Joining the Song - Advent 4

Ice cream angels - made by young people in Llangollen Methodist Church

The angels hover, they bend - their peaceful wings unfurled, and they sing. They sing a song of promise and of peace. They sing a song of hope. They sing a love song.

Will we listen? Will we respond to the challenge to unfurl our wings and work for justice and peace? 

The world is weary, sad and lonely for so many.

In the news this week we have heard of cruelty inflicted on a child and the manipulation and abuse of a woman. We have heard of uncertainty in Syria and continuing warfare and violence in so many places. We have been reminded of the plight of the homeless on cold winter streets and the hunger of children in our wealthy nations.

Will we hear the Angels’ song and unfurl our wings for action?

The final verse of “It came upon the midnight clear” is full of hope. The hope that the promises of God, proclaimed by the prophets will be fulfilled and we will know the time foretold,

When the new heaven and earth shall own,

The Prince of Peace their king,

And all the world repeat the song

Which now the angels sing.

This vision of a world united in singing a song of peace, hope and love seems far distant, and in many ways it is. 

However, our hope is not only for a distant utopia. Our hope is grounded in the present certainty that God is with us, that Jesus, the Prince of Peace is Emmanuel (God with us).

As we light the final candle in our Advent ring and then light the centre candle on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, we proclaim that the promise has been fulfilled and we rejoice.

Making that promise the reality for the whole world is God’s work in which we are called to take part.

Will we unfurl our wings?

Nativity scene from Bolivia

Beneath Angel Wings - Advent 3

Just two hours ago we closed the church doors at the end of the first day of the crib festival. During the day visitors had come to the church to see the display of about 30 crib scenes and listen to music accompanying images of nativity scenes from around the world. Children had coloured, done puzzles and played with figures from child-friendly sets. Mince pies, cakes and biscuits had been eaten and mugs of tea and coffee had been drunk. Most importantly, people had been welcomed and conversations were shared, sometimes going deep.

One comment that I heard several times from people of all ages was, “It is so peaceful.” In the midst of all the seasonal busyness, the church was a welcome haven. People sat and reflected quietly, wrote prayers for the prayer tree, rested, and found refreshment. The noise was hushed.

The third verse of “It came upon the midnight clear” ends with the words:

O hush the noise, ye men of strife,

and hear the angels sing.

The hymn was written by Edmund H. Sears in 1849. He was an American pastor. He wrote from the perspective of personal melancholy following a time of illness, and shortly after war with Mexico. When he wrote there was news of revolution in Europe.  Sears focuses on the song of the angels in the poem. It is a song promising peace, but the peace seems not to have come. Humans at war do not hear the love song of the angels. As we read or hear the news today we may well feel that peace is a distant dream. Two thousand years of wrong have rolled beneath the angels’ song, beneath those unfurled wings of peace which call us to respond.

In Llangollen Methodist Church we have been offering a space and time to hush the noise and hear the song of the angels. For some of those who came this was a special place, a place of welcome and a place of peace.

The poet’s prayer is “hush the noise” and “hear the angels sing.”

This is also my prayer as we wait beneath angel wings.

Ruth M Gee 241214

With Peaceful Wings Unfurled - Advent 2

When I was serving as President of the Methodist Conference, The Vice-President and I led a service for the beginning of the year in Methodist Church House, London. Most of those present were members of the Connexional Team who work so hard to support the work of the Methodist Church. I had chosen to use the image of a butterfly to illustrate change, hope and fulfilment of potential. One of the team, sourced a video clip of a butterfly emerging from the cocoon. We watched as the bedraggled creature was warmed by the sun and then spread its wings and flew.

My daughter introduced me to the writing of Angela Carter. In “Nights at the Circus” Angela Carter describes a young woman who conceals beneath her clothing the wings budding from her shoulder blades. They are a cause of discomfort until one night she is encouraged to jump from the safety of the roof and spread her wings. She discovers the freedom and joy of flight, a symbol of her freedom to be herself.

The wings of a bird or butterfly may look beautiful when furled but they only fulfil their purpose when they are unfurled and the bird or butterfly flies.

The second verse of the carol “It came upon the midnight clear” from which the Methodist Church in Britain has taken the theme of the Christmas campaign this year, begins with the words:

Still through the cloven skies they come
With peaceful wings unfurled

As I read or sing these words I imagine the angels, those awesome and glorious messengers of God, unfurling their wings over “all the weary world.” They bend again as they hover and sing their song of peace, over the sad and lonely plains and the babel sounds of those who, so often, do not hear the angels sing.

The angels hover but, even when hovering, wings are not passive. Hovering wings move very fast. You can see this on the clip of a hummingbird hovering which you will find here. The peaceful wings of the angels are not still as they hover over the sad and lowly plains, they are working hard. Peace-making is hard work. If we really want to see peace on earth, it is not enough to be still and to wait for it, we have to work for it. We have to challenge injustice, we have to give our time, we have to care actively, and we may well face opposition.

The angels of Christmas have unfurled their peaceful wings and, if we hush our noise and listen to their song, we will be challenged to unfurl ours.

Ruth M Gee 241206

Angels bending near the earth - Advent 1

It came upon the midnight clear,

that glorious song of old,

from Angels bending near the earth

to touch their harps of gold.

These are familiar opening words of the Christmas carol from which the Methodist Church in Britain has taken the theme of the Christmas campaign this year, ‘Hush the noise’. On or before every Sunday in Advent I will post a reflection on one verse of the carol.

Today, Llangollen Cytûn (Churches Together in Llangollen) joined in the Christmas Festival parade. We walked through the town, adults, children, and teenagers; some were dressed as angels. We gave out knitted angels and ‘Hush the Noise’ invitation cards as we wished people a happy Christmas. It was good to be part of the celebration along with Morris dancers, runners, tractors, horses, fire-engine and Siôn Corn (The traditional Welsh Father Christmas, who is dressed in green). We believe it was the first time the churches had taken part in the parade, joining with the community and sharing something of the good news of the angels. In the town centre others maintained the annual tradition of offering food, drink and craft activities for children in the Methodist Church Hall. They too were sharing the good news.

We really didn’t look at all like the angels we read about in the Bible, they were at least awesome and possibly terrifying. The shepherds were terrified when the angels came:

“Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.” (Luke 2:9)

Because of their terror the first words of the angelic message had to be, “Do not be afraid.” The glory of the Lord shone around them and that meant it was too bright to look at, all they could do was fall to the ground.

 It is little wonder that the hymn writer, Edmund Hamilton Sears, writes of angels bending near the earth. When I imagine angels bending near the earth, I picture beings whose dwelling place is beyond my thought or imagination. They are bending through the aeons of separation like a mighty bridge between heaven and earth. God is close and they are showing this to be so.

 The angels bend near the earth for only one reason, to touch their harps, to sing their song of peace and good-will, God’s gift to all.

 Will we stop? Will we allow moments of solemn stillness? Will we hear the angels sing?

And, when we hear them sing, will we recognise the power of God’s grace and be ready to receive the gift of peace?