The Shepherds - Day 22 - a holiday haiku

Welcome to Day 22 of our Holiday Haiku Challenge One of the joys of the season is reading again the account of the very first Christmas. The star, the wisemen, the angel chorus, and the shepherds keeping watch. Here is a fresh translation:

An Event for Everyone (Luke 2:8-20, MSG)

There were sheepherders camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God’s angel stood among them and God’s glory blazed around them. They were terrified. The angel said, “Don’t be afraid. I’m here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David’s town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you’re to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger.”

At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God’s praises:

Glory to God in the heavenly heights, Peace to all men and women on earth who please him.

As the angel choir withdrew into heaven, the sheepherders talked it over. “Let’s get over to Bethlehem as fast as we can and see for ourselves what God has revealed to us.” They left, running, and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. Seeing was believing. They told everyone they met what the angels had said about this child. All who heard the sheepherders were amazed.

Mary kept all these things to herself, holding them dear, deep within herself. The sheepherders returned and let loose, glorifying and praising God for everything they had heard and seen. It turned out exactly the way they’d been told!

Today's challenge is to write one haiku, just 17 syllables, inspired by those lowly characters,

the shepherds

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The Shepherds

by Gayl Wright In Luke 2 we read that the night Christ was born some shepherds were staying in the fields nearby, "in the neighborhood", watching their sheep. Imagine their surprise when an angel suddenly appeared and then a whole host of angels praising God! The shepherds didn't waste any time getting to Bethlehem to find Jesus. Everything was just as the angel had told them. Bursting with the news they began telling others what the angel had told them about the Child. Scripture tells us that all who heard were amazed. As the shepherds made their way back to the fields they glorified and praised God. They were in awe of everything they had seen and heard. It's a familiar story but seemed to come alive as I took time reading and pondering it.

Today's guest, Gayl Wright, has been one of the most faithful haiku participants in the series. If you start at the beginning and work your way through all 21 days thus far, you'll find her daily offerings in the comments section of each day's post. While they're all wonderful, I especially love the words she recently included on her own blog. It's a longer poem, however, each stanza is made out of haiku. It's entitled Make Room for Jesus.

Gayl Wright makes her home in upstate South Carolina. She is a seeker of truth who looks for beauty in ordinary things. A self-taught poet, photographer and artist, she loves to capture what she finds using her talents to encourage others and glorify God.

Christmas Contentment - Day 21 - Holiday Haiku Challenge

Welcome to our 23rd day of the Holiday Haiku Challenge Today's haiku challenge is to write 17 poetic syllables inspired by the often ellusive concept,

Christmas Contentment

My dear friend Amber Lia shares a personal story on the subject, then wraps it up at the end with a haiku. If you are inspired, leave your own #holidayhaiku in the comment thread below.

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Christmas Contentment

By Amber Lia

My husband thought it was a fun idea to put a pink feather boa and other gag gifts in my Christmas stocking that first year of marriage. Meanwhile, I thoughtfully wrapped all his favorite things. Ten years later, he still struggles with what to get me. Just today, I bought a gift from him, for me. He’ll wrap it. I’ll be happy and he won’t have to sleep on the couch.

Just kidding.

Sort of.

Like you, I want Christmas to be less about “stuff” and more about rejoicing over the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, but even with my best intentions, I can become disappointed when holidays roll around. My prayer for 2015 was that I would hunger and thirst for righteousness more than anything else. I wanted to grow in contentment and truly feel like peace ruled my heart and mind this year, despite my circumstances. When December arrives, my contentment can be severely tested. My birthday is the day after Christmas and so many expectations come into play. I want to focus on what really matters—the many blessing that are already mine to treasure. I also want to humble myself, much like we see in Jesus’ example:

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:5-11

Jesus, the King of Kings came into the world in total humility, for the sake of the cross. And now He reigns exalted! Christmas is the ultimate opportunity for us to humble ourselves and to be content! Just as God loves His Son, I cherish the gift of my own three boys the most this holiday season. They bless my socks off and bring me so much joy! This year, I know that I won’t be getting diamond earrings or a fabulous handbag. But it’s not going to induce a pity-party. I have Jesus and my family. Everything else is blessing upon blessing.

If you've missed any of our Holiday Haiku Challenge, head on over to the beginning.

Emmanuel - Day 20 - holiday haiku

Welcome to Day 20 of our Holiday Haiku Challenge Today's charge is to  write a haiku inspired by the Name of Christ,

Emmanuel

Emmanuel

by Tara Ulrich

Emmanuel "God with us" is such a beautiful reminder that we are never alone. I love Eugune Peterson's translation in the Message when he states "Jesus puts on flesh and blood and moves into the neighborhood." Can you just picture Mary, Joseph, and baby Joseph moving in next to you?

Would you bring them gifts fit for a king? Would you be oohing and aahing over this precious gift not even knowing that this infant was the promise Messiah? During this Advent season, may you welcome this promised Messiah into your heart, and extend Him out into your very own neighborhoods!

Tara Ulrich lives in Minot, ND where she serves at a Lutheran church as the Director of Home and Family Ministry. She is a rostered Diaconal Minister in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (Diaconal Ministers grew out of the Catholic understanding of deacons and deaconesses; Word and Service rather than Word and Sacrament). Prior to coming to Minot, she lived in Moorhead, MN and served at a church in Dilworth, MN for approximately 6 1/2 years. She is a graduate of the University of Mary (Bismarck, ND) and Wartburg Theological Seminary. She loves to spend time with her friends and family, reading, writing, and on the beautiful prairies of North Dakota.

You can follow her at her blog Praying on the Prairie. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram.

Angels We Have Heard on High - Day 19 - Holiday Haiku

Welcome to day 19 of our Holiday Haiku Challenge   Today's charge is to write a haiku inspired by the carol

Angels We Have Heard on High.

Angels we have heard on high Sweetly singing o’er the plains, And the mountains in reply Echoing their joyous strains.

Gloria, in excelsis Deo! Gloria, in excelsis Deo! Shepherds, why this jubilee? Why your joyous strains prolong? What the gladsome tidings be Which inspire your heav’nly song? Come to Bethlehem and see Him Whose birth the angels sing; Come, adore on bended knee, Christ the Lord, the newborn King. See Him in a manger laid, Whom the choirs of angels praise; Mary, Joseph, lend your aid, While our hearts in love we raise. 

(James Chadwick, 1862)

We perceive the unknown through the filter of our knowing minds. But we cannot imagine the unimaginable. So we use our imaginations. Angels are not human who have sprouted wings at the ringing of a bell. They are creatures all their own, created by the same Creator that filled Adam's nostrils with earth's first breath. It is all poetry. And here we are, trying desperately to cram this unknown brilliance into the confines of 17 short syllables.

Christmas Hospitality - Day 18 - Holiday Haiku

Welcome to Day 18 of our Holiday Haiku Challenge If you've missed any of our series, head on over to the beginning.

Today's charge is to write 17 syllables inspired by the truly Christlike quality of

Christmas Hospitality

The Hospitality of Heaven

by Kris Camealy

As we prepare our Christmas table, I am continually laid low by the hospitality of heaven, that God would send His own Son to be our Host, to show us what it means to make room for one another. Jesus' coming reminds me to make a habit of preparing not only room for God in my own heart, but that I would make an effort to invite God-in-the-hearts of others to join me at the banquet as well. His Word reminds that by doing so, we may be entertaining angels unaware. May we be willing to open our hearts, our doors, and our tables to others in all seasons, inspired by Jesus' own generosity and graceful example. May we receive Him daily, and offer Him to those who hunger and thirst after that which alone satisfies eternally.

Kris Camealy is a sequin-wearing, homeschooling mother of four. She's passionate about faith, family, friends, and food. A slow-comer to the notion of God’s grace, Kris has “tasted and seen” and longs to see others filled with the same grace that transformed her heart. She’s been known to take gratuitous pictures of her culinary creations, causing mouths to water all across Instagram.

Kris is the founder of GraceTable and the author of the book, Holey, Wholly, Holy: A Lenten Journey of Refinement and the follow up, Companion Workbook. You can read more from Kris at kriscamealy.com