The birds of the air and the beasts of the field! (part2) Some of you may have been lucky enough to have spent some time in Scotland and got as far as Aviemore. On the road from Aviemore to the Cairngorm car park you will pass a quite unique farm. It is here that they have the only herd of reindeer in the UK. They were re-introduced into Scotland in 1952 by Mikel Utsi and his wife Dr. Ethel Lindgren It may seem a rather far-fetched idea to re-introduce reindeer but the species is native to the UK, as Mr Utsi found that “according to the Orkneyinga saga, red deer and reindeer were hunted together in Caithness by the Earls of Orkney about eight centuries ago.” Although the last record of wild British reindeer is from around 800 years ago and there has been much climate change since this, the unique sub-arctic qualities of the Cairngorms provide a perfect home for reindeer – in fact this is the only place left in the UK able to support such an animal. The owners of the farm in normal times hire out reindeer at Christmas and they go to many parts of the UK to provide a seasonal feel at major shopping malls and garden centres. I used to travel a lot to Scotland and went on many guided bird-watching tours. One of the guides was a local man Jonny Pott who was a treasure trove of information about the traditions of the area as well as being a first class naturalist. He told me once that he had been, for several years, the herder of the reindeer on the slopes of the Cairngorm. Jonny could certainly run like a deer! I read with dismay this year that Jonny had passed away and many, many people who had been out with him on these trips wrote in to say how sad they were to hear of the death of a fine Scottish Highland gentleman. This thought I can only echo myself – rest in peace Jonny. In our Christmas time we always think of Father Christmas (or St Nicholas) and his team of reindeer hurtling through the air and delivering the presents all-round the globe. St. Nicholas was an early Christian and his reputation evolved among the faithful, as was common for early Christian saints, and his legendary habit of secret gift-giving gave rise to the traditional model of Santa Claus ("Saint Nick") through Sinterklaas. As pagans converted to Christianity during the Middle Ages, winter festivals and traditions, as well as popular pagan beliefs, often mingled with Christian celebrations of Christmas. In Norse and Germanic mythology, Thor is the God of Thunder and soars through the sky in a chariot pulled by two magical goats. Thor was highly revered and was arguably the most popular of Norse gods in ancient times. Images and stories of Thor soaring the skies in his sleigh pulled by two large, horned goats may have influenced the creation of Santa's sleigh and flying, antlered reindeer by those in the west familiar with Dutch or Germanic mythology. The names of the eight reindeer were first documented in Clement Clarke Moore's 1823 Poem, "A Visit from Saint Nicholas" (also known as "The Night before Christmas" from its first line). <table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="400"> <tbody><tr> <td width="400"> 'Twas the night before Christmas, when all thro' the house Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse; The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there; The children were nestled all snug in their beds, While visions of sugar plums danc'd in their heads, And Mama in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap, Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap — When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter. Away to the window I flew like a flash, Tore open the shutters, and threw up the sash. The moon on the breast of the new fallen snow, Gave the luster of mid-day to objects below; When, what to my wondering eyes should appear, But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer, With a little old driver, so lively and quick, I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick. More rapid than eagles his coursers they came, And he whistled, and shouted, and call'd them by name: "Now! Dasher, now! Dancer, now! Prancer and Vixen, "On! Comet, on! Cupid, on! Donder and Blitzen; "To the top of the porch! To the top of the wall! "Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!" As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly, When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky; So up to the house-top the coursers they flew, With the sleigh full of toys — and St. Nicholas too: And then in a twinkling, I heard on the roof The prancing and pawing of each little hoof. As I drew in my head, and was turning around, Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound: He was dress'd all in fur, from his head to his foot, And his clothes were all tarnish'd with ashes and soot; A bundle of toys was flung on his back, And he look'd like a peddler just opening his pack: His eyes — how they twinkled! His dimples: how merry, His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry; His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow, And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow; The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth, And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath. He had a broad face, and a little round belly That shook when he laugh'd, like a bowl full of jelly: He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf, And I laugh'd when I saw him in spite of myself; A wink of his eye and a twist of his head Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread. He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work, And fill'd all the stockings; then turn'd with a jerk, And laying his finger aside of his nose And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose. He sprung to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, And away they all flew, like the down of a thistle: But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight — Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night. </td> </tr> </tbody></table> What more can I say - God bless you all and have a very Happy Christmas. Don Peacock
The birds of the air and the beasts of the field! (part1) No doubt by now you have received Christmas cards, either in paper or electronic form, I am being that on many of them you will have seen pictures of robins and on a few some reindeers drawing Santa’s sleigh. The robin is a species of bird related closely to the true thrushes that I talked about last time and holds a very dear place in most people’ hearts. It is a bold little upright bird that seems to fix us with a bright twinkling black eye – as if to say what food have you got for me today? Many gardeners will have struck up a close relationship with their local robin in the spring and summer months and the birds are very bold and will approach closely to get any tasty morsel turned over by fork or spade. When I started bird-watching I was told that our robins are very tame compared with continental birds that appear to keep themselves tucked away in woodlands. My old gran, who had a lot of wonderful sayings (some of which I have not deciphered even up to today!) used to be somewhat afraid of robins. She said that if a robin got in the house it was a sign of a death to come. In my grandparents’ home there was no garden but just a paved yard leading on to outhouses and the cellar stairs. Even so a robin used to come round to see what it could get. I have pulled a few robin stories from the internet and pasted them in below. One fable suggests that when the baby Jesus was in his manger in the stable, the fire which had been lit to keep him warm started to blaze up very strongly. A brown robin noticing that Mary had been distracted by the inn-keeper’s wife, placed himself between the fire and the face of baby Jesus. The robin fluffed out its feathers to protect the baby, but in so-doing its breast was scorched by the fire. This redness was then passed onto future generations of robins. Another story suggests that a robin pulled a thorn from the crown of Christ whilst he was on the cross and that it was Christ’s blood that created the bird’s red breast. The robin is one of three British birds which have red in their plumage and have an association with resurrection, the other two are the swallow and goldfinch. The robin is commemorated on Glasgow's coat of arms as 'the bird that never flew'. It is said that St Surf of Kinross was befriended by a robin and when he prayed the robin would come and sit on his head or shoulder. Some of his disciples became jealous of the attention given to the robin and killed the bird but one of his followers, Kentigern, who became St Mungo founder of Glasgow Cathedral in the sixth century, prayed over the bird and restored it to life. (Thanks to SAGA magazine and Dave Chapman.) Don Peacock
CHRISTMAS AND THE KINGDOM This Christmas will be rather different for all of us, not only in our worship, but also in our family gatherings, as we try to survive until this nasty Covid 19 virus has gone away, or we all get the protection of a vaccination. We could however use this strange Christmas to think about its real message, which so often gets lost in the tinsel and festivity of a mid-winter feast. We all go a bit sloppy at the sight of a new-born baby, which is probably a natural instinct to help the survival of such vulnerable beings. When we see the the nativity scene today however, we know the outcome for that delicate baby, who was born in a stable and before long had become a refugee. He survived his childhood to become our salvation and to die for our sins. His message of peace and healing and promise of his kingdom for us all, was heard and tragically ignored or misunderstood, which led to his death on the cross. Statistically, the most Christian country in the world is the USA and yet it also has the greatest gap between the rich and the poor and also has the highest level of social disorder problems, such as drugs and crime. America also imprisons a huge number of people. Before you become smug, I have to tell you the UK is not too far behind. We live in a world of huge inequality between the rich countries and the rest (the majority), and within each country between rich and poor. We are very privileged to live in a democratic country, it is flawed perhaps, but at least we can tell our politicians what we think of their policies and their personal ethics. I would perhaps however recommend some caution when talking to those in power, whether it is your boss or a politician, as other's opinions are not always appreciated. Sometimes we have to use the tactics of the worldly, using a degree of flattery, which leaders always enjoy, before hitting home with our Christian viewpoint. The vast majority of the world either live in totalitarian states or very flawed democracies where to speak out, even with some flattery included, could still bring death or retribution upon families and whole communities. The test of a true democracy is usually whether its leaders accept satire and humour. I would suggest that President Xi Jinping of China, President Vladimir Putin and a large number of world leaders would not allow any jokes at their expense, and I would imagine nobody who wanted to live until old age would not have made a joke about King Herod 2000 years ago. This puts a huge responsibility on our shoulders to make sure the message that Jesus proclaimed is enacted today, even if it is only in our community or country. We are not asked to be martyrs, but acts of kindness and Christian values can heap coals upon those who cannot accept the kingdom that was initiated by the birth of Jesus. At Christmas we recollect the birth of Jesus into a turbulent world and see him soon become a refugee from persecution. I wonder where Jesus would be born today? In a slum in Central America or India, or perhaps still in Bethlehem; a town still poverty stricken and riven by unresolvable politics. It is easy to look at the past and say, “It was different then”, but was it? Sometimes we think that the Bible only tells a story of how things were 2000 years ago, but if we really study our Bible and let the text seep into our consciousness, it could change us and the world. Jesus was a radical man who challenged the religious and political structures of the time to show people his kingdom of peace and justice. He had no armies, only his words, his healing and the power of God working through him. It was not hard for the enemies of justice and peace to kill his body, but they could not destroy his kingdom, and through his resurrection he reigns in glory. Christmas should awaken us again to the radical Jesus, not just the gentle Jesus in the manger. Let us pray that the real meaning of Christmas gets through to those who really need it, and your prayers of “Thy Kingdom Come” can really help. Fr. Terry
Thoughts for Today From the real world, sublime and challenging… A continuing pilgrimage… On Thursday 12<sup>th</sup> March we were four days sailing from Southampton. The port talk on La Coruna, Spain was a good whet of the appetite. Santiago is situated in north west Spain and is the capital of Galicia. The description of Santiago de Compostela, one of the three pilgrimage spiritual capitals of Christendom, (along with Jerusalem and Rome) was pretty awe-inspiring. The train ride from La Coruna port is forty minutes long and has been a place of pilgrimage from the 9<sup>th</sup> century as it is the resting place of St James the Apostle around which the magnificent Cathedral is built. The Latin derivation of Compostela, Composita Tella means ‘burial ground’ constructed by the Romans in the 4<sup>th</sup> century. There are 9 official pilgrimage routes to Santiago varying in length between 120 km and 1,000km depending on where you start. Many walk or cycle part of it. You receive your ‘pilgrims certificate’ if you manage over 100 km. One of the most popular routes from the UK is the final leg of 100 km of the ‘Frances Camino’, which starts at Sarria and finishes at Santiago. It wasn’t until the Friday morning that our Captain announced that Spain was closing its ports to cruise ships, because of the spread of the Corona Virus. Its borders were officially closed the following Monday. We were due in to La Coruna on the Saturday, no longer. It was understood that this was necessary and we could only imagine what lay ahead of us back home. It meant a more sedate cruising time to Southampton by the following Monday. Our last Morning Prayer gathering in the round of the Observatory ‘chapel’ was an emotional occasion with the ‘Faithful 30’. It was a delight to share the worship, music and readings with fellow travellers and seekers of all backgrounds. Frederick our “Sound Man” through the voyage sorted out the microphones, connectivity with the music and the multimedia screens. Our journey was a pilgrimage of its own on the high seas. We were able to reflect upon moving and worshipping at the same time. From our vantage point at the top of the ship we could see the bow carving its way through the waves of the ocean. Whatever our stories and backgrounds we shared our various destinations around the world. Since returning we have shared the similar circumstances and privations of a pandemic. Santiago de Compostela will wait for the returning stream of pilgrims. Pilgrimage is defined as a trip, often a long one, made to a holy place for religious and spiritual reasons. The cruise continued with displays of the Craft Fair and Art Exhibition showing all the diverse creativity of the onboard workshops. Gin Making to your own (under guidance) recipes provided another interest and seventy ukelele players gave us their final concert of the voyage. The professional performers gave us a very emotional Variety Concert . Temperatures were lowering on our Saturday deck walk and provided an opportunity to start packing. A choral concert was performed by the 20 members of the Passenger Choir, and was followed by the Captain’s final Cocktail Party and Formal Evening personally hosted by Henrik Matson the Master and Captain. Together with all the senior officers of the crew he bade us a fond farewell. Behind the scenes we had had the pleasure of getting to know them. The evening was rounded off by the Crew Show which reflected the diversity of the nations on board. The Finale was the shared singing of ‘We are the World’. The precautions to be careful were carried out and at the Communion we gave the sacrament in one kind. The theme for the day was ‘Gratitude’, for we had much to give thanks for our steps into the exotic and stimulating world of South America and the Caribbean. The final Crew Mass offered up the uncertainty they were all facing. Many didn’t know how they would get home or what the future held. Large blessings were shared and prayers continue. The final farewell dinner saw us saying our au revoirs to our two waiters, Jo(achim) and Ronald, who cared for us throughout the voyage. They combined care and fun - a marvellous recipe for hospitality. The Balmoral Show Company gave their final Variety Show. The team of 7 had been together for the previous nine months. Their duties had included the supervision of the daily high jinx of games and quizzes onboard, and above everything else their show was full of youthful talented exuberance. The audience saw them off with loud encores and applause. This was our 70<sup>th</sup> night on board and an early start beckoned with a 6.30am disembarkation in a deserted Southampton. Our journey up the M40 was a surprisingly quiet experience. We stopped off at the deserted Warwick Services, but the shock reality set in when later that evening I found shelves in the local supermarket stripped bare – so the search for toilet rolls began. . . Home was so welcoming. This particular Pilgrimage was over and the new reality continued to set in before lockdown the following week. Postscript to follow… Blessings, Edward and Jane
