Oh Holy Night

Hmm… Please indulge me.

As a boy, I loved Christmas. In our family, it wasn’t particularly religious. It was more about gifts. Family. Food and drink. Games. Songs. Play.

My favorite Christmas carol as a kid was The Christmas Song. The version that I hear in my head is the one by Nat King Cole. “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire….”

This morning, however, Christmas Eve, I find myself humming and singing, “Oh Holy Night.” I’ve learned that the origin of this song goes to 1843, when Placide Cappeau, a French wine merchant and poet wrote the original. It was in 1847 that French Composer Adolphe Adam put the poem to music. In 1855, it was a minister, John Sullivan Dwight that translated it to English.

This morning, I found myself playing with the words. Adjusting them to celebrate a divine quality in all of us. It sorta just came out.

So, with a genuine nod to Jesus, and what this hymn has meant to many in deep religious contexts, and with further sheepish nod to those who wrote this beautiful song, here’s what I found this morning. To celebrate a kind of rising, perhaps that can be a part of many of us.

Oh Holy Night

Oh holy night, the stars are brightly shining,
It is a night to honor our births;
From worlds long layed in trouble and error pining,
We appear in our clear and kind worth.
A thrill of hope a weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn;

Chorus
Stand from your knees, and sing your angel voices!
Oh night divine! O night when we are born.
O night, O holy night, O night divine.

Led by lights of Faith serenely beaming;
With glowing hearts by cradles we can stand:
So, led by light of a star sweetly gleaming,
We join as beloved ones from near and distant land,
Led by light we can claim we are not strangers,
Led by light we can call each other friend.

Chorus
Stand from your knees, and sing your angel voices!
Oh night divine! O night when we are born.
O night, O holy night, O night divine.

Learn to love, self and one another;
What matters now, is love and peace together;
Chains shall we break, we are sisters and we are brothers,
Together we stand, oppression can cease,
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus we raise;
Let that within us praise kindness and grace.

Chorus
Stand from your knees, and sing your angel voices!
Oh night divine! O night when we are born.
O night, O holy night, O night divine.

Stand from your knees, and sing your angel voices!
Oh night divine! O night when we are born.
O night, O holy night, O night divine.

This morning, I lit a new candle. It’s the glass jar kind. It burns for three days. Safely. Mine will burn through today, through December 25th, and through December 26th. And go along with some family, some food and drink, some play, some gifts, and some song.

Oh, holy nights, of simple yet deeply felt things.

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Gifts of Circle - Question Cardsasd
Gifts of Circle is 30 short essays divided into 4 sections: 1) Circle's Bigger Purpose, 2) Circle's Practice, 3) Circle's First Requirements, and 4) Circle's Possibility for Men. From the Introduction: "Circle is what I turn to in the most comprehensive stories I know -- the stories of human beings trying to be kind and aware together, trying to make a difference in varied causes for which we need to go well together. Circle is also what I turn to in the most immediate needs that live right in front of me and in front of most of us -- sharing dreams and difficulties, exploring conflicts and coherences. Circle is what I turn to. Circle is what turns us to each other."

Question Cards is an accompanying tool to Gifts of Circle. Each card (34) offers a quote from the corresponding chapter in the book, followed by sample questions to grow your Circle hosting skills and to create connection, courage, and compassionate action among groups you host in Circle.

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In My Nature
is a collection of 10 poems. From A Note of Beginning: "This collection of poems arises from the many conversations I've been having about nature. Nature as guide. Nature as wild. Nature as organized. I remain a human being that so appreciates a curious nature in people. That so appreciates questions that pick fruit from inner being, that gather insights and intuitions to a basket, and then brings the to table to be enjoyed and shared over the next week."

This set of Note Cards (8 cards + envelopes)  quotes a few favorite passages from poems in In My Nature. I offer them as inspiration. And leave room for you to write personal notes.

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This set of Note Cards (8 cards + envelopes)  quotes a few favorite passages from poems in Most Mornings. I offer them as inspiration. And leave room for you to write personal notes.

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