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| Greeting card by Ken Martin |
I've always found that I have much more freedom to start a drawing or painting on a blemished paper/canvas. And I'm noticing that perhaps in life I also do better in the non-expectation times-- that too much pressure of expectations (mostly my own) prevents me from receiving the fullness of time and relationships. So, I'm into the full swing of appreciating the full meaning of Christmas at the closing of January 1st, 2012.
1. Thank goodness for my liturgical background--Christmas season begins Christmas day and goes until January 6th... so I'm actually being a very appropriately joyful. However, I don't know that this is a religious joy as much as it is a "no-more-pressure-of-expectations"joy...
2. Which leads me to my second point, expectations-- what's up with them? why does our human nature struggle so much with expectation. I've wondered if expectations and the issues therein are due to personality, or cultural values, or control issues, but have decided that its also just a universal human nature.
3. Expectations: a human issue... i was listening to "come though long expected Jesus" and realized that the whole problem of Jesus was that he didn't come in expected forms, in expected ways, to meet the expectations of many who had been waiting for him.
4. And at the same time, this expectation-defying nature of Christ is what ultimately should give us all permission to be failures of a sort. The meaning of life is not about all the control, the planning, the perfect hosting, the perfect friendships, perfect marriages, perfect parents, perfect house, perfect bodies, perfect behaviors, perfect manifestations of religion or lack of religion, or any other area of life we are so busy striving away at.
The lyrics of this hymn are from Charles Wesley so of course they are fantastic and hold with them all the mystery of the Christian faith in such a concise way.
Particular lines that struck me include the following:
Come, thou long expected Jesus,
born to set thy people free; Free-- to set us free, i.e. we are all naturally captive
from our fears and sins release us, Fears and sins-- i usually focus on "sins", but fears are as binding
let us find our rest in thee. Rest--not answers, not control, not miracles, not status, etc
Israel's strength and consolation, Strength and consolation--they are basically the same thing, our strength comes in his presence/consolation with us
hope of all the earth thou art;
dear desire of every nation,
joy of every longing heart.
These last three lines are just so sure of the joy that this freedom, rest, consolation will mean in every longing heart
Born thy people to deliver, born a child and yet a King, nothing truer than a paradox
born to reign in us forever, now thy gracious kingdom bring. gracious kingdom; i want to be part of bringing a gracious kingdom
By thine own eternal spirit rule in all our hearts alone; how many other things are ruling my heart
by thine all sufficient merit,
raise us to thy glorious throne.sigh, his all sufficient merit is the means to his glory
Speaking of expectations... what have I done in this formatting to have these words starting on one line and breaking off into the second one in a very disturbing manner???? any bloggers out there can advise me, am hoping that it just self corrects next post around!
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