Christmas Devotions: God of Good News in Hidden Places

As I read this Iona Christmas prayer, I reflected on both Josefina as hidden and her captors and how badly they need to hear the good news. I also thought of the joy the children at St. Thomas brought us through their sharing the good news during the Christmas pageant. May the mission work of St. Thomas in 2011 continue to celebrate the good news and look for God in hidden places.

God of good news,
today you begin again to reshape our lives and communities.
You do not start from the outside,but from within.
You begin in the hidden place.
Behind the inn.Before the marriage.At the wrong time.
You invite a handful of guests into your company.
Shepherds.Local children perhaps.Maybe some animals.
You join the community of the invisible ones.
The homeless and hopeless.Refugees,fleeing a tyrant king.
Later,you find fisherfolk.And a tax collector.More children.
The small.The unimportant.The forgotten.The frightened.
These are the people you choose,
as little by little you start sharing
the secrets of a kingdom that will change the whole world.
From within.From the hidden place.

God of good news:
as we celebrate worldwide the tidings of your birth,
as we set the heavens echoing with angel songs,
as we contemplate new year and pray for peace on earth…
remind us of the hidden places,of the forgotten people,
of the starting-points and the time it takes,
of the pace of the slowest and the dreams of the children
and the human scale and the soul of our towns
and the freedom to create secret dens.

Remind us that the great joy promised to the whole people
starts with those who need it most,in places where they hide.
Remind us,with all our seasonal cheer and tinsel,
that some people are left out in the cold;
that it is there,with them,that you are being born into the world again;
that it is there,through them,that you will change the world.
God of good news,
help us to find you again
in the hidden place.
Amen

Note from Josefina

Hola como estan espero que bien despues del gran susto que les di. Bueno solo queria agradeserles por no averse olvidado de mi en este momento tan duro que pase pero sobre todo les doy las gracias por no aver dejado sola a mi mama ahora que los necesitava muho. Gracias por todo el apresio y amor que le tienen a mi familia muchisimas gracias que Dios los bendiga.

Hi, how are you, I hope that you are well after this big scare that I gave you. So, I just wanted to thank you for not forgetting about me during this difficult time that I went through and to say that I am thankful that you didn't leave my mom's side either because she also needed your support a lot. Thank you for the care and love that you have for my family. Many thanks, God bless.

Advent Letter from Chichipate, Guatemala

Ellen from Sister Parish visited Chichipate this week, took these photos and brought the following letter for us all. The photos are of Modesta's family, a woman participating in the purse project. They have three generations living together. It's so great to see these photos and receive news so quickly after Ellen's visit!

If you wish to try some tamales this month and think of our brothers and sisters in Chichipate, Feast bakery and coffee shop across from Templeton school sells them in both fresh and frozen versions. Enjoy!

December 7, 2010

Dear brothers and sisters from St. Thomas Church,

We send you many greetings and blessings during this Advent season and thank you for your letter. We enjoyed hearing about the traditions of your Church.

This year the Advent and Christmas celebration is being organized by the youth of our congregation. In Chichipate we celebrate Advent with “Posadas” or resting places, for Mary and Joseph on their way to Bethlehem. The Posadas start on December 16th and visit nine different houses, before ending at the church on Christmas Eve. The Posada is like a procession and is accompanied by singing of Christmas songs, fireworks and many people. It goes into one each night and the people accompanying the Posada are served a hot beverage and sing carols and pray.

The youth are selling tamales and other things to raise money to buy the decorations for the Posadas and for the church. They will also buy a Christmas tree and lights. After Christmas Mass on the 24th, there will be a cultural show put on by the youth, coffee and, of course, tamales. The SP committee and the Church committee will make hundreds of tamales for this celebration. Mass usually lasts from 7 to 10 pm, the show until 12 or 1 am and then people go home to continue the celebration with more coffee or hot chocolate, tamales or other special foods like turkey or pork.

In Martin’s house, the whole family gathers after Mass to share tamales. Sometimes they sleep on Christmas Eve and sometimes they stay up all night.

At Teresa’s house they burn Mayan incense called Copalpom to give thanks to God. They give each person in the family a candle to symbolize the light of the new Baby Jesus for the world. They eat tamales or sometimes meat and drink hot chocolate.

There are some people that spend the whole night at the church praying and setting off fireworks.

Many blessings and peace

May you have a Blessed Christmas and a Prosperous New Year

Chichipate Sister Parish Committee.

Prayers of Thanksgiving for Josefina and her Angels

We just received some remarkable news that Josefina has escaped after being held all this time in a variety of dark places by those who kidnapped her. A woman helped her escape and she is now reunited with her mother. We ask for ongoing prayers for safety and courage for Josefina, her mother, the woman who helped her escape and the Sister Parish representatives helping with this process. This is truly a story of hope and courage as Josefina emerged from utter darkness into the amazing light. The following materials are from an Iona service dedicated to women of courage.

Reading
Our faith is a light, the kindly gift of that endless day which is our Father, God. By this
light, our Mother Christ, and our good Lord the Holy Spirit lead us into this fleeting
life. When the time of trial has passed, suddenly our eyes shall be opened and in the
brightness of light we shall see fully. This light is God our maker, and the Holy Spirit in
Christ Jesus our Saviour.
~Julian of Norwich

Creed
WE BELIEVE IN GOD,
WHO BROUGHT FORTH LIGHT FROM CHAOS AND DARKNESS.
WE BELIEVE IN JESUS,
WHO FACED THE DARKNESS OF THE GRAVE
AND ROSE FROM DEATH TO LIFE AND GLORY.
WE BELIEVE IN THE HOLY SPIRIT,
WHO WALKS WITH US IN DARKNESS AND LIGHT.
WE BELIEVE THAT WE ARE SURROUNDED ALWAYS
BY A GREAT COMPANY OF SAINTS AND ANGELS.
WE BELIEVE THAT WE ARE CALLED TO SHARE AND PROCLAIM
THE JUSTICE AND WONDER OF GOD.
AMEN


Last, Suzanne H. has highlighted a presentation by her friend Dec. 9th at the library and it relates to Josefina's situation - human trafficking:


Many Faces of Human Trafficking: Global Issues Community Discussion Series
Stepanka Korytova, Ph.D. and Julie McGinnis, J.D. of Middle Way House give a presentation on illegal trafficking in humans in Midwestern cities, focused on U.S. and local Indiana legislation, and community options. A partnership program with the Center for the Study of Global Change at Indiana University. Presenter: Stepanka Korytova, Ph.D.; Julie McGinnis, J.D. Middle Way House. Contact: Adult/Teen Services, MCPL, 34803228. Age Range: Adults. Cost: Free. Communities: Bloomington. Thursday, December 9, 2010, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM. Program Room 2B, Second Floor Monroe County Public Library 303 E. Kirkwood Ave. Bloomington.

Mission Media Suggested Book

If you are looking for a good read, Carol S. has suggested the following book to us all. If we have several people who read it, perhaps over the holidays, then we can gather and discuss it over a warm drink in January. The first BBC link describes the boy from Malawi and his amazing story, then the second link is to the book itself.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8257153.stm

http://www.amazon.com/Boy-Who-Harnessed-Wind-Electricity/dp/0061730327

Specific Prayers for Guatemala

As we walk along side our brothers and sisters in Guatemala, we have two very difficult situations for our prayers:

1) A teenage girl, Josefina Juarez, disappeared and we are praying for her and her family. Pastor Lyle and Suzanne met her during their Solidarity Delegation trip. Our congregation has written a letter to request appropriate follow up on the case, which has not yet happened, according to the information we have received. Here is a photo of young Josefina.

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=es&u=http://agn.gob.gt/agn/index.php%3Foption%3Dcom_content%26view%3Darticle%26id%3D1907:romelia-josefina-juarez-sajic%26catid%3D93:alba-keneth%26Itemid%3D205&ei=jvYATaSoJ8uQnwep98TlDQ&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBwQ7gEwAA&prev=/search%3Fq%3Djosefina%2Bjuarez%2Bsajic%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26rls%3Den%26prmd%3Divo

2) We pray for the family of Adolfo Ich Chaman, who was killed in a conflict in Chichipate over mining and land rights. Below is a website sent to us by Sister Parish that describes the lawsuit that is being brought against HudBay Minerals for the murder of Chamán. The site contains all sorts of information about the conflict between the mine and the communities, as well as the history of violence there.

http://www.chocversushudbay.com/

Advent Devotions

The Iona Community is an ecumenical Christian community, committed to seeking new ways of living the gospel in today's world, striving to rebuild the common life, bringing together the sacred and the secular. With a strong emphasis on justice and peace, many of their devotions relate quite well to mission related ministries. Here are a few selected Iona Advent devotions to stir us.

Re-enchanted

Within these fragmented days,
a gentle invitation
threads through our lives,
reminding us that all is sacred
and rooted
in a love that knows no bounds
And with that quiet knowledge we re-enchant our times,
taking risks on holy ground:
hearing God’s heartbeat in our global discomfort,
halting our harshness in our work for justice,
loosening our souls as our fears are named,
recognising new markers
in the passions of our prayers.

Re-enchanted,
we journey freely,
re-imagining God’s presence
with re-awakened minds;
discovering afresh that surprising healing Word

which today, so powerfully,
illumines our poverty of understanding.
~ Iona Advent, Peter Millar

Darkness and Light: A Creed for Advent

We believe in God,
robed in splendour,
veiled in mystery,
ruler alike of darkness and light.
We encounter God
in Jesus Christ,
who was tortured and put to death,
but whose radiance could not be quenched;
whose touch brings a blaze of colour
to a dull, drab world:
reviving the weary,
healing the wounded,
dazzling the satisfied.
We walk with God,
guided by the light of God’s loving spirit,
who enters the shadowed places of our hearts
and leads us into truth and life.
We wait for God,
and for the fulfilment of God’s promises,
for the time when the darkness will hold no fear
and the light will no longer blind,
but creation will be made whole once more
and God’s peace will reign for ever.
Amen
~Iona Advent, Cally Booker


The Voice of God

The voice of God is the voice crying out for justice:
the voice aching for wholeness;
the voice ranging ahead of us,
inviting us to stand fast for justice,
caressing our vulnerability,
tempting us to become whole.
In stillness, let us seek to become open to the voice of God.

We pray:
With people who only hear tormenting voices
raging inside their heads … self-destructive voices,
oppressive voices saying, ‘You’re no good’,
‘You’re wicked’, ‘You’re no one’ …

For people whose voices boom so loudly
they imagine they speak with the voice of God;
for multinational corporations,
dictators and bullies, politicians lost in their own self-importance,
countries who imagine they have a special calling from God …
With those whose voices don’t seem to count;
whose mouths move, but no one listens.
Whose voices can’t penetrate the plate glass of our indifference …

For ourselves: who are assaulted by a Babel of voices telling us,
‘You need this’, ‘You want that’,
‘Buy this product, you’ll be more popular.
You’ll be more beautiful.’
In silence, we strain to hear the voice of God.
Silence (extended)
Out of the troubles of silence gather us,

Voice of God:
agitate and excite us,
startle us with your unexpected presence,
ready us to act for justice. Amen
~Iona Advent, Rachel Mann


Send Us Out With Aniticipation and Joy

At this time of Advent,
fire our imaginations
with the sweep of your salvation.
Catch us up
in the cause of your kingdom,
already breaking into this world
in our ransomed lives
yet waiting for its final fulfilment when Christ shall come again.
And let your Spirit,
wild as the wind,
gentle as the dove,
move within us and among us,
to enliven our worship and strengthen our faith
and send us out with anticipation and joy.
~Iona Advent, John Harvey

Thank you for your support of Sister Parish

Thank you St. Thomas for supporting our Sister Parish relationship with Chichipate, Guatemala through your purchases of SERRV holiday gift items and donations supporting the handcrafted purses. The handcrafted purse project is a joint project between our two communities, providing the women with an income, supporting their community and the ongoing delegations between our communities. Please let us know if you would like to get involved with Sister Parish - we are planning on a delegation in 2011 to visit Chichipate. Let's keep them in our prayers as we celebrate Advent and Christmas together as brothers and sisters in Christ.

MCUM Family Blessings for Christmas

Thank you St. Thomas and Thrivent for the opportunity to share with a family in need in our area. The Mission Committee voted during our November meeting to seek Thrivent funds to be used at MCUM. What a blessing it was to think about them by name, shop for items they need (coats, boots, etc. and a few fun items) and pray for them. Please continue to keep Jairo, Rosa and Daniel (5 yrs old) in your prayers. MCUM is such a wonderful organization and St. Thomas has participated in a variety of ways in their ministries over the years. Here is their beautiful mission statement and some photos of our adopted family's Christmas items.

United Ministries' Mission Statement

Monroe County United Ministries is a nurturing organization serving working families and those in distress by assisting with emergency needs and subsidized childcare. We provide quality education and a safe place for children, basic needs assistance for the poor and community service opportunities.

United Ministries' Values

We believe in children:

In striving for positive development, well being and safety of children
That by providing our services to children, we benefit the community in the future
In providing services to meet developmental needs
In the commitment to licensing standards

We believe in families:

In families in their own diversity
In helping families to meet their goals
That families receiving services 'belong'
In translating human values to the children and parents
In parents striving to improve the life of children

We believe in people:

In the intrinsic worth of every person
In non-discrimination
That people in need deserve help
In targeting our services to those in need
In helping those who are willing to help themselves
In acknowledging our role as collaborator with the person in need
In a holistic approach

We believe in faith:

That faith serves as the foundation for action
In acting on our faith
That supreme guidance leads our work

We believe in ourselves:

In our own knowledge and skills - that we merit support in community
In good stewardship
In accountability
In lifelong learning