"Phenomenology of religion concerns the experiential aspect of religion, describing religious phenomena in terms consistent with the orientation of the worshippers. It views religion as being made up of different components, and studies these components across religious traditions so that an understanding of them can be gained." Wikipedia, "Phenomenology of Religion"
Every year my Christmas gift to my parish parents and students is a reflection based on this clip from A Charlie Brown Christmas. Every year the reflection is different even though the clip remains the same. Here is my reflection for this year, I hope you all enjoy!
Watch the video above. While you are watching, stop at each time mark and answer the question. You can simply think about it in your head, write it down in a journal, or discuss with a friend or your family. Take a break to reflect on the true “reason for the season,” and have fun! Have a blessed Christmas!
STOP 0:50
Linus doesn't think the little tree reflects the "modern spirit." What do you think the "modern spirit" is? Is it a help or a hindrance to celebrating Christmas?
STOP 2:30
Charlie starts with good intentions of finding a nice tree, but he gets discouraged by those around him. When have the voices around you discouraged you? Did you work through it? How did you do it?
STOP 5:15
Charlie hears the Gospel and allows it to transform him and give him new purpose. Has anything ever inspired you like that? Have you ever tried to let the Gospel transform you? How did it go?
END
Charlie gets discouraged again, but his actions inspire others. Together they create some beauty and praise God. Charlie evangelized the rest of the Peanuts gang. Have you ever inspired someone else? What happened? What did you or can you build together?
God bless us, everyone!
*Depending on what option you choose, this could take longer than 10 minutes!
As posted by HolidayFavorites Dec. 10, 2009
I love this song, guys. And by love, I mean I'm writing a 4-part arrangement of it. And by writing, I mean I started it a year ago and haven't touched it since... but whenever I finish, it will be awesome. I think this song is the perfect cap to my theme in Advent reflections this season, seeking hope. I also highly recommend the actual music video. It's beautiful.
People often reference the origin of the celebration of Christmas when they are feeling snarky about Christianity.Yes, the date of December 25 was chosen because it was the pagan celebration of the Winter Solstice. (the calendar of the time was a bit confused) But there are a lot of pagan celebrations to co-opt, why the Winter Solstice? Because it is the celebration of the sun coming back to the earth. After that date the days start to get longer again. Instead of diminishing each day, the light increases each day. Definitely a day worthy of celebration. Can you think of a better day to celebrate the birth of our Lord?
It's a dark time, and I mean that literally and figuratively. You don't have to go far to hear about another disaster, death, injustice. It is hard to keep your head up when that's what you hear and it literally seems like the sun is never out. I think we have had a fully sunny day once this entire month. Maybe you have better weather where you are, but Chicago has been completely overcast. With only bad news to hear and gray skies to see, it's not hard to stay "with eyes cast down, fixed upon the ground, eyes cast down."
That is the challenge of Advent. To "keep my eyes fixed on the sun." You have to ask yourself what you believe about Jesus. Do you believe that Jesus is truly God and truly human, come to bring light and hope and healing to everyone? Do you believe that Jesus did that for you? For the person you love most? It is the fourth week of Advent. There is no more time to waste. Is your heart ready for the coming of the Son?
A great thing about this song is the end - the repetition of "even on a cloudy day" takes a phrase that could be dismissed as cliche and makes you listen. It builds to "I keep my eyes fixed on the sun" like a person who has struggled to find hope and is walking with your struggle now. Someone who was "way down had to find a place to lay low" and says "it almost stopped me from believing." A person you might trust when trying to tell you to keep hope.
HAPPY GAUDATE SUNDAY! This is my favorite Sunday of the whole liturgical calendar. Advent is my favorite liturgical season, and Gaudate Sunday is like the climax. I wear pink all week.
I chose this song because in content, it is extremely basic. "We've come a long long way together, through the hard times and the good. I have to celebrate you baby, I have to praise you like I should." That's all the lyrics. Today does not need a lot of words. It just needs a lot of praise! Praise is very simple. It doesn't require lots of fancy words (though you can use them if you want) it just requires giving part of yourself to God. It can be a moment of thankfulness, a gesture, a song, a dance. Any expression of love for our Maker is the praise we are reveling in today.
That's a big reason why I chose this video. I could have gone with a lyric video, but since I put all the lyrics in two sentences earlier it seemed unnecessary. There are two things I love about this video: how terrible all the dancers are, and how committed each of them are to their dance. They may be truly awful but they love what they are doing. Even when someone turns off their music they do not respond with anger but dance all the more. It's a beautiful example of what we are supposed to do: dance for joy even if we cannot dance. Sing with all our breath even if we cannot sing. Give with all our hearts even if we have nothing to give. All without shame.
Why? Because that's what God asks and that's what God wants. You think God does not know what is in your skill set or not? You think God cares how you sound when you sing Alleluia at Mass or service? God created you and walked with you your entire life. You are not going to surprise the guy with your voice. God wants what you freely give, your praise in any form is treasured. (this is my way of saying pick up your hymnal and sing in church, ya layabout)
There are so many stresses this time of year and so many reasons to look down. To curse God for the hardships and the suffering that seems to surround us. That is the challenge and the blessing of this day. Not to forget all of those things but to just spend some moments putting them down to just praise. To recognize and celebrate the good things, the blessings with God's caring hand on them. So this week, blast this song and have a little dance party. Sing your pump-up song in the shower with extra vigor. Sing at Mass. Go rock climbing. Watch a sunrise. Write a poem. Play soccer with your family. Build something awesome with LEGOs. Do something for the simple joy you get just by doing it.
I chose a Regina Spektor song last year for the second week of Advent, too. I wonder if there's a connection? There is a lot I want to say about this song and Advent, but I'll start with just a general expression of love for Regina Spektor. She's fantastic, isn't she? Anyway, "Open" has a beautiful, slow build reflected in the instrumentation and dynamics. It starts minimally and a little dark. Even though the content of the verses do not get much lighter, it remains hopeful in the chorus and the music. There it is again, hope. Advent is about waiting in darkness, with hope, for light.
Potentially lovely Perpetually human Suspended and open Open
With those words, the song switches from minor to major. The piano is fuller and the vocalization louder. Just because we are waiting, that does not mean our time is devoid of joy or beauty. Waiting can be hard, boring, painful. It is definitely "perpetually human." Sometimes it can be "potentially lovely." The situations in the verses are sometimes painful, "wires 'round my fingers" or the gasps for breath in between the lines about being trapped in the last verse. I wrote last week about the journey being hard and sometimes unknown. To pretend it is not is denial - one of the reasons I like Catholicism. It's homey and rich and it's not very cuddly. No one accuses Catholicism of trying to con you with warm fuzzies. (Or maybe I'm watching too much Daria on Hulu?)
Even though the song is not particularly happy, it recognizes beauty. In the bridge, everyone is confined but they see beauty in the falling snow and the streetlights. It's a delicate part of the song and almost a rest from the tugging extremes expressed between the verses and the chorus. Throughout, the piano anchors you throughout the song with a steady pulse and lovely counterpoint to the vocals. It asks you to look beyond the hard, boring, painful.
Then comes the word "open," often repeated, is triumphant. Every time she sings it, it has more power and is more full, joyful even. The song asks you to recognize the potentially lovely, accept the perpetually human, and embrace being suspended and open. Be open to all the experiences we endure, beautiful, painful, confining, lovely. Be open to allowing experiences to affect you. Be open to the Nativity event, the Incarnation, God coming to earth. It can be a slow build, like this song. On the last chorus, the last "opens," we get the finale we have been waiting for.
So that this week is actually a reflection, I'll leave you with some questions:
- Where do/did you recognize beauty in the coming week? This past week? In your Christmas preparations?
- What do you need to make yourself more open to this Advent? In the new year?
- Finish the last line of the song, "Open up your eyes and then..."
