The Wards received a large Christmas package from
grandma Marty this week – not only did it cost an arm and a leg to mail on
their end, the Wards had to pay a £20 tariff to get it on this one – gorgeous
matching outfits for all the kidlets. Take a look! (Ella's little pokey legs - and tongue - sticking straight out - oh, still my heart!)
One funny comment from my American co-hort in the nursery concerning Marley, a
little girl with definite ‘attitude.” You should just see the show she puts on
when, in his arms, her daddy brings her in and she begins to make her fuss. As
soon as he’s gone, it’s like nothing happened – unlike Ella, who can keep it up
for a good long time – and ALMOST convince you.) But more than this, it is in
her facial expressions and actions. Molly quipped, ‘now there’s a diva for you,
a major diva!’ You wouldn’t think that a little 3-year old could possess such airs,
but it’s true, she does!
Grace, a beautiful young Afro-Caribbean woman, who
was recently baptized, (Marley is also Afro-Caribbean) was confirmed today during fast and testimony meeting. She
also bore her testimony – she remarked how she had felt the spirit the very
first time she had attended church meetings, and felt immediately it was the
place she wanted to worship. She thanked everyone who had supported her at her baptism
last Sunday, and said that as she had no family here, she sees members of the
ward as her family now. She was very courageous in all the newness – I felt
very proud of her.
To show you, by contrast, how very different our
ward is, I believe, from yours, while the majority of our members are white (to
give you perspective), five of the first six who bore their testimonies were
black. Pretty awesome cultural experience! Among these testimonies the
statement was made, ‘the Saviour will be our best friend, if only we will let
him.’ Last to bear his testimony was the Bishop who challenged us, ‘do
something this month that will draw you closer to the Saviour than ever before.’
Went directly to the Wards’ after church, as opportunities
to spend time together are drawing down. The children had a few quiet moments
to decorate the tree, then Leah and I played some games with them while Martin attended
to some preparations for tonight’s stake Carol Concert. The organ has really
been acting up – besides being the high counselor over music, he also has a vested
interest as he is the organist for tonight’s festivities.
Tonight in the U.S. and Canada the First Presidency
Christmas Message will be broadcast live. Here, like many other church events,
it will be rebroadcast a week later. We on the other hand are having our
Birmingham Stake Coral Concert. (Just so you know up front, there will be NO ward
choirs as they are not sanctioned by our stake presidency due to the burden of
time and distance travelled by those who may wish to participate. (I know that
is hard to swallow, but I guess the longer you’re here the more it makes sense –
more time to spend with family. Leah has had her share of words with her
priesthood leaders over the matter but has come to ‘see the light.’) Something
we will have that you will not have is WE got to have the Lord Mayor of
Birmingham AND the Lady Mayoress, John and Kathleen Lines, in attendance at the
concert. That is a great honor – also good ‘Pr.’ (I understand that last year
we were graced with our local MP – member of parliament – also a great honor.) Both
the Mayor and the Mayoress wore honorary links of gold chains/medallions – the Major’s
two chains over his fine, official, navy blue jacket. (The office of mayor here is not decided by general election, but rather by a majority of his peers amongst the city councilors.) He had a little to say,
but not much – mostly thanks for our generosity and what great work the
Salvation Army was doing. He was definitely impressed realizing that all the
incredible talent presented in the program came from the members of our stake –
and said so! (It really is quite amazing really – among us Mormons – no matter what
country you’re in!)
The program consisted of the usual prayers and
congregational singing, plus the Primary children singing a musical item, lead
by Leah; also a young single adult choir singing one of my Christmas favorites –
In the Bleak Midwinter. You would really be impressed with these future church,
civic, industry leaders – they will strive ahead both in AND outside the home.
Truly awesome!! Sam, the young lady mentioned in Day 110, played a medley on
the piano. Wow, I had NO idea the professional of her musicality! And then there was Leah’s
rendition of Jesu Bambino. It was pretty delicious to imagine what went on in
the minds of the majority of the persons sitting there: they know her as mother,
nurturer, friend, and Primary President, but I doubt very many of them knew she
is a trained opera singer – and even if she’d told them, they wouldn’t have
realized the full impact of just what that entailed. Beautiful and exhilarating,
it sent chills running up and down my spine. I could have listened to her for
hours!
Another interesting twist to our stake’s
celebration is its alliance with the Salvation Army – going on for a number of
years, I understand. Everyone who can is encouraged to bring toiletry items for
impoverished mothers as well as new toys for children of all ages, unwrapped,
of course. They are neatly displayed on long banquet tables like gifts at a
wedding reception. Quite a nice communal sentiment, I think. One of the
directors of the Salvation Army also sat on the stand and gave longer remarks
than the Lord Mayor. Very nice – helps you feel like you can do something to
give like the little stream: ‘give, then, as Jesus gave, give away, give away;
give then as Jesus gave, there is something all can give.’
I’ve mentioned Diana before, a young woman I am
quite fond of, whose son George is in the nursery; I am always bumping into her
at Stay and Play or at the market or other places. Her husband read a reading
that I have heard before and really like. It is ‘A Short Christmas Sermon:
Keeping Christmas,’ written by Henry Van Dyke. (An extremely brief synopsis of
a life: born in 1852, Van Dyke was professor of
English literature at Princeton,
later by appointment of Woodrow Wilson became
Minister to the Netherlands. Among
his popular writings is the Christmas story, The Other Wise Man, written in
1896. He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters and received many other honors within his
lifetime.) Here is the script for your Christmas reading pleasure – I’m sure
you’ve also heard it before:
Romans chp. 14, v. 6-10: He that regardeth the day, regardeth it
unto the Lord.
It is a good thing to observe Christmas day. The mere marking of
times and seasons, when men agree to stop work and make merry together, is a
wise and wholesome custom. It helps one to feel the supremacy of the common
life over the individual life. It reminds a man to set his own little watch,
now and then, by the great clock of humanity which runs on sun time.
But there is a better thing than the observance of Christmas
day, and that is, keeping Christmas.
Are you willing to forget what you have done for other people,
and to remember what other people have done for you; to ignore what the world
owes you, and to think what you owe the world; to put your rights in the
background, and your duties in the middle distance, and your chances to do a
little more than your duty in the foreground; to see that your fellow-men are
just as real as you are, and try to look behind their faces to their hearts,
hungry for joy; to own that probably the only good reason for your existence is
not what you are going to get out of life, but what you are going to give to
life; to close your book of complaints against the management of the universe,
and look around you for a place where you can sow a few seeds of happiness--are
you willing to do these things even for a day? Then you can keep Christmas.
Are you willing to stoop down and consider the needs and the
desires of little children; to remember the weakness and loneliness of people
who are growing old; to stop asking how much your friends love you, and ask
yourself whether you love them enough; to bear in mind the things that other
people have to bear on their hearts; to try to understand what those who live
in the same house with you really want, without waiting for them to tell you;
to trim your lamp so that it will give more light and less smoke, and to carry
it in front so that your shadow will fall behind you; to make a grave for your
ugly thoughts, and a garden for your kindly feelings, with the gate open--are
you willing to do these things even for a day? Then you can keep Christmas.
Are you willing to believe that love is the strongest thing in
the world--stronger than hate, stronger than evil, stronger than death--and
that the blessed life which began in Bethlehem nineteen hundred years ago is
the image and brightness of the Eternal Love? Then you can keep Christmas.
And if you keep it for a day, why not always?
But you can never keep it alone.
* * * * * *
The
last speaker was President Griffiths, our stake president – one of those
leaders that you revere so much because of their strength and wisdom and the
spirit they exude (especially when as a person they seem like they must be quite
everyday. Our bishop is like this for me, as well – pretty wonderfully goofy,
but as soon as he opens his mouth, in the setting as our ecclesiastical leader,
wonderful things come pouring out.) One phrase he quoted that concerned our relationship
with God and encouraged us to rise to a higher level and become a better person
said to ‘close your book of complaints against the Manager of the Universe.’ I
thought that was an interesting use of words. He suggested three different
ideas for us this Christmas: 1) to give with NO expectation in return; give
because we WANT to help, because it’s the right thing to do, 2) to forgive,
because as Confucius said, to be robbed is nothing - unless you have not forgotten it, and 3) to
seek out opportunities to serve, that by serving we become more substantive
individuals. Good words of wisdom for us all – for any season of the year.
I had never realized how
much a program like this could really, really set the stage for the Christmas
season for me, with ‘the reason for the
season’ clearly impressed upon my heart. Now I am ready to really begin
celebrating Christmas – let the glories begin! (One little thing – with everything
tonight surrounding that most sentimental time of the year, I have to admit
sadly that it is in lovely moments like this that those little twinges of homesickness
creep in and make me miss all the ones back home that I love so dearly. Sniff.
Skype, where are you?!!)
this is basically how the Lord Mayor and his wife, the Lady Mayoress,
appeared
irrefutably this is how the Lord and Ladies of Wardy Castle
looked in their new Christmas duds
making seasons bright
finished product - thanks to artsy Katya
looked in their new Christmas duds
