Richard Kuns

“In Your hand are the seasons of my life” *

Dear friends,

During the grim, dark days of World War II (1943), one of our iconic Christmas songs was written and introduced in the 1944 musical “Meet Me in St. Louis” by Judy Garland. You may know the opening lyric:

Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Let your heart be light,
From now on Our troubles will be out of sight.
Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Make the Yule-tide gay. From now on
Our troubles will be miles away.

Today’s Daily Office readings introduces us to a very different, harsh reality of the world in which we live as citizens of the Kingdom of God. Today is the Feast of St. Stephen, the first deacon and martyr of the church. All that we know about Stephen is found in Acts 6 and 7.

And they elected Stephen, a man full of faith and a holy spirit… And the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem was enormously multiplied, and a large group from among the priests submitted to the faith. And Stephen, full of grace and power, performed great marvels and signs among the people… And they stoned Stephen, who prayed and said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” And going down on his knees he cried with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin” And saying this he fell asleep. Acts 6:5,7-8; 7:59,60, David Bentley Hart--The New Testament: A Translation)

As a follower of “The Way” I live now “…in the time of this mortal life…” praying and waiting for “the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead…” (Collect, First Sunday of Advent, BCP, p 221/159).

The Season of Advent clearly has focused our lives on the edge of what was, the first coming of Christ incognito in a stable, and the future of His coming again to judge the living and the dead. In this present time, we live our lives bearing the cross of Christ in a world that neither knows nor understands.

We sing and pray the words of this beautiful carol written by Phillip Brooks on Christmas day: (The Hymnal 1982, #79)

O Holy Child of Bethlehem
Descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sin and enter in
Be born in us today.

We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us,
Our Lord Emmanuel!

This carol was written by Phillip Brooks in 1868. Brooks, an Episcopal priest and Bishop of Massachusetts, wrote this carol after taking a sabbatical to the Holy Land as a respite from the brutality of the Civil War. May these words become our prayer during these 12 Days of Christmas.

Richard Kuns

*Psalm 31:16a, Martin Samuel Cohen - Our Haven and Our Strength: The Book of Psalms