Christmastime
"So this is Christmas, and what have you done?" We've hung out with family and friends, eaten too much, and exchanged gifts. But what have we done to share Christ with the world? St. Francis told us to "preach the gospel at all times....and when necessary, use words." So we gotta share Christ with what we do. What is God asking me and you to do, to do that?
I'm nibbling on ham. Christmas Eve, I cooked (I usually do--I like it) and Shirley, Athalia (our cockatiel) and I ate our Christmas dinner. We had: ham, mashed potatoes, green beans, and corn. It was delicious! (we still have some left over--yum). Then everybody came over for midnight Christmas mass. We exchanged gifts, had spiked and unspiked egg nog (!), hot cocoa (chocolate and white chocolate), apple cider, hot tea, soda, and coffee. I sat behind the kit, and our worship band Sactus led us in Lessons and Carols. And I gotta tell you, I was TIRED--I'd been up since 5am. But it was good--we celebrated the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ and received Him in the Eucharist. Then I heated up some queso, we hung a bit more. And after everybody left Shirley and I exchanged our first gifts. Well, she got 2 Monday night--I went online earlier and bought us tickets to Casting Crowns and Leland for next month here in OKC at the the Ford Center. Both bands are awesome! (we saw Casting Crowns with Building 429 a while back in Houston--Bldg 429 took my head off--they rocked!)
Then we went over yesterday to Abbot/Bishop Jim and Shanna's for a huge Christmas Day dinner. I ate too much and fell asleep (yeah, I know, good example for a monk to set..!). And I go back to work tomorrow, so I'm enjoying the day today. Shortly, I'll head out into the COLD Bonny and sit behind my kit for a while. It's been a very good past couple of days. Nice thing is, we celebrate Christmas all 12 days. Yep. Then it'll be Epiphany, and then my birthday. I just keep getting younger. Truth is, my forties have been the best yet!
It's been lightly snowing here this morning, and it's just absolutely beautiful outside. Have a blessed and peaceful Christmas season.
fr francis
About Me
- Father Francis Robert
- I am an evangelical Anglican priest and monk, musician, and radio man--I have committed my life to the Lord Jesus Christ, our great God and Savior. My wife Shirley and I and our bird Abbey Ruth live in a house, Mercy House, our hermitage (monastic house), in Warr Acres (northwest Oklahoma City), and I have a daughter, Cheyenne. I am concerned about things ancient Church and monastic, and I am a priest in The Communion of the Holy Trinity, a jurisdiction of the Church in the evangelical Anglican tradition--the ancient apostolic Church, when she was one and undivided and called catholic, as she grew in the British Isles. Our parish, Chapel of St. Francis, meets in our home. The monastic order I'm part of, The Order of St. John the Beloved, is a Franciscan monastic order of The Communion of the Holy Trinity. We are "convergence" or "three streams" -- a blending of evangelical, sacramental/liturgical, and Spirit-filled--the life of the Holy Spirit, the elements of belief, practice, and worship of the ancient Church. These elements, rediscovered and allowed to be as they were in the early Church, makes for a balanced, relevant Church today.
Beautiful sunset..............we enjoy the Creation.
Shirley and I vow--Cheye, Becca, Shirley, myself, Dina, Susanna, Dcn.Laura, Fr.Joe, Dad, Andy, Todd
Stage Dive (minus bassist Krystal) just before playing at my wedding reception...
Mom, Todd, Dad, me, Jade, and my daughter Cheyenne
Alleluia! Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us! Therefore let us keep the feast! Alleluia!
Fr. Joe, myself, Bishop/Abbot Jim, at my ordination mass
Behold the Lamb of God! Behold Him Who takes away the sins of the world!
Happy are those who are called to His Supper! (I have consecrated, and present Christ in the Eucharist for the first time!)
At my permanent monastic vows--Otis making a statement, myself, Abbot/Bishop Jim, Oblate Andy
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