakaluk proposes making "compounding" resolutions - those that lead to increasing skills or knowledge. Perhaps running half a mile each day, likely increasing the distance as proficiency and endurance increase. Then he mentions "Provocative" resolutions - those that lead to other changes. He suggests several determinations or resolutions we might make that would meet this criteria. These would likely be changes that include our giving up some control of our lives. Resolving (determining) to work our way through a spiritual book with an open heart and mind might call us to make changes in outlook and give new direction to our lives. He suggests setting a regular schedule of meeting with a spiritual mentor or setting up a system to track spiritual insights and revelations - perhaps a scheduled nightly review of your conscience in light of God's grace.

The Love and the Gift of Christmas

Christmas is so often misunderstood in our society. People, even those in the church, sing about JOY and GIFTS without realizing what true joy is or what the real gift of Christmas is. In this morning's readings, I read this truth. #TruthMatters

"authentic joy ...fills the heart freed from sin. Sin carries a sadness with it that leads us to close ourselves up within ourselves. Grace brings with it the true joy that does not depend on having things but is rather rooted in the most intimate, deepest part of the person, and that nothing and nobody can take away...Christianity is the proclamation of the victory of grace over sin, of life over death. . . .It is necessary therefore to learn to say no to the voice of egoism and to say yes to the voice of authentic love." Peter M.J. Stravinskas

So the JOY of Christmas is the freedom to be truly ourselves without the burden of sin - this freedom is ours because of the GIFT of God's grace in providing us a way out of our sin and the heaviness it has put into our lives. I hope and pray that each of us will truly receive the GIFT of God's grace into our lives so that we can experience the true JOY of the season.

Simpsonwood - A Retreat Center

We just got home yesterday from a Sunday School Class retreat at Simpsonwood. This is a beautiful retreat facility located on the banks of the Chattahoochee River just North of the perimeter road (I-285) of Atlanta. The land was donated to the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church back in the 6o's. There was stipulation that the land not be sold but used as a retreat center. Many church members of the day objected to accepting the gift (which had already been refused by the Presbyterian Church I understand), but it was eventually accepted. For a number of years the land was mostly unused, but gradually the building began. First a church -- later an administration building with large kitchen and dining rooms, meeting rooms, a large lobby, and a beautiful rocking chair back porch. The grounds now house the administrative offices of the conference (the Bishop's office among others), 5 lodging facilities, numerous walking trails and other recreational features such as swimming pool, soccer field, tennis courts, etc.

The Fellowship class of our church asked my DH to be the spiritual leader of the retreat. We had a group of 36 attend and had a wonderful time. We had 3 "sessions" and a worship service, but the remainder of the time was ours to spend enjoying the beautiful surrounding and spending time with our Christian friends. Here is a pic or the atrium where we had our sessions, at the bottom of the page is the chapel where our worship service was held. We went for a nice long wooded walk along the river Sunday afternoon. The weather was perfect. The wildlife was enjoying the habitat as well - we saw 3 deer and numerous squirrels. The entire weekend provided a refreshing and renewing experience.

BTW, the retreat center accepts church groups from all denominations, family reunions, and other groups. One can also check in as in any motel or hotel and spend a night or two, with or without meals included. A homeschool organization was setting up to use one of the convention buildings for CRCT testing as we left Monday morning.

Cultural Literacy and the Bible - part 4

Since a few months ago, when I wrote four articles on the topic of cultural literacy's dependence upon some Biblical knowledge, I have continued to be aware of regular references to incidents or stories in the Bible as used in public speech and writing. I wonder how children growing up today with no contact with the church can understand the implications of references in what they hear and read.

Kids who grow up with no Bible knowledge cannot understand much of classic literature --which is filled with references such as: someone having the "patience of Job" or a situation being described as "a lion's den". They have no idea what it means to "cast your bread upon the waters" or what being "my brother's keeper" implies. They don't understand references to "the burning bush" or "the coat of many colors" or numerous other Bible-based cultural references in literature.

In addition, famous speeches of the past often drew attention to current political or societal struggles by using terminology from the Bible that was thoroughly understood and symbolic to their listeners. Many of today's listeners wouldn't understand a reference to "the handwriting on the wall" or "going the extra mile" or many other phrases that we take for granted since we have a background in Biblical understanding.

Here are some references I have noticed in my reading and listening in the last few months. In order to understand these references, one would need to understand.....

1. What advantage does a "city set on a hill" enjoy?

2. What is the "beginning of wisdom"?

3. What is the "root of all evil"?

4. What is "the fall of man"?

5. What is the meaning of "facing a Goliath" or "facing a giant"?

6. What is you opinion of a person if you believe that he/she "can walk on water"?

7. Who was this "Solomon" who was so wise that people talk about a person having the wisdom of Solomon?

8. Why is a loose woman referred to as a "Jezabel"?

9. What is a "coat of many colors"?

10. If someone is "just a Philistine", what does that mean?

Here are my previous articles on this subject.

http://daddysroses.blogspot.com/2006/04/cultural-literacy-and-bible-part-1.html

http://daddysroses.blogspot.com/2006/04/cultural-literacy-and-bible-part-2.html

http://daddysroses.blogspot.com/2006/04/cultural-literacy-and-bible-part-3.html

http://daddysroses.blogspot.com/2006/04/cultural-literacy-sidenote.html