This is not something mechanical, not an event we can summon at will; yet we may suddely (or slowly) discover that the extraordinary, the holy, the new-which-comes-in-Christ has entered our lives —whether for the first time or afresh. (6)

What a difference it can make to our lives! Not as a magic fix, but as an invitation to topen up to the signs of God-with-us.
(5)

in the drudgery that has lost its purpose.
But rarely does it happen quite where we expect, or how we expect.
Which is why learning to wait attentively, humbly, and expectantly is so crucial. (4)

During every Christmas season—and what‘s much more important, every ordinary day—God’s breaking into our reality is just a heartbeat, just a breath, just a moment of noticing away. It can happen anywhere: in the midst of tragedy, in the dull ache of quiet resignation, (3)

Just like at the first Christmas, a world-changing birth can be dismissed as an inconvenience caused by an irresponsible travelling couple. Shepherds’ wonder can be shrugged off, their gullibility sneered at. A new star can remain unnoticed, its invitation unheeded. (2)

Something quite poignant to think about from a Christian perspective, particularly at Christmas time - without resorting to 'correcting' the 'wrong' wishes, but rather, listening and engaging in conversations which could quickly lead to deep stuff... If we were willing to listen, that is. (2)

..."She could think logically in metaphysics and therefore would deal efficiently in margarine."
Indeed.

Each verse ends with ‘Saranam’ - a word in Sanskrit, Tamil, and several other South and Southeast Asian languages meaning refuge, protection, or surrender.

(more specifically, a Curonian) folk tune of “Pūt, Vējiņi” (‘Blow, oh wind’) and slightly modified it. The lyrics are adapted from Madeleine L’Engle’s A House Like a Lotus, which I encountered via Northumbria Community’s Celtic Daily Prayer.

Some interesting questions around working with what we have, and what it means to think about art in the broadest sense of the word, in the context of public worship.

I began with this wee wooden sculpture of the 'Pensive Christ', or 'The One Who Cares' - typical of Lithuanian traditional spirituality, but one Lithuanian Baptists don't generally engage with.

The Case of Lithuanian Baptists”. In William L. Pitts, Jr. (ed.), Baptists and Revivals: Papers from the Seventh International Conference on Baptist Studies (Macon: Mercer University Press, 2018), 304-323.

Those gatherings are a whole special story and represent an important part of the religious history of the region. I've explored it in several articles, including
“Revival Among the Aliens: