Dear Ecumenical friends,
It seems each season, I have a theme song: a haunting melody, a pleading lyric, an unbidden but welcomed accompaniment to my days. This Advent it is Canticle of the Turning: My Soul Cries Out with a Joyful Shout! The melody is an energetic Irish folk song. I heard it first on the First Sunday of Advent. I wanted to dance and wished for clogging shoes! Then, the refrain worked into my soul,
My heart shall sing of the day you bring.
Let the fires of your justice burn.
Wipe away all tears, for the dawn draws near,
And the World is about to turn.
The verses are a paraphrase of Mary’s words to Elizabeth – ecstatic words of the power of God to create something new. I pondered these words afresh this Advent; Mary sings to kings: beware, God’s justice will tear down your thrones and to the hungry poor: weep no more, there are tables spread, every mouth be fed…for the world is about to turn. The Canticle of Turning was the perfect theme song for this Advent year.
On a personal level, it was a year of grieving the loss of dear friends and of my health. I learned patient trust moistened with tears. On a ministry level, it was a year of longings for just, new ways of being; integrity and change within the Board of the Conference demanded new forms. I learned the difficulty of re-forming while separated, isolated and at times, lacking the solidarity of companionship.
On the national scene, unjust systems faltered, while streets filled with chants and demands; our leaders and social systems frayed, while ordinary people picked up the pieces and began to work together. We learned that change begins in hearts; words are not enough; deeds of turning spring from soulful conversions; everyone counts; and equality is not optional but a necessity in a healthy society.
On the global scale, the earth shuddered as pollution spread and climates warmed; pandemic suffering wrapped the world in despair; long days gave way to long nights, as winter arrived and death tolls staggered up, up, up. We learned the fragility of life and its preciousness as well; we learned to be careful with each other, to waste less, to conserve more, to walk gently toward a world about to turn.
All these levels weave the faith that Mary sang and we continue. May my Advent theme song enter your hearts and homes and may we all shout out the refrain:
My heart shall sing of the day you bring.
Let the fires of your justice burn.
Wipe away all tears, for the dawn draws near,
And the World is about to turn.
Advent, Christmas, Epiphany blessings to you as the world turns,
Kay Huggins, Interim Executive Director
Only two announcements with this issues, but both are significant
in the life of the New Mexico Conference of Churches.
Please share each flyer with your circle of faithful friends.
Wintertalk January 8 & 9 -- a time to listen and learn from
Pueblo, Navajo and Apache peoples of this region
and the implications of the Doctrine/s of Discovery
Week of Prayer and Pilgrimage for Christian Unity
January 18-25
an opportunity to Step into Unity through prayer and daily walking
as neighbors, friends and pilgrims
