Singing Along the Journey

Howard Thurman

Christmas 3: Learning to See Beauty

It might seem obvious to some, the idea of the beauty of the Christmas season.  But it is not.  And what is beautiful to one person -- the lights, the trees, and all the rest -- may in fact cause others to draw away.  One person's beauty, in this sense, can be another person's pain. The kind of beauty that writer Bruce Epperly talks about is not confined to 12 days in December and January. It is a deeper response to the gift of creation, rather than the celebration of the season. To use Howard Thurman's own words: The quality of Christmas—what is it? It is the fullness with which…
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Christmas 2: Joy and Wonder

Joy is one of my favorite topics, so I was very, well, joyful, when I saw the title for Bruce Epperly's second reflection on the days of Christmas.  I mean, I named my dog Joy -- does that give you a hint about how important the idea of joy is to me?  And I mean joy -- not happiness.  Really, they are two different things altogether. My definition of joy is this:  that feeling of peace that underlies all being (even when we are not aware of it).  I experience joy as a kind of contended hum--almost like the soft purring of a cat.  It is the sound of the…
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Christmas 1: Getting Started on the Journey

Merry Christmas, one and all.  You may have heard me say it before, but, Christmas is not a day.  Christmas is a season.  If you want to read more about that idea, you can do that here or here. This year, I have decided to follow my own advice (a rare occasion I might add), and focus on a practice of reflection and writing for these important days.  I cannot complain that others ignore these days if I myself do not engage them. As my guide on this journey, I have chosen Bruce Epperly's The Work of Christmas, his own reflective journey  spent in dialogue with the works of Howard Thurman,…
Read More

Christmas 3: Learning to See Beauty

It might seem obvious to some, the idea of the beauty of the Christmas season.  But it is not.  And what is beautiful to one person -- the lights, the trees, and all the rest -- may in fact cause others to draw away.  One person's beauty, in this sense, can be another person's pain. The kind of beauty that writer Bruce Epperly talks about is not confined to 12 days in December and January. It is a deeper response to the gift of creation, rather than the celebration of the season. To use Howard Thurman's own words: The quality of Christmas—what is it? It is the fullness with which…
Read More

Christmas 2: Joy and Wonder

Joy is one of my favorite topics, so I was very, well, joyful, when I saw the title for Bruce Epperly's second reflection on the days of Christmas.  I mean, I named my dog Joy -- does that give you a hint about how important the idea of joy is to me?  And I mean joy -- not happiness.  Really, they are two different things altogether. My definition of joy is this:  that feeling of peace that underlies all being (even when we are not aware of it).  I experience joy as a kind of contended hum--almost like the soft purring of a cat.  It is the sound of the…
Read More

Christmas 1: Getting Started on the Journey

Merry Christmas, one and all.  You may have heard me say it before, but, Christmas is not a day.  Christmas is a season.  If you want to read more about that idea, you can do that here or here. This year, I have decided to follow my own advice (a rare occasion I might add), and focus on a practice of reflection and writing for these important days.  I cannot complain that others ignore these days if I myself do not engage them. As my guide on this journey, I have chosen Bruce Epperly's The Work of Christmas, his own reflective journey  spent in dialogue with the works of Howard Thurman,…
Read More

Christmas 3: Learning to See Beauty

It might seem obvious to some, the idea of the beauty of the Christmas season.  But it is not.  And what is beautiful to one person -- the lights, the trees, and all the rest -- may in fact cause others to draw away.  One person's beauty, in this sense, can be another person's pain. The kind of beauty that writer Bruce Epperly talks about is not confined to 12 days in December and January. It is a deeper response to the gift of creation, rather than the celebration of the season. To use Howard Thurman's own words: The quality of Christmas—what is it? It is the fullness with which…
Read More

Christmas 2: Joy and Wonder

Joy is one of my favorite topics, so I was very, well, joyful, when I saw the title for Bruce Epperly's second reflection on the days of Christmas.  I mean, I named my dog Joy -- does that give you a hint about how important the idea of joy is to me?  And I mean joy -- not happiness.  Really, they are two different things altogether. My definition of joy is this:  that feeling of peace that underlies all being (even when we are not aware of it).  I experience joy as a kind of contended hum--almost like the soft purring of a cat.  It is the sound of the…
Read More

Christmas 1: Getting Started on the Journey

Merry Christmas, one and all.  You may have heard me say it before, but, Christmas is not a day.  Christmas is a season.  If you want to read more about that idea, you can do that here or here. This year, I have decided to follow my own advice (a rare occasion I might add), and focus on a practice of reflection and writing for these important days.  I cannot complain that others ignore these days if I myself do not engage them. As my guide on this journey, I have chosen Bruce Epperly's The Work of Christmas, his own reflective journey  spent in dialogue with the works of Howard Thurman,…
Read More