Okay, I want to be honest about something tonight. I have been going, going, going for days, weeks. Sometimes, I feel like the game Atari Pong. We still had my dad's game when we were younger. My brother and I would play it on the old TV in our upstairs bedroom. My favorite part of the game was when the Pong block would get "stuck" and just go back and forth horizontally. That is what it has kind of felt like lately with work, school, church, and trips to Oswego. So honestly, Holy Walk this year seemed kind of like another thing on the calendar.
Holy Walk is this great event in Bremen that has been around for 28 years. In fact, my parents were involved in organizing the original Holy Walk and it was at our farm. It is a journey to Bethlehem and includes encounters with Mary and Joseph, shepherds, angels, the innkeeper at the inn, the merchants in the village, Jesus in the manger, and the wise men.
With some reluctance, I donned the angel garb and headed out in the cold with my trumpet and halo. The amazing thing is that it was so worth it. The "heavenly hosts" had a riotous time telling stories, laughing, eating. Several groups had passed by and then this special group came up to visit the shepherds.
Upon observing the signal, I did the little trumpet fanfare and exclaimed:
"Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger." (Luke 2:10-12, ESV)
As I said, "Fear not," every person, EVERY PERSON, kneeled. Now typically, the shepherds will kneel and maybe a few kids, but in this group, every person kneeled.
Then, the rest of the angels sang,
"Glory to God in the Highest,
Peace on Earth,
Goodwill,
Toward men."
Wow.
Seeing those folks kneeling, hearing the angels singing, I thought about worship, about Heaven and Earth touching, about praising God.
Glory to God in the Highest!
Friday, December 5, 2008
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2 comments:
I don't mean to get into apologetics, just want to mention what your thoughts remind me of, particularly the line about heaven and earth touching. It first reminded me of reading The Lamb's Supper: The Mass as Heaven on Earth, which thoroughly changed my understanding of Mass early in college. A shorter, online read that it also reminded me of was the beautiful imagery and passion of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin in chapter 1 of Hymn of the Universe, titled The Mass on the World.
(Lastly, check out Advent Conspiracy if you haven't already! :)
This was beautiful.
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