Happy Christmas

Well, as I said over at my other blog... I hope all who wander by here have a happy and peaceful Christmas and that 2007 brings all that you hope for. I'll be back in the new year - hopefully with something vaguely interesting, inspiring, insightful... nah, why change the habit of a lifetime... Random - it'll be something random!!

Posada

Today I welcome Mary and Joseph to the Teapot. They have journeyed from blog to blog through this Advent season. The traditional form of Posada is for figures of Mary and Joseph to journey from one home to another through Advent, until they return to the church from which they set out to be placed in the midst of their nativity home. But they have also made this virtual journey, starting out with Andii, journeying onwards through December, resting with Bob Carlton yesterday and, nearing the end of their journey, they will move on to abbey nous tomorrow.

As Advent, and the blog journey has progressed I have wondered what might be left unsaid by the time Mary and Joseph reached this resting place. That question has sat in the back of my mind each time I have looked at the picture, and my eyes fix upon Mary's hands. Hands resting affectionately and protectively on her swollen belly, hands and eyes fixed in wondering and waiting? Joseph is pressing onwards - concerned with the needs at hand, straining to reach a place of security and safety that proves at first elusive. Mary guards, and loves, the baby within her. And as I keep looking at that image I think of the words of the Psalmist:
"Wait for the Lord;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the Lord!"
Words that may have encouraged the expectant young woman, and words that hold as much meaning for us as we look back to that birth and forward to an awesome return.
And so, as much has already been said, I leave you with these words again...
"Wait for the Lord;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the Lord!"

Well that's a relief...

...I'm not a heretic! Though obviously my theology is better than my maths (no surprise there) because while I'm relieved to be 100% 'Chalcedon compliant' I'm rather put out about the other percentages! Still, at least I have less Pelagian tendencies than Craig! (Na-na-na-na-na would be 73% immature and 82% graceless so I won't say that... no, definitely not).
I would also like to add that I'm 97.99% unimpressed with the code that came with this and have had to fiddle with it just to get it to agree to post here at all, and am still fiddling around with it (so you'll know that if this table disappears completely I fiddled a bit too much!)... I might just do my own - one that would suit my 56% perfectionist tendencies. Yes, ok I'll stop now!).

Yep, ditched that messy table, here's a run-of-the-mill list type thing:

You scored as Chalcedon compliant. You are Chalcedon compliant.
Congratulations, you're not a heretic.
You believe that Jesus is truly God and truly man and like us in every respect, apart from sin. Officially approved in 451.


Chalcedon compliant 100%
Modalism 50%
Adoptionist 42%
Pelagianism 42%
Monophysitism 42%
Monarchianism 33%
Apollanarian 25%
Socinianism 17%
Nestorianism 8%
Donatism 8%
Albigensianism 0%
Gnosticism 0%
Arianism 0%
Docetism 0%

Quizfarm.com

(For those of you that may have been following the editing process of this post, I would just like to announce that I GIVE UP! and there will be no evenly spaced list here...grrr!)

Frequently Asked Questions (well, sort of)...

Yes, here is where I answer those questions you've been itching to ask... oh alright then - the questions that I dragged out of you because I wanted a 'Frequently Asked Questions' column! Oh, and they've changed the definition of 'frequent' in the dictionary... yes really, you'll just have to believe me - no, don't go and look it up.

How long have you been a vicar/clergy person and what did you do before you became one?

I've been a curate (assistant/in-training type clergyperson) for about two and a half years. Before being ordained, I spent two years at theological college and before that I was a full-time mum and Registered Childminder, oh and for a while I was also employed one day a week by my church as a Pastoral Assistant. I also spent a good deal of time with the young people as I lead the youthwork there, but that was voluntary!

Why do you blog? What's in it for you?

Well, my mind is drawn back to some of my primary school reports, which from the earliest days said things like, "Michelle is inclined to be rather chatty". I don't think that's changed much and I like to have this space to 'chat' and to offload my head full of random thoughts. I also love to write (I am not commenting on the quality - or lack of - of said writing, just that I love to write) and so that's another reason why I value a place to 'creatively' dump words!! (People reading them and commenting on them is something that surprises but delights me!).

Do you know the way to San Jose?

Just the sort of question I'd expect from you Steve. Though how strange that Smudgie should want to know that too (of course, it's nothing to do with her very kindly repeating the questions to make them 'frequent'!). I think you should ask Mr. Bacharach that one! Alternatively try this. :D

Can you justify calling it an UnFAQ column when the correct opposite of frequent is infrequent and not unfrequent?

No, I can't!

Where's my chocolate?

Mmmmmmm... is this it?







This page will eventually fall off the top of the Teapot and then it will feel like my (In)FAQ column, reached by the link in the sidebar. To ask anything else then add a question to the comments.

Getting into the Christmas Spirit

Another excellent cartoon by Dave!

For the last three days or so, my tree has looked rather bare... I wouldn't like to follow Dave's theme and say what kind of person has 'decorated' it... a naturist... a busy person... a lazy git?
In fact, I put up my nice new artificial tree on Monday - it took ages what with all that fiddly opening out of branches and all... and then getting the lights in the right place. So after that I was rather bored with the whole thing and had to go to a meeting anyway, so that was as far as I got. Tuesday was another hectic day followed by another evening meeting and though yesterday was hectic in the morning, I probably could have finished the tree sometime later on, but haven't - it is still standing there, pathetic and bare.

Just before I go and actually get on with it then... I thought I'd add that you could probably have a whole other set of Christmas tree cartoons that define the kind of person who decorated them, ranging from the richly exotic, minimalistic decor of the well-to-do's to the common-as-muck multi-coloured busy affair. No guesses as to what my tree looks like*... when it's slightly less naked that is!

*It's funny how the attempted upward journey of the working classes that's reflected in other areas of life, can also be seen in the humble Christmas Tree**... over the years, as my family have 'gone up in the world', the parental Christmas Tree has got more co-ordinated and less tacky! Has anyone else noticed this phenomenon? Or maybe it reflects the age of the tree-decorator rather than the class - when the kids have grown the tree calms down?

**Besides, would the educated classes even dream of having an artificial tree anyway?!

Mary and Joseph

Mary and Joseph are making their long journey to Bethlehem. The tradition of Posada is for the figures of Mary and Joseph to travel from home to home throughout Advent. This is something we do in our church, though this year I didn't make it onto the journey rota, so I'm very glad to be able to encounter them through the Blog Posada that has been set in motion by Andii at Nouslife, this Advent season.
Mary and Joseph will be coming by here on Saturday 23rd December, before continuing briefly on their way to the place of shelter and birth.

Frequently (Un)Asked Questions or (Un)Frequently Asked Questions

I have decided I want a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section of this blog. Unfortunately, I am not frequently asked quetions. This is a right pain as far as my plan is concerned, so if you could ask a question about anything you like relating to the Teapot I will pretend that you have asked it frequently and then I can have a lovely FAQ bit in my sidebar and pretend I am quite important and popular. If you could bring yourself to ask it more than once, then I will feel less fake about claiming said question's frequent status and will not in fact be a complete liar. Lying is not allowed in the Ten Commandments (the ones by God, not the very long film - though I think some of the same rules are in there too?).

Ok, in case you were looking for someone to blame then look here (and scroll down a bit!)

Red Hot Nehemiah and the Chilli Peppers

"The joy of the Lord is my strength," (Nehemiah 8:10) is certainly a statement that I value and live by... in fact the whole of the book of Nehemiah is pretty awesome! Recognising and looking out for moments of joy is something I've talked about before - first the joy that only comes from being close to God (that's his amazing gift to us), but also the type of joy that comes from the pleasure of stuff that he's enabled in us... a creative people from a Creative God. So, it's becoming something of a regular feature round the Teapot to provide a piece of music or video that I consider a joy, and usually that I've been listening to repeatedly! For the last couple of hours TeenSon and I have been picking out great bass lines from great songs and just delighting in the wonder and joy of music. (We'll do some awesome classical stuff another time...). So today's Teapot Choice is... "Snow (Hey Oh)" by the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, embedded here (click twice but not a double-click) for your joy and pleasure. Oh and a bit of air guitar thrown in wouldn't hurt either - though today, like I said, we're going for the bass part... because the joy of the Lord can be expressed in many ways!