Eleventh Day of Christmas

January 5
Realization of self leads to the choice to be taken, blessed, broken and shared – by our Beloved spouse, our family, our work, our ministry, ourselves. This is the eleventh gift of Christmas – the penetrating mirror that shows us ourselves as only a harrowing journey can upon reflection from the warm safety of a welcoming inn. Having lost ourselves, we find ourselves and realize there is safety only in abandonment. We come to realize we are holy fools striving to live out our unique aspect of divinity. We learn to laugh at ourselves and make merry, for as goofy as we are, we are cherished and loved and have a divine expression to whisper loudly through the living of our lives. Merry Christmas, fools!
Patrick

Tenth Day of Christmas

January 4
Having entered the land of despair, embraced it, placed it at the foot of the cross, witnessed it and ourselves transformed so that we see others as God intended them to be, set our priorities through right relationship discovered through grit and sabbath we become more and more capable of experiencing delight in the world around us. The everyday ordinary somehow becomes the holy extraordinary. Rather, we recognize the holy extraordinary as having always been there. This is the incarnation. Emmanuel, God is with us. This is the tenth gift of Christmas – seeing wonderment in all about us. Merry Christmas!
Patrick

Ninth Day of Christmas

January 3
Sabbath. A day of rest. The key to creating and maintaining right relationship. One day a week set aside for nothing other than entering into relationship with those closest to us. It makes no difference that we’re busy and have no time for a whole day without anything scheduled – we don’t have time not to. Here’s why. When one day is set aside with nothing planned, the purpose and proper proportion of the doings of the rest of the week become clear. Not right away. Over time. Get out your calendars right now. Decide on a day of the week that works for you. Cross it through for the next three months, rescheduling or canceling anything in the way. Live it for three months – discover what it is. Keep it sacred and the rest of your week will become sacred also. This is the ninth gift of Christmas and the key to right relationship. Merry Christmas!
Patrick

Eighth Day of Christmas

January 2
Having emerged from the depths of despair, we yearn to help others. Yet afore we can minister outward we must first and always see to our primary vocation – marriage. Our first responsibility is always to our Beloved spouse and our children. Our Beloved spouse and the love we share (children, in part) are the eighth gift of Christmas. Our work and ministry mean nothing if they create ministerial widows, widowers, and orphans. Only by seeking the depths of right relationship with our Beloved can we have any idea what it ought to look like in serving others. There is a hierarchy of service: Spouse and family, work, then ministry. Right relationship must be seen to in that order of priority. Society tends to fall short in its support of these priorities and they must be fought for, as is required, for right relationship. Merry Christmas!
Patrick

Seventh Day of Christmas

January 1
I’m not convinced we ever truly leave the land of despair once we’ve been there. But the very fact that we’ve been there prepares us to minister to others. For it was someone else who showed us the way out. We couldn’t find it on our own. They found us and just by being with us they gave us hope. They walked with us through the carnage, acknowledged the horror of it all and yet still had that spark about them, unquenchable. They somehow knew victory was already won, that life is stronger than death, and hope conquers despair. And they gave that spark to us afore they departed. They showed us the power of community. We do not journey alone. They showed us the power of hope. They showed us how to see with God’s eyes. For what in despair appears naught but caked mud and clotted blood is, in reality, the embodiment of God infused into all of creation and just slightly covered by our inhumanity. Our humanity awaits underneath. And despair no longer holds any power over us. The seventh gift of Christmas is seeing all creation, particularly all people, as what God created them to be rather than just what they’ve thus far chosen to be. Merry Christmas!