Slowing Down in Advent by Reading Stories

A Dog in the Manger

“’ I want to put Jesus in the manger!”

You did it last year. It’s my turn.”

No, I’m the oldest, I get to do it.”

Well, I’m the youngest, I think I should!”

Maggie grabbed the figure from Jack and accidentally dropped it face down on the hard floor.

“Now you’ve done it,” cried Jack.”’—Jim Simons, A Dog in the Manger and Other Christmas Stories (Rowman and Littlefield, 2015) p 1.

Jim Simons is an Episcopal priest who decides to write and tell a story for his Christmas Eve sermon every year, which eventually now births into this collection of Christmas sermons called A Dog in the Manger.   Simons reminds us that Jesus tells stories, and the birth narratives consist of two different stories told by two authors, Luke and Matthew. He reminds us that the Christmas season is a time to tell stories about our roots, parents, and grandparents, and our early lives.

Simon’s stories are entertaining and convey a profound, meaningful message of hope: Jesus’ birth signifies God’s love for each of us. The stories are fiction, but they are no doubt drawn from his life experiences. The book’s title comes from the first story about a puppy whose passion is traveling around town, and bringing home to his new owner, all the baby Jesuses from outdoor nativity displays.

  I bought the book a few years ago, when I was preaching more often, looking for material for Christmas sermons. I often preach about Christmas pageants, because I have been involved in so many of them. At least half of Simons’ stories are related to these dramas that consistently add new and unexpected incarnational wisdom to Christmas.

This past year, I have been reading many spiritual nonfiction writings in preparation for this book and two others. As Advent approaches, I know I have been hungry for stories, and serendipitously, this book appears in my stack for Christmas. My goal has been to read at least one story or at least half a story a day, but I cannot put the book down most days. Indeed, perhaps one factor in this craving has been the months I have spent putting reading fiction on hold. A Dog in the Manger is precisely what I needed at the beginning of this liturgical year. I will share it with you if, by chance, you hear a similar call.

Joanna. https://www.joannaseibert.com/

Facing the Unknowns in Our Lives

Charleston: Facing the Unknown

“Facing the unknown is not quite so hard when we consider how much of our life is lived in the heart of mystery. We do not know what may come our way in the next five minutes, much less the next five days. We are given all the tools and skills we need to navigate this reality, but the essence of it always eludes our final grasp.

This is why trust is our currency, and wisdom is our direction. We are explorers. We are travelers of the mind and seafarers of the heart. When we follow the Spirit, the unknown is only a bend in the road.”—Steven Charleston’s Facebook Page.

Bishop Charleston reminds us that even when we think we have made all the plans for our day, something different always happens. It can be just a minor annoyance from a problematic person, a printer problem, or a more serious event, such as an illness, an accident, or even death. We fool ourselves if we think we are in control. I have a friend who says, “I am fine if I have all my ducks in a row.” But, of course, he also says, “But that never happens.”

When we decide to follow the Spirit, what 12-step groups call “doing the next right thing,” we have a chance at a life of peace and surrender to what is happening at that moment. That is living in the present. The precious present.

 This is our gift each day from the God of love. We are to be present in each situation, without worrying about the past or dreading the future. Living in the present is where God meets and speaks to us. In the present moment, we open ourselves to connecting with the Christ within us and the Christ in our neighbor.

Joanna. https://www.joannaseibert.com/

Charleston: Gladness, Gratefulness, Acceptance, Peace

Charleston: Gladness, Gratefulness, Acceptance, Peace

rise and shine. joanna campbell

“Be glad today for the many small graces that line the path of our lives like flowers. Be open to the surprises that may come, and alert to the quiet messages whispered on the wind. Be creative in shaping your life in these few hours, for every day is a blank canvas. Be a blessing to others as the night draws near, and let your evening prayers keep them safe until you awake again.”—Steven Charleston, Facebook Page.

joanna campbell

Every day, we have choices. First, we can obsess over the past, what we have lost, and the mistakes we have made. Second, we can obsess over the future and what we will lose, especially as we age or fall into new mistakes. The past and potential future become our “gods, taking up rent in our heads”—consuming all our time and energy. Our minds keep racing to plan and solve.

Our third choice is to live consciously, moment by moment, in the now. We can enjoy, treasure, and give thanks for each day’s gifts, which come to us in each present moment. This involves an impressive awareness of our surroundings and relationships, an enlargement of our worldview, and getting “out of ourselves.” The challenge is not to forget our mistakes, but to learn from them and make them less often in the future.

Accepting ourselves as works in progress, not as works seeking perfection, is enormous. Acceptance that there is a power greater than ourselves caring for us is paramount. I talk daily with people upset about plans that weren’t going their way, only to become later thankful because “their plan” would have been destructive.

I think of old boyfriends I obsessed over who ignored me as a teenager. I realize today that my life would have been a disaster with any of them. I think of people who came and continue to come into my life to change my direction when I go down the wrong path. I think of people who cared for our children when we couldn’t, or weren’t the ones they needed at the time.

ann gornatti garden

As we age, we may find ourselves filled with anxiety from contemplating the deterioration of health, the death of a spouse, or living on a fixed income, and now living in a time of destructive weather due to climate change. There are so many uncertainties.

We have a part to play in overcoming this. First, we must do our best to keep ourselves healthy through diet, exercise, and proper medical care. But then, our best response should be to wake up each morning with gratitude for the gifts of another day together.  

Acceptance and gratitude are our cornerstones, the primary building blocks to peace and serenity.

 I am writing this so I will continue to remember it.

Joanna. https://www.joannaseibert.com/