New Light

December 21st came unwelcomed

here in Frederick, Maryland

the bleak, dreary solstice of winter

our longest night

15 hours and 37 minutes of chilled darkness

the depths of winter, here in our town.

Cold blue blackness

frost and bitter wind

a howling, frozen hurricane

here, in blesséd Yellow Springs.

But in December

every small candle

whispers hope,

every little string of sparkling lights

sings a silent expectation:

The longest night must end sometime,

And that sometime is soon.

Now each new day brings more brightness

Every new week: seven more minutes of fresh daylight

Spring is coming!

Look past white January to pink February

And then to wild, blooming March –

Sun and wind and wonder!

So in the darkness of my anxious nights

When pains and fears and worries hide the sun

When hope seems gone, I still lie down in hope

When faith seems dead, I still rise up with faith

New light has come, and more is soon to come!

Our Father God is not silent –

He even speaks on windy winter nights

He even soothes in frosty darkness

He shouts and thunders with the rising Son

Perfect love and perfect light in Jesus.

Tom Mills on Christmas

This morning I met again with the men

who get together with me

early on Tuesday mornings.

We read and discussed

how Jesus healed the demoniac

in Luke chapter 8.

Then we talked about the hustle-bustle of Christmas,

and how this flurry of activity (even church activity)

can keep us from true worship.

My friend Tom Mills was part of this discussion.

Then later he sent this e-mail,

            which I have permission to share with you:

“To expand on the Christmas hype conversation

at the end of today’s study:

If we are to look at the life of Jesus

as our beacon of how to live ours,

let’s start with His birth.

The king of the universe wasn’t welcomed

into this world with majesty,

bright lights and parades.

Hardly majestic, very cold and dark,

no tinsel or music and dancing.

He was born on the manure-laden dirt floor

of a cold, filthy stable, in the midst of the mundane;

farm animals,

a virgin teenager, a lowly carpenter

and smelly, sweaty shepherds. 

Not in the presence of kings and queens

and people of high regard,

just family and newly acquired friends.

Mary didn’t choose that,

Joseph didn’t choose it either. 

God did. 

If this is how he brought His son into our world,

why would He want us

making a huge production of the season now? 

It just seems to me and my measly, tiny little brain

that we do what we do during this season

for us, not for Him. 

The lights, parties, shopping helps make us feel better

about who we are in the world

by connecting it to His birth

through the special season of Christmas. 

I am also a participant in this, and must admit enjoy most of it,

but the older I get the more I think we should be

connecting this to His birth without the hype

and through the reason for the season. 

And that should be celebrated everyday. 

If you stop and think of what God really did for us

on Christmas morning,

it is really un-believable!

How many of you would send your only son

away from your presence for a cause like us? 

Not me! 

And God knew what He sent His son here to ultimately do,

NO WAY! 

We allow the clutter and clamber

of what this world thinks Christmas should be

to cloud our view of it.

Wash off the “make-up” of Christmas

and see the true beauty beneath –

it’s there and nothing can compare.

Merry Christmas my friends!

Tom Mills.”

Robert's Christmas Party

Mr. Robert Heitmuller is over 90 years old,

a World War II veteran.

He lives in a nursing home,

wheel-chair bound.

Robert is of German descent.

Most of his life he has been a Lutheran.

Several years back he somehow got connected

with folks from Brook Hill Methodist,

and now he is picked up

and brought to our church

every Sunday.

Seven men take turns picking Robert up.

They get him and his wheelchair into their cars,

            bring him to church,

get him back into his wheelchair

and wheel him to his regular place

                                                at the end of a short pew.

Each December Robert hosts a breakfast party

for these men, their wives,

            and some of his caregivers.

The celebration takes place at Brook Hill’s fellowship hall,

            and breakfast is prepared by Brook Hill men.

Robert invites us to attend almost a year in advance.

We must pay him 25 cents to attend,

and this largesse is donate to a charity.

The sixth annual party was last Saturday morning.

Thirty-some guests were seated at five or six round tables.

We enjoyed a beautiful, filling breakfast.

There was much joking and merriment.

A lady read the Christmas story from Luke chapter 2.

Several persons shared their memories of Christmas.

Robert sang O Tannenbaum in German.

He presented the gift of a rolling pin (?) to one of his friends.

And we sang four carols together.

This event is now a regular part of my Christmas season.

The affection that Robert and his men share

is readily apparent, tangible even.

Giving to one another.

Serving one another.

Loving one another

                                    Another story of Christmas.

Joey's Cookies

In most ways, 
       Joey Athey is a typical seventh grade boy.

       Here’s what makes him unusual:

In 2003, Joey was a kindergartener.

His teacher gave her students an assignment

as Christmas approached.

Each of them was to give a gift

and write a true story

about the giving of it.

Joey thought about it.

            He decided to bake some cookies, sell them,

and use the money to buy

Christmas gifts for needy children.

What began as an assignment has become

a family tradition for Joey and his family.

For the past eight years 
       they’ve continued the tradition.

On the last Saturday of November,

the Athey family was hard at work

baking over 200 dozen cookies

in the large commercial oven

in our church’s kitchen.

Earlier this week they went to Toys “R” Us

and purchased $1200 worth of children’s toys.

The gifts are given to needy children

            through various charities in our county. 

Around the world at Christmastime,

untold thousands of ordinary folk

experience the joy of giving to others.

In my neck-of-the-woods,

            Joey is one memorable example.

Lament (Psalm 44)

Sitting round the night fire

Grand-dad told the stories

Tales of olden days

battles won

enemies undone

Deliverance!

We weren’t the strongest

richest

most cunning

But we had You!

Mighty One...

Ruler of all...

We had Your power

You loved us!

Light from Your face

blinded them

And we won!

not by swords

not by bows

but by Your favour.

So we recall those olden days

We praise and worship You.

But what about today?

What about today???

What a mess!

dishonoured

retreating

plundered

butchered

scattered

mocked

humiliated

shamed

Where are You now?

I didn’t think

we’d violated Your Covenant.

Have we turned away?

Have our hearts strayed?

Wake up, Lord!

Rise up! Help us!

Show us

Your unfailing love

Please!

Please!!!

Best. Muffins. Ever.

Tuesday mornings (7:45am) I get together with four or five men
     for some good conversation and Bible study.
We’ve been meeting for several years
     and really enjoy one another’s company.
Last month we went to a Washington Capitals hockey game.

Recently, one of them started bringing his freshly baked muffins
     and sharing them with us.
Paul bakes great muffins!

The first ones were bran or something.
Then chocolate chocolate chip.
And yesterday, orange cranberry muffins.
     They were still warm, and the orange aroma
          filled the small room where we were meeting.

Seriously, yesterday’s muffin was the best I’ve ever eaten.
     Magnificent!
I brought coffee from Dunkin Donuts,
     and we ate and laughed together.

Then we read the account of the harlot
     who anointed Jesus’ feet with her tears
          and washed them with her hair (Luke ch. 7).
This happened at the house of Simon the Pharisee,
     and Simon was scandalized.
Jesus said that those who are forgiven of little love little,
     while those forgiven of much love much.

The men seemed eager to talk.
     We brought up the issue of how to deal with acquaintances
          who profess Christ but live in continuing disobedience.
It was a great discussion.

Paul’s muffins were memorable.
     I need to get his recipe and share it with you soon.

Maybe you have a good recipe to share?

"Hymn of Welcome" Video with Text

Here is a video of my friends Ben and Jillian Trawick
     singing "Hymn of Welcome" (with hymn text).

I wrote these lyrics for a collaborative sermon series
     called "The Welcoming Church"
          (produced by the Baltimore Washington Conference
               of the United Methodist Church).

The tune is "Beach Spring",
     a beautiful melody that originated in the southern USA
          in the early 1800s.

Have a wonder-filled day!

Hymnbook is Finished!

Yesterday I completed my hymnbook "In This Fair Morning", with about 40 hymns, songs and poems. This is a self-published project, housed in a three-ring binder. The cost of the materials for each copy is nearly $7, but I'm shipping it at no charge to those who request it. The next step: recording about 10 of these songs (with a little help from my friends), and making them available to you.

Here's the Preface to the hymnbook:

"Thanks for your interest in new hymns and songs for Christian worship. This is my second collection of such hymns and songs. Most of this material has been posted on the “New Hymns” blog (www.wattswesley.blogspot.com).

My aim is to provide music that is usable and useful to Christians and churches everywhere. Please contact me (caedmullen@gmail.com) if I can assist you with alternate versions of this material. You may need a song in a higher or lower key, and this can easily be provided.

These songs (and several hundred others) have been written and used in four local churches over the past 25 years. Posting them on the “New Hymns” blog has provided a great opportunity to edit and refine older songs, to “blow off the dust” in hopes that one or two of them might find wider circulation.

Isaac Watts (1674-1748) was one of the greatest of English hymn writers. He wrote 750 hymns, and (after 260 years) less than 10 of them are in wide-spread use. Joy to the World has found its way into the pantheon of well-known Christmas carols.

Charles Wesley (1707-1788) was one of the most prodigious of hymn writers. Incredibly, he wrote about 8000 hymns, yet only a handful are commonly sung today. His hymns Hark! The Herald Angels Sing and Christ the Lord is Risen Today are sung by Christians in many languages around the world.

I am a mere tinkerer with words compared to these masters, yet I aspire to join hundreds of others who have followed in their pathway. If hymn writers hope that one or two of their songs might find some enduring use, it makes sense to write many songs, and to disseminate them as widely as possible. The internet makes it possible to broadcast material around the world. But I must still find the motivation (almost every day) to take up the pen and write.

So I rise early most mornings, and write while my mind and body are fresh and strong. This is a joy for me, and a discipline. Right now I’m making my way through the Psalms, and God is doing His work in me as I wrestle with His Word, phrase by phrase. It’s a powerful devotional exercise!

Again, let me know how I may assist you. Please don’t hesitate to request a new hymn or song for a specific occasion or use. I want to be available to the Lord and to His “faithful, common saints, That motley blood-bought band.”

Rich blessings in Jesus Christ,

Gary Hicks

Frederick, Maryland, USA

November 24, 2010"

New Hymnbook Coming Soon

For a number of months now,

            my early morning hours have been taken up

                        with the writing of hymns and songs.

I have more than 100 of these.

Now it’s time to get them written out in good notation

            and distributed.

So I’m making a brief change in my morning routine

            to gather the music into a hymnbook.

This will be a simple three-ring binder

            of 50 to 100 hymns and songs.

It may take several weeks,

            and I’ll try to keep you updated

                        on the process here.

When completed,

            the hymnbook will be available to you at no cost.

Thanks for your interest!

charity:water

Last week’s Catalyst conference highlighted a large number of social action projects, from the Two Futures Project (nuclear disarmament) to the Tronie Project (ending slavery).

Today I want to highlight charity:water, a non-profit organization bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations.

Its website (HERE) provides several hours of challenging reading and watching.

Scott Harrison was a self-absorbed nightclub promoter in Manhattan until 2004, when he volunteered to serve on Mercy Ships, a humanitarian organization which offers free medical care in the world's poorest nations. It was a life-changing experience.

“Faced with spiritual bankruptcy,” Scott says, “I wanted desperately to revive a lost Christian faith with action and asked the question: What would the opposite of my life look like?”

In 2006, Scott founded charity:water, which has now raised almost $20 million and funded almost 3,000 water projects in 17 countries.

Scott’s passionate testimony and persistent vision challenged me, and I’m getting on-board. I’ll be setting up a fund-raiser for charity:water sometime soon. In the meantime, you need to explore the website HERE.

Two Big Ideas from the Catalyst Conference

Last week I attended the Catalyst conference in Atlanta,

            a kind of “think tank” for church leaders,

                        especially younger ones.

                                    (I hardly qualify.)

I came away with two big ideas:

(1) “The Tension is Good.”

This was the theme of the conference:

            Tension is inevitable in life and in ministry.

                        Don’t run away from it.

Embrace it as part of God’s methodology

            to accomplish His kingdom purposes.

Deal with it to enhance your personal relationships.

            Intergenerational tension can be

                        a starting place for creativity and love.

            The tension between two good ideas

                        (great programs vs. budget constraints)

                                    can be understood

                                                and even encouraged.

(2) “Autonomy Fosters Creativity.”

Organizations benefit when

            they allow employees (or volunteers)

                        the freedom to do things their own way.

Several software companies have given employees

            one half-day per week

                        to work on projects of their own choosing,

                                    and the result has been

                                                increased productivity,

                                                            higher morale,

                                    and profitable new products and ideas.

In the 21^st century, autonomy and mastery

            trump micro-management.

More on Catalyst next time…

Canadian Thanksgiving

(Photo: Canadian troops attend a Thanksgiving service

in the bombed-out Cambrai Cathedral, in France,

October 1918)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Canada formally celebrates Thanksgiving

            on the second Monday of October.

Long before Europeans arrived in North America,

            Native Americans throughout the Americas

                        had organized harvest festivals

                                    and other celebrations of thanks.

Canadian Thanksgiving goes back to Martin Frobisher,

            the English explorer who searched

                        for a “Northern Passage”

                                    from Europe to China.

Frobisher's Thanksgiving was for homecoming

            rather than harvest.

In 1578 he arrived safely back in Newfoundland

            after a voyage of exploration,

                        and there he formally gave thanks

                                    and celebrated his crew’s survival

                                                of a long journey.

This feast was one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations

            by Europeans in North America,

                        predating the Pilgrims’ 1621 celebration.

Ten years after Frobisher's return, England gave thanks

            for deliverance from the Spanish Armada.

In her last speech to Parliament Queen Elizabeth I said,

            "We perceive your coming is to offer thanks ..."

                        and returned those thanks to her subjects.

It was in this spirit of thanksgiving –

            for being alive, protected, and appreciated –

                        that English language and culture flourished.

England was very different then –

            it was known as Merrie Englande:

                        its grown men laughed, cried,

                                    danced and loved exuberantly –

                                                like their Sovereign.

This was the context of Frobisher's 1578 Thanksgiving

            in Newfoundland. 

More HERE and HERE.

Today and every day we thank God for His protection,

            His provision, His blessing and grace.

Longleaf Church

I met Jared and Lindsey Gilstrap yesterday

at the Catalyst conference near Atlanta.

About 13,000 people attended this conference

for Christian leaders.

Many participants, like the Gilstraps,

were in their 20s and 30s.

We met at lunchtime outside the hockey arena

where the event was held.

Jared and Lindsey have been very busy recently

            as part of the launch team of Longleaf Church

                        in Warner Robins, Georgia.

Longleaf Church opened its doors to the public last month,

            after about two years of preparation.

Longleaf is a Strategic Partner

with North Point Community Church,

the multisite megachurch in the Atlanta area.

North Point was founded by Andy Stanley in 1995

and is now the third largest church in the USA

with 23.000 weekly attenders.

Andy Stanley will preach by video at Longleaf

80% of the time, with the other 20% of the sermons

preached by Longleaf’s pastor, Jeff Jeffords.

Jared and Lindsey told me that about 30 churches

are Strategic Partners with North Point Church.

Longleaf was required to raise $100,000

and build a monthly tithing base of $20,000

in order to be a North Point Strategic Partner.

Though some may object to this kind of church planting,

I see the beauty and wisdom in it.

Check out Longleaf’s website HERE,

and North Point Strategic Partners HERE.

Commonwealth of Nations

Yesterday the Commonwealth Games got underway

            in Delhi, India.

Running from October 3-14, this sporting event

            brings together 71 nations and dependencies

                        who compete in certain Olympic sports,

                                    but also lawn bowls,

                                                rugby sevens, and netball.

Competing teams include South Africa, Pakistan,

            Guyana and the Isle of Man.

The games are held every four years

 The Commonwealth of Nations

            is an intergovernmental organization 

                        of 54 independent member states.

All but two of these countries

            were formerly part of the British Empire.

The member states co-operate

            within a framework of common values and goals,

                        including democracy, human rights,

                                    the rule of law, and individual liberty.

The Commonwealth is an intergovernmental organization

            through which countries

                        with diverse social and political backgrounds

                                    are regarded as equal in status.

The symbol of the member states’ free association

            is the Head of the Commonwealth,

                        a ceremonial position currently held

                                    by Queen Elizabeth II.

Elizabeth is the monarch,

            separately and independently,

                        of 16 Commonwealth members.

Commonwealth countries are not considered

            to be "foreign" to one another. 

Reflecting this, diplomatic missions

            between Commonwealth countries

                        are designated as High Commissions

                                    rather than embassies.

Read more at http://www.thecommonwealth.org .

Waterboyz for Jesus

 I’m privileged to be part

            of a local interdenominational men’s ministry

                        called Waterboyz for Jesus.

Scene One:

Time: Friday mornings (6:00am)

Place: Mountain View Diner

Event: Waterboyz 10-Man Table

Often we’re the first customers of the day.

Fran, the waitress, pours coffee and takes breakfast orders.

We come with Bibles to begin the day in conversation,

            prayer, scripture reading and application.

On a good day we have eight men at our 10-Man Table.

I go to support Scott, our table leader,

            who exemplifies faithfulness.

And I go to connect with Jim, a friend from church.

According to the Waterboyz website (HERE)

                        there are now twenty-seven 10-Man Tables.

This means that in any given week,

            probably 150 men are involved,

                        with about 300 men

                                    identifying themselves as Waterboyz.

Scene Two:

Time: This week

Place: The Clay family townhouse

Event: Extreme Home Makeover

More than 180 men and women

            are extensively renovating the home

                        of a family in need. (see photos HERE)

A similar project last year cost over $80,000

            and hundreds of man-hours,

                        all of it donated by individuals

                                    and corporate underwriters.

Another Waterboyz ministry:

            The 100 Man Choir (see it on YouTube)