FROM: Banbury, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
ABOUT ME: Living the highs and lows of life in the adventurous pursuit of God Himself and of who I'm meant to be as the Bride of Christ.
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Friday, December 18, 2009,5:16 p.m.
THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS
Here's something my mom received on e-mail recently. I can't account for its validity, except to say that historically, Catholicism was indeed illegal in England during those years (Protestantism being the official religion). Catechism classes would therefore indeed not have been allowed and could possibly have given rise to this song. However, minutiae aside, I still thought it was a pretty cool story, and true or not it gives a pretty unique perspective on this familiar old carol.
Merry Christmas, everyone.
THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS
There is one Christmas Carol that has always baffled me. What in the world do leaping lords, French hens, swimming swans, and especially the partridge who won't come out of the pear tree have to do with Christmas? This week, I found out.
From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.
The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.
Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.
Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.
The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.
The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.
Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit--Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.
The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.
Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.
The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.
The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.
The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.
So there is your history for today. This knowledge was shared with me and I found it interesting and enlightening and now I know how that strange song became a Christmas carol...so pass it on if you wish.
Merry Christmas, everyone.
THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS
There is one Christmas Carol that has always baffled me. What in the world do leaping lords, French hens, swimming swans, and especially the partridge who won't come out of the pear tree have to do with Christmas? This week, I found out.
From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.
The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.
Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.
Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.
The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.
The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.
Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit--Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.
The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.
Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.
The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.
The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.
The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.
So there is your history for today. This knowledge was shared with me and I found it interesting and enlightening and now I know how that strange song became a Christmas carol...so pass it on if you wish.
Sunday, December 13, 2009,9:02 p.m.
SO HUNGRY
Lord, I want more of You
Living Water, reign down on me
Lord, I need more of You
Living Breath of Life, come fill me up
We are hungry, we are hungry
We are hungry for more of You
We are thirsty, Oh Jesus
We are thirsty, Oh Jesus
We are thirsty of more of You
We lift our holy hands up, we want to touch You
We lift our holy hands up, we want to touch You
We lift our voices higher and higher and higher to You
("We Are Hungry" Steve Fee)
I've false-started in writing my thoughts on these words that are playing on my iTunes too many times. I simply cannot express what this song is stirring in my heart tonight. I think all I can say is:
AMEN.
Friday, December 11, 2009,7:43 p.m.
INSPIRATION AND INFLUENCE
I love to read. Love it. I have a library - for real. Not a bookshelf, but a library. (Lately it's also been a lending library - hoping that works out for me....) Exhibit A is below:
If my "library" looks like I'm trying to be snooty, please notice the obnoxious orange chair (in which I'm currently sitting), recovered in 1972 by someone with a love of fur-like material. That should balance out any accusation of pretensions to snobbery that may arise from my love of books. (Man, I really need to get that chair re-upholstered.....)
Generally I read books - novels especially, like murder mysteries and classic literature. Tonight I was reading something a little different. I stumbled onto someone else's writings (Andy Merrick's, to be precise - I can't remember how I stumbled on his blog originally ..... someone must have sent me a link) and was realizing how enjoyable it was to read someone's thoughts and wit and actually to laugh aloud at some of the things I read. (It's fortunate to be alone when these things occur.) And a funny thing happened. As I read someone else's thoughts and writings, I got inspired to come here and write something of my own. Needless to say, inspiration has waned for me a little in the last few weeks and it's been a large chunk of time again since I've posted anything new (to the point that I'm quite certain no one will read this as everyone has by now given up checking in on my blog to see if it's changed).
I had a second thought after that initial recognition of inspiration. The second thought involved influence. What if something we do well has the power to influence others who do the same? For instance, attending a symphony concert always makes me want to head home and practice my violin, even if it is midnight. Hanging out with worship-crazy people makes me want to dive into a deeper understanding and exercise of true worship. Having a conversation with someone who has just read a great book makes me want to go home and read something new.
We all have gifts and passions. I believe that just in the very exercise of those passions we have the ability to influence people to exercise their own passions, whether it is in the same area or a different one. Perhaps that is a heavy thought to some - the thought of a responsibility within the things that we might do simply for enjoyment. For me, the thought is a freeing one. Who knows but that with the simple and passionate love I have for Jesus I might influence someone else to dig deeper to to receive His love more freely. Who's to say? And just as Andy Merrick will likely never know I have read his blog once or twice and that I was inspired by his skill with the written word, I don't need to know the results of my own living with passion. I can be free from a sense of obligation and simply live my life with abandon - continue to run after the things that God has placed in my heart. It is a letting go of agenda and instead experiencing an enjoyment in the moment.
To me, that sounds the abundant life that we have been offered. And I wonder how much more influence it would actually have if people could see that our lives as Believers are lived from the place of conviction and passion instead of a place of motivation and obligation. The irony is that if we truly live with passion and conviction and free ourselves, even as Believers, from what appears to others as a hidden agenda, we will never know what that influence was or will be. I rather like that idea myself.
Can you imagine, if we were all truly hidden in this way, how much clearer God Himself will be? Now that is an inspiring thought....
If my "library" looks like I'm trying to be snooty, please notice the obnoxious orange chair (in which I'm currently sitting), recovered in 1972 by someone with a love of fur-like material. That should balance out any accusation of pretensions to snobbery that may arise from my love of books. (Man, I really need to get that chair re-upholstered.....)
Generally I read books - novels especially, like murder mysteries and classic literature. Tonight I was reading something a little different. I stumbled onto someone else's writings (Andy Merrick's, to be precise - I can't remember how I stumbled on his blog originally ..... someone must have sent me a link) and was realizing how enjoyable it was to read someone's thoughts and wit and actually to laugh aloud at some of the things I read. (It's fortunate to be alone when these things occur.) And a funny thing happened. As I read someone else's thoughts and writings, I got inspired to come here and write something of my own. Needless to say, inspiration has waned for me a little in the last few weeks and it's been a large chunk of time again since I've posted anything new (to the point that I'm quite certain no one will read this as everyone has by now given up checking in on my blog to see if it's changed).
I had a second thought after that initial recognition of inspiration. The second thought involved influence. What if something we do well has the power to influence others who do the same? For instance, attending a symphony concert always makes me want to head home and practice my violin, even if it is midnight. Hanging out with worship-crazy people makes me want to dive into a deeper understanding and exercise of true worship. Having a conversation with someone who has just read a great book makes me want to go home and read something new.
We all have gifts and passions. I believe that just in the very exercise of those passions we have the ability to influence people to exercise their own passions, whether it is in the same area or a different one. Perhaps that is a heavy thought to some - the thought of a responsibility within the things that we might do simply for enjoyment. For me, the thought is a freeing one. Who knows but that with the simple and passionate love I have for Jesus I might influence someone else to dig deeper to to receive His love more freely. Who's to say? And just as Andy Merrick will likely never know I have read his blog once or twice and that I was inspired by his skill with the written word, I don't need to know the results of my own living with passion. I can be free from a sense of obligation and simply live my life with abandon - continue to run after the things that God has placed in my heart. It is a letting go of agenda and instead experiencing an enjoyment in the moment.
To me, that sounds the abundant life that we have been offered. And I wonder how much more influence it would actually have if people could see that our lives as Believers are lived from the place of conviction and passion instead of a place of motivation and obligation. The irony is that if we truly live with passion and conviction and free ourselves, even as Believers, from what appears to others as a hidden agenda, we will never know what that influence was or will be. I rather like that idea myself.
Can you imagine, if we were all truly hidden in this way, how much clearer God Himself will be? Now that is an inspiring thought....