Messy Watchnight

Families Watchnight

Whatever description you prefer, it was a wonderful afternoon with around 20 children aged zero to ten years of age, parents and grandparents.

After devouring Christmas tree pizza, haribo cakes and other assorted treats they busily deocarted angel biscuits, made gift boxes and angel decorations before hearing the story of Harold, the angel who could not sing.

A wonderful way to spend a wet, windy and raw cold afternoon, and seems to have been much appreciated by those who came.

Thanks to the angels A, B, G, M and M whose efforts made it all possible.

Now I am relaxing at home ahead of tomorrow's festivities.

In the days of Caesar

By Waldo Williams tr. Rowan Williams

In the days of Caesar, when his subjects went to be reckoned,

There was a poem mad, too dark for him (naïve with power)

to read

It was a bunch of shepherds who discovered

in Bethlehem of Judah, the great music beyond reason and

reckoning:

shepherds, the sort of folk who leave the ninety-nine behind

so as to bring the stray back home, dawning toward cock-crow,

the birthday of the Lamb of God, shepherd of mortals.

Well, little people, and my nation, can you see

The secret buried in you, that no Caesar ever captures in his lists?

Will not the shepherd come to fetch us in our desert,

Gathering us in to give us birth again, weaving us into one

In a song heard in the sky over Bethlehem?

He seeks us out as wordhoard for his workmanship, the laureate

of heaven

Today's 'Haphazrd by Starlight' poem, which I loved, stirred memories of this poem I encountered in one of the 'anthologies for schools' we had back in the 1970s.  I had some fun and games with the formatting, but the font that shows seems very approrpiate - reminding me of the old teletype character sets

jollymerry 
hollyberry 
jollyberry 
merryholly 
happyjolly 
jollyjelly 
jellybelly 
bellymerry 
hollyheppy 
jollyMolly 
marryJerry 
merryHarry 
happyBarry 
heppyJarry 
bobbyheppy 
berryjorry 
jorryjolly 
moppyjelly 
Mollymerry 
Jerryjolly 
bellyboppy 
jorryhoppy 
hollymoppy 
Barrymerry 
Jarryhappy 
happyboppy 
boppyjolly 
jollymerry 
merrymerry 
merrymerry 
merryChris 
ammerryasa 
Chrismerry 
asMERRYCHR 
YSANTHEMUM

Seasonal Ghazal

By Harry Gilonis

The silent starts descend to us

Come angel seraph sheep pear-tree

O holy o cold

Dawn come in snow

Offspring of day

Light is lily above us

Glory birds, calling birds

Sun, the fields shining

The day, the earth, skies

Peace, contemplation and music

Hosanna, no, holly stand

Suddenly tree displayed

The yonder star our comfort

Bring time again

Joy, excelsis a-leaping

World and hope embrace

Lullaby image and sing sing

A happy new begin

If you go into a large department store in any town or city, you will find tall, elegant Christmas trees, perfectly upright and tastefully decorated with matching baubles carefully arranged.  Or you could have a Christmas tree that's a bit like mine - more than twenty years old, a bit skew-whiff and shoogly.  There are matching baubles, those that have survived the years, but the lights aren't quite long enough to reach the top.  Then there are the tiny nutcracker dolls, a gift from my sister, the wooden letter 'C' a gift from a friend, and the squished, glitter laden decoration of dubious descriotion made by a godchild, to name just a few.  It is this latter kind of tree, in its lopsided loveliness that truly says something about Christmas because it overflows with love - given and received - through many years and in different places.

Our carol service cum nativity was, I ventured to suggest even before it began, more like the latter than the former, delivered with lashings of love.

At times laugh out loud funny, at others aching endearing, with small children singing solos, and a real live dog to visit the manger, as well as adult and childrens' choirs, poems, Bible readings, advent candles, a parol lantern (looking east) and prayers, it was a brilliant morning, loads of fun, full of life and love.

Thank you Gatherers and friends for making it such a wonderful service.