Christmas daybook, 2: Hallelujah!

My Christmas daybook for these 12 days of celebrating. Join me, won't you?  (see previous Christmas daybook 2015 posts here)

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look

Girls Chorus
Nikolay Bogdanov-Belsky, 1916
source

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read as a prayer

Psalm 148 (MSG): 

1-5 Hallelujah!

Praise God from heaven,
    praise him from the mountaintops;
Praise him, all you his angels,
    praise him, all you his warriors,
Praise him, sun and moon,
    praise him, you morning stars;
Praise him, high heaven,
    praise him, heavenly rain clouds;
Praise, oh let them praise the name of God—
    he spoke the word, and there they were!

6 He set them in place
    from all time to eternity;
He gave his orders,
    and that’s it!

7-12 Praise God from earth,
    you sea dragons, you fathomless ocean deeps;
Fire and hail, snow and ice,
    hurricanes obeying his orders;
Mountains and all hills,
    apple orchards and cedar forests;
Wild beasts and herds of cattle,
    snakes, and birds in flight;
Earth’s kings and all races,
    leaders and important people,
Robust men and women in their prime,
    and yes, graybeards and little children.

13-14 Let them praise the name of God—
    it’s the only Name worth praising.
His radiance exceeds anything in earth and sky;
    he’s built a monument—his very own people!

Praise from all who love God!
    Israel’s children, intimate friends of God.
Hallelujah!

all readings for the day: Psalm 148; 2 Chronicles 24:17-24; Acts 6:1-7; 7:51-60

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listen

O Come All Ye Faithful

The St Philips Boy's Choir

(Also, feel free to listen with me to my ever-evolving Christmastide playlist . If you're looking for sappy, even sometimes cheesy, but fun Christmas music try my Christmas Eve (for my Momma) playlist. )

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do

Also: read about the Feast of Saint Stephen, held on December 26th (also Boxing Day) in honor of the first martyr of the Church

also this: Why the feast of Stephen, the first Christian martyr is so apt this year

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pray

We give you thanks, O Lord of glory, for the example of the first martyr Stephen, who looked up to heaven and prayed for his persecutors to your Son Jesus Christ, who stands at your right hand; where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God in glory everlasting. Amen. (source)

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In case you missed it, here's a helpful post I wrote a couple of years ago: 12 ways to savor the 12 days of Christmas.

(see all Christmas daybook posts from 2014 here)

12/6 Advent daybook, 8: Prepare the way of the Lord

My Advent daybook for these 24 days of waiting. Join me, won't you? (see previous Advent daybook 2015 posts here)

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look

John the Baptist in the Wilderness
Geertgen, 1460-1495
source

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read

Luke 3:1-6: "The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.' "

all readings for the day: Malachi 3:1-4 • Luke 1:68-79 • Philippians 1:3-11 • Luke 3:1-6

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pray

God of hope, you raised up John the baptizer as a herald who calls us to repentance. As we joyfully await the glorious coming of Christ, we pray to you for the needs of the church, the world, our neighbors and our families: 

Spend a few moments praying for those you know who are waiting and finding it hard, concluding with: 

Hear our humble prayer that we may serve you in holiness and faith and give voice to your presence among us until the day of the coming of your Son, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen. (source)

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listen

Every Valley (It's Hard to Wait)

Rain for Roots

(Also, feel free to listen with me to my ever-evolving Advent playlist on Spotify.)

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do

Celebrate the very real and very good man named Saint Nicholas today. 

Two links (from two great mamas!) for a good introduction:

•  Celebrating Saint Nicholas, the real Santa Claus @ Art of Simple
• Beautiful Christmas, Beautiful Traditions @ Cha-Ching on a Shoestring

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Advent calendar in photos via Ambrosium

(see all Advent daybook posts from 2014 here)

Why we give new names to our kids on their 21st birthdays (also, Happy 22nd Birthday, Alexander!)

photo credit: Grant & Deb Photographers

Shortly before our oldest son turned 21, we considered a way to celebrate the rite of passage this particular age represents in our culture. We considered all the ways that we, his parents, had grown and changed within his lifetime. (Since we were basically children ourselves when he was born, there was a significant amount of learning to be done!)

One especially important realization was that we'd wished we had an opportunity to name our children in the custom of those in the Roman Catholic church, upon a child's confirmation. The years had helped us recognize how much we relied on our relationship with the Church across space and time to help us parent -- the community we worship with each week and the legacy of the Christians who have come before us. 

We wanted very much to hand our children that truth in the sort of way that it would become attached to them forever and ever, amen. 

With Andrew, we chose the name Patrick - making him Andrew Brian Patrick Murphy. We hoped to reflect the Irish heritage on both sides of our family, as well as affirm the deeply-formed qualities of humility, courage, mercy and integrity embodied in both the saint and in our son during our 21 years of knowing him. (We couldn't have known that we'd also given him great material for future stand-up jokes in which he likens his name to four Irish guys getting thrown out of a pub. Well, we do what we can.)

Alex with his great-grandfather and namesake Lester Morgan

Last year, our second son, Alex, turned 21. We'd spent the previous year considering the perfect name to gift him. We invited input from others who knew and loved him. When we finally decided, we recognized that the totality of his name was rather weighty, and yet barely sufficient for what we wanted to affirm: a love and aptitude for music, theology, justice and the Church.

We chose the name Gregory, making Alex's new official name :  Alexander Morgan Gregory Murphy 


There are many saints named Gregory, and we're pointing Alex toward the life of Pope Saint Gregory I. I've included some of his biography in the next section, but want to share a story, first, of another saint who inspires this name. 

May Stage Gregory

Seymour and May Gregory were a childless couple who lived in a poor, rural area in New York's upstate farmland. Seymour drove a milk truck and May cared for their small farm. My great-grandfather (Alex's great-great) met them as a travelling tax collector. Somehow -- we're not really sure how the decision was made -- my great-grandfather asked this kind couple if they would allow his daughter -- my grandmother -- to live with them.

The backstory to this request is that my great-grandmother died of scarlet fever by the time my grandmother was two years old. My grandmother lived with her widowed father and older sister, Helen, for a few of her childhood years until my great-grandfather remarried. Unfortunately, his new wife fit the role of the unloving step-mother stereotype and (we assume) forced her husband to make a decision between her and his two daughters.

And, so it was that Seymour and May Gregory became my grandmother's new guardians. (Tragically, Seymour died shortly after this time when his milk truck was hit by a train.)  May Gregory and my grandmother lived a hardscrabble life keeping the farm and a whole assortment of odd jobs in order to make a living. 

I'll never forget my grandmother's 80th birthday when her daughters (my mother, Alex's grandmother) asked Grandma to tell us the story again. We waited for her to show even the tiniest bit of sadness or anger. As an adult now, I realize that there must have been both sadness and anger, but I also believe my Grandma when she told us this story was actually happy because it was Grandma Gregory who introduced her to Jesus. In that care for an unwanted child and in that sacrificial love, the Gregorys changed the entire course of our family history.

Grandma Gregory lived a long, dear life. She continued always to provide nurture and support to my grandmother and my mother -- especially after my grandfather (my mother's father) died young leaving my grandmother alone to raise 5 girls all by herself in yet another poor, rural town in upstate New York.

For much of my growing-up years, I did not understand the weight of glory held in this family story. It had become too familiar to me. I want to change that for my children. Gregory is a name we never want to forget.

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Pope Saint Gregory I: You can read the Wikipedia summary here (I'm also paraphrasing from other sources).

Saint Gregory came from a wealthy family, but as a young man sold his estates and founded seven monasteries. A few years later, Pope Benedict I ordained Gregory a deacon of Rome, and sent him to Constantinople as ambassador. (A footnote: Alex has developed a love for Turkey after studying there last spring).

Gregory was reluctant to take the office of Pope, but became so influential he became one of only 2 popes known as "the Great". He is also one of the "Four Latin Doctors" of the Church -- sending his friend and fellow monk, Augustine, on mission to the British Isles, directly influencing the birth of Western Christianity on a continent full of warring nations and pagan religions.

Gregory the Great is considered a saint in the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Anglican Communion, and some Lutheran churches.The Protestant reformer John Calvin admired Gregory and declared in his Institutes that Gregory was the "last good pope". Throughout the Middle Ages he was known as “the Father of Christian Worship” because of his exceptional efforts in revising the Roman worship of his day, including the form of plainsong which simplified and codified music, now known as "Gregorian chant". This music-loving pope influenced Western worship. He is the patron saint of musicians, singers, students, and teachers.

For all of these reasons (and no belief that Grandma Gregory, Pope Gregory or Alexander Morgan Gregory are without brokenness and flaws), we've chosen to give the name Gregory to our son Alex on his 21st birthday.

November 30, 2014: Sharing drinks and new names upon Alex's 21st birthday

Collect for Feast of Saint Gregory:

Almighty and merciful God, you raised up Gregory of Rome to be a servant of the servants of God, and inspired him to send missionaries to preach the Gospel to the English people: Preserve in your Church the catholic and apostolic faith they taught, that your people, being fruitful in every good work, may receive the crown of glory that never fades away; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Some related links: 

Saint Gregory the Pope:

The Feast of Gregory the Great:

"Hovhaness: Prayer Of St. Gregory For Trumpet & Organ, Op.62b (Reduction By The Composer)*" by Wynton Marsalis

Gregorian chant at Encyclopedia Britannica 

Gregorian chant on Pandora 

As is my nature, I felt the need to mark the occasion his 22nd birthday with a photo slideshow of Alex through the years.  For the soundtrack I chose a song that I believe Alex himself sings better than any of the recordings I could find.  Jason Mraz and Willie Nelson and Kermit the Frog are all OK, but Alex and his banjo really do it best.  This will have to do, I guess.

Alex turns 22 by Slidely Slideshow

{pretty, happy, funny, real} in highs and lows and all hope

| a weekly capturing the contentment in everyday life |

The week is a bit of a blur, what with the time change that always disorients me. Although, I'm such a homebody that earlier darkness just gives me one more excuse to cozy up in my little house.  Austin had crazy rain storms on Friday, and then just like that turned Halloween into a pretty little day.  We'd intended to visit our son in Houston, but had to postpone because the downpour of rain (5" in one hour close to us!) and threats of flash flooding closed roads between us.  Instead, I sat in the rainy dark, and watched a couple black and white movies (A Farewell to Arms, and the slightly depressing Strange Love of Martha Ivers starring a young, milktoasty Kirk Douglas).  The silver lining about missing our Houston trip is that we were home to welcome a couple, extra-special trick-or-treaters, and enjoy walking through our son's neighborhood with the adorable Elayna.  (see pics of her zombie self below).  It was a week of ups and downs, highs and lows, friends and neighbors -- overall, a good week to remember.

A few photos to practice contentment this week

| pretty |

Happy mail and autumn table

My mother knows what to send me when I'm feeling a bit blue -- as I have been, off and on for my whole life the past month: a book she thought I'd like (which I did!), a handwritten wrapper of brown paper, a clever bookmark and a couple of notes tucked into the pages.  Seriously, we all need our mothers, no matter our age.  Dear friend, if you no longer have your mother, I am so sorry, and pray you'll be nurtured in particularly sweet ways this week.  

I also took the opportunity to update our table for November.  Rosehips are a curiosity and wonder to me.  The "So Grateful" book was a gift from my dear sister-in-law JoAnn a couple of Thanksgivings ago.  My table centerpiece plays a valuable role in my life, and I'm grateful for this one right now. 

| happy |

Halloween

A These photos really represent happy, funny and real as our weekend plans changed (see above), and we scrambled to get a tiny bit festive.  We'd heard a rumour that our delightful (and costume savvy!) friends, the Taylor and Akel families, might be popping in.  A few weeks ago, Blythe's mom (aka, Phaedra) posted this little exchange they'd had: 

After walking through the neighborhood and getting irritated that all the houses don't have Halloween decorations: 

B: "Mama! You know what!?"  

Phaedra: "What's that?" 

B: (perturbed) "I don't like people just hanging around with houses with no pumpkin stuff!" 

We hurried right up and got some pumpkin stuff!  We also loved seeing Elayna in her best zombie cheerleader get-up.  Poor girl got braces a few weeks before Halloween, which puts a bit of a damper on the candy-eating.  She was fearless walking up to houses that seemed especially dark this year (maybe, I'm just out of practice).  We gave thanks for the people who still leave a porch light on, and welcome kids with cheery greetings and authentic delight at the costumes parading through their flower beds.  A couple porches were a bit scarier looking, though, prompting some help from a grown-up.  (Also, if aren't Amber & Andrew adorable?!?) 

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A serious(ly) funny misunderstanding

My sister Alicia -- who, along with her husband, Richard, is joyfully, gratefully expecting a baby in March -- sent this clever little announcement to share the gender of their little bundle.  As good parents, we wanted to share the scratch-off moment with our kids scattered between Houston, Austin and Dallas.  We videotaped the event, sharing our predictions with the camera, and then, sent the little clip via group text to our kids and my sister. In our minds, what would ensue was a shower of congratulation texts between our adult children and their aunt.  Instead, we got the following thread -- which was partially dismaying, but mostly hilarious.  

Thankfully, my sister and her husband have a great sense of humor and loved it all.   (you'll notice that the thread starts immediately with one of our sons not really catching the gist of the gender-reveal video, as noted by his pithy one-word question: "Who?")

| real |

October 2011 - at a ministry training in Kansas City

All Saints  Day & a committal service

Sunday, November 1, was All Saints Day.  It was also, appropriately, the second anniversary of the death of a good man and good friend, Trey Sellstrom.  I wrote about the shock of his death two years ago (here) only a handful of short months following the sadness of the loss of our friend Dick Chote.  

Dick and Trey and their wives (Eleanor and Cheryl, respectively) were some of our first and quickest friends here in Austin, as we worked together to minister to the relationally and sexually wounded in our congregation at Christ Church.  To be together in that sort of work requires a level of knowing and being known that is, sadly, rather rare in Christian communities.  Yet, here were the three of our families are mostly unknown to each other before October 2011, praying and crying and laughing and encouraging and admonishing and holding accountability week in and week out.  And here, within two years of the start of these rich friendships, both Dick and Trey moved from our presence into the great communion of saints.  

We still miss them, but not even close to the ways their wives and children miss them.  Both Eleanor and Cheryl have taught us what godly suffering looks like, the grief that is real and raw and, yet, welcoming to the rest of us mourning in our own way. Cheryl waited two years before burying Trey's ashes in a family plot.  She had travelled with those ashes as part of her journey of grieving -- leaving some in various places of meaning.  On Sunday, she invited us to join her in this final committal of Trey into the ground.  I don't know how to describe her any other way but radiant in her grief.  I hope to be like her as I face suffering in my life.  

Brian read words of Scripture and prayer and comfort from the Book of Common Prayer, we took turns pouring the remains of a good and beloved man into the ground from which he was formed (Texas ground, at that).  When we'd all had a turn that wanted one, Cheryl stretched out her hands for help with the rest.  And the other widow, Eleanor, stepped forward.  The two knelt together, and in the marvellous mystery of resurrection hope, smiled as they worked together to bury Trey.  

We cried and sang Amazing Grace.  Trey's father -- who also lost his wife this year -- explained that the next day he'd come back alone and bury out a bit more dirt from underneath the small stone to appease the cemetery custodians.  I thought "Even now, he's being a Dad.  Even now, he gives up a part of his day to work for his son."  

This sort of took all the energy I might have used to post anything on the blog for All Saints Day.  I leave you with the collect, and give thanks in memory of our dear friends Dick and Trey and for all the others we've loved who are now part of the Great Cloud of Witnesses: 

Almighty God, you have knit together your elect in one communion and fellowship in the mystical body of your Son Christ our Lord: Give us grace so to follow your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living, that we may come to those ineffable joys that you have prepared for those who truly love you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting.  Amen. (source)

Have YOU captured any contentment this week? 

 I'd love to hear about it!

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