Roots...

Donnie and I recently participated in a very special service in which we were called to remember our roots. The communion table was adorned very simply with a cross, nativity, and single candle. The reading was from Matthew 1, the genealogy of Jesus: There were fourteen generations from Abraham to David, another fourteen from David to the Babylonian exile, and yet another from the Babylonian exile to Christ (verse 17).

Then a reading from Appalachian poet George Ella Lyon's poem, "Where I'm From." The poem, a rich litany of places and people, artifacts and experiences, holds the poet's roots in a profound way. The opening stanza begins with:

            I am from clothespins,

            From Clorox and carbon-tetrachloride,

            I am from the dirt under the back porch.

            (Black, glistening, it tasted like beets.)

We were then invited to journal our own roots pondering the places, people, and experiences that have shaped our journey. One particular question grabbed me: What holds your roots? As did the two questions that followed: How does where you're from help you understand who you are? How does your past help you find the path ahead?

What poured forth was both unexpected and a profound gift. I entered into the worship time simply glad to be with Donnie, celebrating together the incarnation of our Lord. I left with a deep sense of gratitude for the gift given through the invitation to write my own "Where I'm From" poem.

It is Christmas week.  Why not allow yourself one more gift and  

write your own "Where I'm From" poem. If possible, gather your family and/or friends to share in the experience with you. Place a cross and a crèche on the table, light some candles, and celebrate the Incarnation together.  

We live in a world where horrible things happen. The innocents have literally been slaughtered in Newtown, Connecticut. If we are to respond with integrity and bear Christ into the world through our lives and living, we do well to remember who and whose we are.  To be sure, we will need to address current gun laws. May we dare to grapple with what our faith demands of the freedom for which Christ as set us free-see Galatians 5:1. And also, the painful reality of mental illness! But for now, let us remember who and whose we are.

Where are you from?

Christmas blessings,