Comments on: Sunday Collection: Advent

By: My top twenty posts in 2007 | Anchors and Masts

My top twenty posts in 2007 | Anchors and Masts — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 15:36:49 +0000

[...] December23: Sunday Collection: Advent [...]

By: Tess

Tess — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 09:53:23 +0000

Kazi, thank you. Yes, we have seen news of the drought in Australia, and hope this year brings some relief.

By: Kazi

Kazi — Tue, 25 Dec 2007 12:12:15 +0000

Tess this is such a beautiful gift. We are suffering drought here in Australia and of course (particularly where I am) we do not have such dramatic change of season, of which I am envious – however watching this gave me an incredibly sense of experiencing Winter Solstice. Thank you for this blessing may the new year usher in for you the gift of love and peace – God Bless.

By: Tess

Tess — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 09:00:08 +0000

Thank you Barbara and Elaine, and Barbara I like this image of the Unconquered Sun (Son) – yes, no need there for one or the other, the imagery is perfect.

By: Elaine

Elaine — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 05:35:50 +0000

I’ve read the individual posts in blog-reading spurts throughout the day, beginning early this morning. Thank you, Tess, and to the commenters for helping me appreciate the connection between Christmas and the Solstice.

By: Barbara

Barbara — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 19:49:45 +0000

I remember hearing that the timing of the Christmas celebration was strategically aligned with the Roman feast of Sol Invictus, the Unconquered Sun. It is a marvelous image for an incarnational religion to draw upon. Consider how liberating it must feel to the people living in northern climes when the creeping darkness is turned back and daylight hours grow with each passing day.

By: Tess

Tess — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 18:39:30 +0000

Lucy, thank you – this comment is so fabulous. You were one of the people I felt bad about leaving out! I think I’m going to rename the blog Decadent Hallelujah Icing!
On the co-opting of the solstice celebration, I heard another take on that this week in a letter to a newspaper. The writer said that in fact at the point the date for Christmas was decided on, Christianity was still quite a small religion, unable to “co-opt” anything, and the date was chosen in collaboration with, rather than competition with, the pagan celebration.
I have no idea whether the letter-writer was speaking with any authority, but it’s a nice idea.

By: lucy

lucy — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 18:13:47 +0000

you have outdone yourself this sunday!!! i am sitting here having my private little sunday morning worship service and you have just provided the icing on the cake or more aptly the hallelujah chorus!

your collection of post excerpts is exceptional (the “kids” are precious!) and i felt like i had already completed a banquet upon reading it and then, oh my goodness, your video. it is fabulous!!! i honestly don’t recall ever hearing this jethro tull song (maybe it’s the fogginess of those ‘vintage’ days clouding my brain), but the song along with your images was better than the most decadent dessert i could dream up. this is so much more beautiful than all of the sappy christmas sentiments floating around out there.

for some reason, it really sunk in for me this year that jesus wasn’t even born in december and that we, christians, co-opted the pagan solstice celebration for our own. so, i LOVE your video and its tribute to the winter solstice and your post to the time of waiting. it all feels so right!

thank you and blessings, dear friend.