Sunday, December 03, 2017

Advent pause

As the sun gradually sinks towards setting on this Advent Sunday afternoon, I’m sitting in my cosy study in a completely silent house. DH is on one of his periodic visits to his mother and I am enjoying the peace after a busy and enjoyable morning at church.

Our bishop was with us for a special Advent Sunday service to mark the opening of communion to all baptised persons, whatever their age. All the congregations in our group had come together to celebrate the occasion and this being Wales, the singing at its peak threatened to raise the roof. After the service we gathered in the adjoining church hall for a bring and share lunch and a great deal of lively conversation.

As I drove home, I reflected on what we had just shared and it seemed to me to offer glimpses of hope and encouragement in what can so often seem to be our dark and divided world. The opening of communion to all is for me a symbol of the pulling down of barriers and healing of divisions. The sharing of food and fellowship was the perfect way to mark the church’s New Year and the beginning of the period of preparation for Christmas we call Advent.

The hymns we sang were carefully chosen to reflect the twin themes of Advent. We began with “O come, o come, Emmanuel”, that great hymn of longing for the coming of the Messiah, and ended with Charles Wesley’s magnificent hymn looking forward to the return of Christ in glory. Plenty of musical and spiritual sustenance there to see me through all the busyness of the next three weeks until we again celebrate the wonder of the Nativity.





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26 comments:

  1. KirstenM3 December 2017 at 16:45

    I was playing the organ today at the early service which meant I got yo choose all the music. Like you, we started with O Come O come Emmanuel. Three times I nearly chose "Lo, He comes" to play after the end of the service (our final hymn was "It came upon a midnight clear" as a prayer for world peace). In the end I didn't play it, as the service ended with a prayer for an elderly member of the congregation who had been taken ill before the service began. But I'm glad that you got to sing it at your church.

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    1. Kathy3 December 2017 at 23:05

      Thank you for your lovely comment, Kirsten. I'm sorry you didn't get to play "Lo, he comes" this time, but it was for a very good reason. I hope you manage to play it at another service this Advent or there is always next year.

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  2. BacktoBodrum3 December 2017 at 18:14

    I was hoping that there would be an advent post from you. You always chose such uplifting music.

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    1. Kathy3 December 2017 at 23:07

      It was optimistic of you to hope for an Advent or any other post from me after such a long blogging silence. Sorry to be so dilatory and I'm very glad you enjoyed the music.

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  3. Yamini MacLean3 December 2017 at 18:55

    Hari OM
    so delightful to see your post come up on my reader... thank you for this reflection on a day well-shared, and for the very fine music. Sending blessings and Love for this time of anticipation and joy. YAM xx

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    1. Kathy3 December 2017 at 23:12

      Hello Yam. It's lovely to be back. I simply couldn't miss posting on Advent Sunday, the start of one of my favourite seasons. Blessings to you too. xx

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  4. Ricky3 December 2017 at 18:57

    Very nice to see your blog come out of hibernation ;-)

    Today I've very much missed the wonderful hanging Advent ring at St Clement's and giving voice to 'Lo, he comes with clouds descending'. So thank you for video link. However I will enjoy hearing 'Veni, veni Emmanuel' sung in the original Latin by the Embassy Singers, when I conduct 'A Service of Nine Lessons & Carols' at the Frauenkirche, Dresden next Sunday evening.

    Wishing you a holy and peaceful Advent.

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    1. Kathy3 December 2017 at 23:18

      Suspended animation, more like, Ricky! ;) I do mean to do better, but the time simply slips away...

      I can well imagine how you must have missed your accustomed Advent Sunday service at St Clement's. It was obvious from your blog posts how much it meant to you. However your Service of Nine Lessons and Carols in the Frauenkirche will be a worthy substitute. I can just imagine how wonderful the music will sound in that glorious space.

      Advent blessings to you too.

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  5. the fly in the web3 December 2017 at 19:17

    Delighted to find your blog surfacing once more...and such a good time to be thinking of coming together for the healing of divisions.

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    1. Kathy3 December 2017 at 23:30

      Surfacing from a great depth, I'm afraid, Helen. It's like old times to see you commenting as 'the fly in the web'. :)

      It was a very encouraging service and much enjoyed by the large congregation, as was the shared meal afterwards.

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    2. helen devries5 December 2017 at 02:46

      Yes, pressed the wrong button again! Must have the eyes seen to before long!

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    3. Kathy5 December 2017 at 10:40

      But at least you got through using Blogger, which another blog friend didn't. Her comment just vanished into the ether.

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  6. Susan Heather3 December 2017 at 20:23

    Thank you for this delightful post. I am listening to your video link as I type. Your mention of Welsh singers makes me "homesick". Perhaps I shall return for a trip one day.

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    1. Kathy3 December 2017 at 23:34

      I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Susan. Yes, the Welsh do know how to make a joyful noise to the Lord and in other circumstances too. It would be wonderful if you could make a trip back to your old haunts. There have been many changes, but Wales and the Marches are still very beautiful.

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  7. Patricia3 December 2017 at 21:47

    A special gift to me today to see your blog post, Perpetua. What a beautiful first day of Advent you have had, and thank you for sharing that wonderful hymn. We also began with 'O Come, Emmanuel' - the perfect precursor to Christmas.

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    1. Kathy3 December 2017 at 23:37

      It's lovely to be back, Patricia. I really couldn't miss posting on Advent Sunday - one of my favourite Sundays in the church year. This hymn and O Come really are essential Advent music. You must be getting very excited at the thought of Christmas in Canada. Safe journey when it comes.

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  8. Ray Barnes3 December 2017 at 22:23

    Welcome back Perpetua. I love this hymn and am currently fighting a very tough persistent virus so am missing all the singing at St M's.
    Hope to hear more from you soon.

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    1. Kathy4 December 2017 at 00:10

      Thanks, Ray. It's good to be back. I'm so sorry you aren't well and are missing your usual seasonal music at church. There are some very nasty viruses around and I hear several people with nasty coughs. I do hope you can get rid of it before Christmas.

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  9. Jennifer Hays4 December 2017 at 14:58

    It's nice to see you again, Perpetua. I hope you and your family are well. Enjoy this beautiful season.

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    1. Kathy4 December 2017 at 20:45

      Thank, Jennifer. It's nice to be back after so long. We are fine and I hope you and your family are well and enjoying the preparations for Christmas.

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  10. Helva4 December 2017 at 17:57

    Hooray, Perpetua's back! Lovely to have your Advent musings again, m'dear. Wish I'd known Bp Andy was going to be at Llani yesterday - I might have put in an appearance. We sang 'Lo He comes' at Terence Bryan's funeral on Thursday - it's one of my very favourite hymns, and enhanced what was a wonderful service. See you soon. Love & blessings.

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    1. Kathy4 December 2017 at 20:48

      I know, I know... it's been far too long, Helva, but I simply couldn't miss Advent Sunday. I'm afraid I've been so busy since we got home that it didn't occur to me to tell you about Andy's visit. Sorry to hear about Terence Bryan. I remember him from my library days. xx

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  11. Penny O'Neill12 December 2017 at 03:40

    At long last you post at Advent, Perpetua, and here I am more than a week later finally reading, enjoying, being uplifted and commenting. I love the Advent season and your sharing of it makes it all the more meaningful. Thank you.

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    1. Kathy12 December 2017 at 16:25

      It's I who should be apologising for being absent for so long, Penny, but I simply couldn't let the beginning of Advent go by without posting. Like you, I love Advent and try to mark it and make it special in its own right. Wishing you a very happy and peaceful Advent season.

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  12. Dee18 December 2017 at 19:55

    Dear Perpetua, your posting was a gift to me today. I enjoy following you on Facebook, but I so enjoy your blog postings. Enjoy and relish and learn from and simply rest in the peace that often emanates from your words.

    Thank you for sharing the music. In the Roman Catholic Church we never really sang so many of the hymns that Anglicans/Episcopalians and other denominations sang for their services. So I missed a rich and abiding heritage. I'm always grateful when someone posts a hymn and I learn a new one.

    I know from Facebook that you are enjoying this Advent season of hope and expectation and of trust that all shall be well. Here in the States, our government is testing that hope and trust in many of us. We seem to be in a dark time of racism and isolationism and divisiveness and xenophobia. Please pray for us here that the Light that dawns at Christmas will enter the hearts and minds of all of us and we will unite to do good to one another. That we will dwell in Oneness with all on Earth and in the heavens. Peace.

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    1. Kathy19 December 2017 at 19:55

      I'm so glad you enjoyed the post, Dee, and especially that I've introduced you to a new and magnificent hymn. Charles Wesley was one of our greatest hymn-writers and was fortunate to have his words set to wonderful music.

      Yes, I'm enjoying Advent, as I always do, but like you I find the world a darker and more difficult place than it was a year or two ago. Your country is wrestling with an unpredictable and divisive administration while mine is mired in the deep uncertainties and division caused by the vote to leave the European Union. I think it isn't easy for either of us to hold on to the hope of peace and love and unity which is the message of Christmas, but I pray that both our countries will come through this difficult time unscathed, or at least as unscathed as circumstances allow.

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I welcome your comments and will always try to respond to them. Thank you for reading.

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