Merry Christmas – 2014

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A Charlie Brown Christmas, Appalachian, birth of Jesus, Carol of the Bells, Carrie Underwood, Celtic Woman, Charles Schulz, Charlie Brown, Christ, Christian, Christmas, Christmas carol, Christmas Eve services, Christmas songs, Christmas spirit, Civil War, cold and flu season, compassion, Cuban Missile Crisis, Do You Hear What I Hear?, Elizabeth, faith, folk music, forgiveness, God, Gospel, Greensleeves, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, hope, I Don't Need a Reindeer, I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day, I Wonder as I Wander, Jesus, Jewish girl, Jewish woman, John Jacob Niles, John the Baptizer, Johnny Cash, joy, Joy to the World, June Carter Cash, Kathy Mattea, Linus, Love, Luke 2:8-14, Maranatha, Martina McBride, Mary Did You Know, Mary. mother of Jesus, Messiah, Michael W. Smith, Moody Blues, O Come O Come Emmanuel, peace, The Preacher's Wife, Transgender, Ukraine, understanding, Vanessa Williams, What Child Is This?, Whitney Houston

I caught a cold or the flu.  I started to feel it late Tuesday evening after meeting a dear friend, someone I met through my blog, for lunch.  So I missed out on Christmas Eve services at my church.  Sometimes I feel better.  Then it is like the germs spin a wheel to decide which symptoms they are going to hit me with.  So I have had congestion, sneezing fits, coughing fits (which were starting to do a number on my stomach), body aches, lower back and kidney pain and currently feeling somewhat flushed.

But I won’t let it ruin my Christmas spirit.  I can see blessing even in the midst of some misery.  I know it is better to get this now than in the middle of tax season.  And I had no plans for Christmas Day this year.  Next year might be different.  By then, I am hoping my brother will have come to terms with my true identity and will invite me to spend Christmas with him and his wife.  And I have been given a very healthy (if not overactive) immune system.  So as long as I take it easy for a few days, I should be okay soon.

Meanwhile, even if it is late in the day, I wanted to extend my best wishes to my readers.  I made some wonderful new friends this year who contacted me because of my writing.  While not all of these friends identify as Christian, all of them are like me in that we are transgender and that we want to do what is right in God’s sight.  Would that I could share with you the amazing conversations we have had, the understandings we have reached, the knowledge we have shared and the misunderstandings we were able to work through.  If only we could get a receptive audience at the United Nations to show what is possible when love, peace, forgiveness and understanding are the focus of relationships.

However you may feel about Christmas, and despite the fact that some Christians do not do a very good job practicing these ideals, love, peace, forgiveness, understanding, compassion, joy and hope are the message of the birth of Jesus.  But rather than go into sermon mode, I am going to let some songs of Christmas speak the message.  Whether than sing along or just listen, I hope you will enjoy them.

To ease into things, I am starting with a song that isn’t religious, but does remind us that Christmas is about love and childlike innocence, not things.  It is a relatively new song by a long time favorite group of mine, the Moody Blues.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYSjqdUcNSI

Another song to set the general mood of good cheer, this carol is based on a Ukrainian folk chant to usher in the new year at a time when Ukraine celebrated the start of the year in April (before Christianity and the Julian calendar came to Ukraine, moving the celebration of the new year to January.  The lyrics were rewritten for midwinter instead of spring and then translated into English when the song was introduced to the U.S. in the 1930’s.  I love the Celtic Woman version because it features five beautiful, talented women and a melodic choir.  And you just have to admire anyone who can play the violin so exquisitely while dancing across the stage in high heel pumps!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Az139PTaksk

It is my understanding that it is the hope and dream of every Jewish girl and woman who is still able to bear children to be the mother of the Messiah, that the baby inside her would be a boy who would be the key to the future of Israel and even all the world.  Whether or not you believe that woman has already been chosen, just consider the awesome responsibility that would be.  Upon finding out, it would be an honor and answer to prayer.  But then the scary reality might come upon you.  What if I mess up?  Am I up to the task?  Am I worthy to be chosen?  Like Moses and Isaiah and Elijah and Jonah and many others before her, would she say, “Lord, are you sure you want me for this job?”  Add the fact that Mary’s espoused husband was not the father, the Holy Spirit was but who would believe it, and you can see how much faith it took for Mary, this very young woman child, to move forward and accept her role without question.

With the rich and unadorned alto voice of Kathy Mattea, I can picture Mary’s elder cousin Elizabeth, mother of John who would herald the ministry of Jesus, singing this to Mary during the time when Mary tended to her cousin whose pregnancy was a few months further along.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXK50lsrdq4

I am going to take a pause in the music for a moment to provide a bit of Bible reading.  Even in 1965, the key producers of A Charlie Brown Christmas thought it would be too controversial to include it.  But how can you be angry with wise and innocent Linus with his hint of a lisp as the narrator?  The special, which many industry veterans thought would be a flop, has become one of the most popular programs of all time, and Linus reading from Luke 2:8-14 was a big part of the popularity.  Linus has indeed told Charlie Brown what Christmas is all about.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CojUP5nRidA

So we have come to the actual birth event of Jesus.  And those who love peace, regardless of religious belief, should resonate with the proclamation of peace on earth, good will toward men (i.e. all mankind).  Here we have two songs that echo that desire for peace on earth.  The first one was written in October 1962 during the height of the Cuban missile crisis with the fervent hope that peace would prevail while the specter of nuclear war loomed.  And not only were the songwriters despairing that peace might be elusive, like Charlie Brown, they were despairing about the growing commercialism of the Christmas holiday.  In the 52 years since, Do You Hear What I Hear? has become one of the most covered and biggest selling Christmas songs, and deservedly so.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ad7KU9bCTAM

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day was written almost 100 years earlier, when the United States was threatening to split apart permanently.  Originally written as a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, it was published on Christmas Day 1863 at a time when he was mourning the recent death of his wife in a fire (in which Longfellow suffered significant facial burns trying to save her) and news of his son’s severe wounding a few weeks earlier in battle.  Two verses of the poem are rarely sung as they have a darker tone not considered suitable as a Christmas carol.  It is a shame, because the contrast becomes even starker between the horrors of war and the beauty of peace.

The poem was first set to music in 1872 and then a more modern arrangement was written in the 1950’s.  This version by Johnny and June Carter Cash is to the older tune and features five of the seven verses, albeit in somewhat different order than the original poem and with one verse repeated, the most hopeful final verse that echoed the words of the heavenly host as recorded in Luke 2:14.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJFZ1y_o9p4

Set to the traditional English folk tune, Greensleeves, What Child Is This? asks questions and then answers them as to the unusual events surrounding the birth of Christ.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vm15tzHkK78

Jesus didn’t stay a baby forever.  Questions followed Him, as they do to this day.  Around age 30, He began the ministry that was ordained for Him.  He added disciples to His ministry.  He taught in parables which He explained more fully to His disciples.  Slowly, He began to unfold the details of His purpose.  It wasn’t always easy to hear, that the one they had come to love so purely would suffer and die.  It was even harder for them to fathom that He would rise from the dead.  But without these events, there would not have been a reason for His birth.

I Wonder as I Wander talks about the birth of Christ, but it also asks some of those same hard questions that His disciples were asking.  It is based on a snippet of a folk song heard when evangelicals had been ordered by police from the southern Appalachian town of Murphy, N.C., sung by a beautiful but raggedy and unwashed child in exchange for donations on July 16, 1933. American folklorist and singer John Jacob Niles developed this hauntingly beautiful song that has come to be identified with Christmas.  While Vanessa Williams is neither raggedy or unwashed, she is beautiful in voice and appearance in this version.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RbX6jW5YSk

For another year, Christmas Day has come.  It is a day for joy to the whole world.  I love Whitney Houston’s version of this carol as sung during the movie, The Preacher’s Wife.  It is one of my favorite carols in many arrangements, but this version seems to have the most unbridled joy.  Indeed, sing of God’s wonderful love and resounding joy in His creation and His desire for mankind.  There is nothing else like it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bukaA1szoMQ

To conclude this mini online Christmas concert, I have chosen a carol that many would have expected to put at the beginning, not the end.  But I am mindful that not all of my readers are Christian or believe in Christ.  Even so, God being with us here on earth is something more wonderful than anything else imaginable for those who love the Lord, whether you are awaiting Him to come for the first time or to return.  And so in that spirit, we say “Maranatha, come quickly Lord.  O come, o come, Emmanuel.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPfdD3pBUig

In closing, the text that Linus recited:

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.  And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.  And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. – Luke 2:8-14

Whether you know Jesus as the Christ, or are seeking the Christ, or seeking truth, please accept my good wishes to you at Christmas time.

God bless,

Lois

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Christmas – 2013

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A Charlie Brown Christmas, Canon in D, Carol of the Bells, celebrate, Celtic Women, charity, Charles Schulz, Childlike Faith, children's choir, Christ, Christ is Lord, Christian, Christmas, Christmas carols, Christmas decorations, Christmas gifts, Christmas memories, Christmas tree, December 25, Don't Need a Reindeer, Drifters, Emmanuel, Family visits, good will, Gospel, I Wonder as I Wander, Jesus, Josh Groban, Joy to the World, Kathy Mattea, Linus, Love, Luke 2, Mary Did You Know, Moody Blues, Nativity of Jesus, O Come O Come Emmanuel, O Holy Night, O Little Town of Bethlehem, Pachelbel, salvation, Santa Claus, The Preacher's Wife, Transition, Transsexual, White Christmas, Whitney Houston

This year may be my most peaceful Christmas ever.  Last year, my full-time experience as Lois was about a month and a half old.  There was still much concern over how friends, family and clients would react.  I had received some positive feedback (the negatives would start on New Year’s Eve), but many had not responded yet, one way or the other.  As Scotty remarked on an episode of the original Star Trek when he was a murder suspect and he was suffering from memory blackouts, “I can’t stand this not knowing.”

Now there are only a handful of people on my Christmas card list that I haven’t heard from since they were told last year.  And there are some other people with things in limbo.  But for the most part, that is behind me now.  There will always be decisions when new people come into our lives.  Who do I tell?  When and how do I tell them?  That is part of our lot in life as transsexuals unless we are so out there (and famous) that the only people who don’t know just came back from twenty years on Mars or something like that.

Andy Williams was known for a Christmas song that declared that this season is the “most wonderful time of the year.”  I agree.  There are many reasons for that, especially once we get away from the stores and shopping malls.  There’s the story itself: the birth of baby Jesus; the long journey only to find no place to lodge for the night and only having a lowly stable and manger for the place of birth; the angels’ announcement to the shepherds; the birth attended by the shepherds and the animals; the young mother who was barely a woman herself, pondering all the things that she had been told by the angel Gabriel and her cousin Elizabeth and then all the things that happened thereafter; the understanding and goodness demonstrated by Joseph.  It is a story that resonates with both Christians and non-Christians.  It helps set a nicer mood.

Then there are all the trappings of the season: the beautiful decorations set in contrast to the bleakness of winter in many parts of the world; the delightful music with carols old and new; lovely greeting cards providing us an opportunity to tell others how much they mean in our lives and to keep in touch with friends we rarely see; the joy of seeing someone truly appreciate our gift to them and our receiving a special gift.

And then there are the children.  It is precious to see the wonder and delight on the faces of children, whether they are first appreciating Christmas, or having been waiting in anticipation for the big day to arrive.  Part of what we see, when we adults watch the children, is our own joyful memories.

Here are some of the things that I remember and associate with Christmas (in no particular order):

Giving – When my family lived in Queens, I remember a well-attended Christmas Eve service just for the children.  Our numbers were evidence of being part of the baby boom generation as well as the importance our parents placed on church (at least for their children if not for themselves).

The one part of that service that remains with me to this day (and I was seven years old the last time I attended that church on Christmas Eve) was when row after row of children would file out of their seats bringing a gift for the poor.  We would be clutching a can of food or some money, perhaps a toy, and we would lay it before the altar before soberly returning to our seats.  During the entire procession, we would sing the following lyrics: “What can I give Him, poor as I am? If I were a shepherd I would bring a lamb.  If I were a wise man, I would do my part.  But what can I give Him?  Give my heart.”  There were enough children that we must have sang that little tune at least a dozen times before the very last row made the round trip to the altar and back to their seats.

No wonder these touching lyrics have stayed with me for a lifetime.  It was in June, not December, but thirty years later those lyrics finally reached their destination in me.  It was then, at age 36, that I gave my heart and my life to Christ.

What we celebrate – I am not ashamed of Christ or the Gospel.  So let’s speak plainly.  It is Christmas that we celebrate at this time of year.  If it were not for Christ we would not celebrate this holiday.  This is true no matter what you think of Christ or how you observe Christmas.  The word literally means “a mass for Christ”.

There are some, both Christians and non-Christians, who demur because we do not know the actual day of the birth of Jesus.  My response is simple.  We do not celebrate Jesus’ birthday on Christmas.  We celebrate the birth of Jesus.  The difference is subtle but profound.  Every day, Christians should celebrate the birth of Christ in some way.  Any day is as good as another.  December 25 is a fine day.

As Christians, we need to be careful about getting trapped in what could become a tangled web.  I remember about 20 years ago, a woman in my church had a sincere question.  She asked me, “Which holiday is more important, Christmas or Easter?”

I had never considered the question before.  I can tell you that the answer came so quickly and without meditation on my part, I know it was the Holy Spirit that supplied the answer.  “Christmas made Easter possible; Easter made Christmas necessary.”

Christmas trees – I have nothing against them.  A treasured childhood memory is going with my dad and my brother to some lot under the el on Liberty Avenue to pick out our tree.  Once it was set up, I enjoyed looking at it decorated with lights and ornaments.  One of my early lessons in physics came from placing a large ornament near the top of the tree.  As I got older, I would remember some of the more unique ornaments when we took them out of the box.

Another fond memory is my brother and I setting up the toy village and trains.  Even though it was a boring circuit around the base of the tree, we would still spend hours playing with it, learning how to control the speed of the train and what happens if it goes too fast around the curve.  It is part of my lifelong love of trains.  Part of my wish list that probably will not come to pass is having an elaborate model train set.

The major reason that it will not come to pass is the same reason that I have never had my own Christmas tree.  My apartment barely has room for me.  As I tell people, my apartment is so small that I have to go out in the hall to change my mind!

While my parents were still alive and physically capable of setting up a tree, that was my official Christmas tree, and I celebrated my Christmas with them and my brother.  Since that time, there is no room for a tree in this inn.

Family – My mom’s four siblings lived in other parts of the country.  My dad’s two brothers lived in the NYC metropolitan area, same as we did.  So we spent Christmas every year from as early as I can remember with my aunts, uncles and cousins on my dad’s side of the family.  We would take turns as far as whose house we would meet at.  My cousins were a good group of kids.  I never remember any problems with them at Christmas.  It was a fun time with lots of toys and the men secretly wanting to play with some of those toys.

Then we moved to the opposite side of the metropolitan area, the northwest suburbs instead of Long Island where the others lived.  In a few years, my aunts and uncles decided that it was too far for them to come to our house, but not too far for us to go to them.  It was one of the times that I heard my mom declare, “You can pick your friends, but you can’t pick your family.”  From then on Christmas was spent with my immediate family only.

Santa Claus – I caught on to Santa Claus being a fake pretty early on and no longer wanted to visit Santa at the store.  My parents’ attempts to keep up the pretense were annoying.

I once heard a pastor preach that he told his children that Santa Claus was a fake as soon as they could understand about Christmas.  His reason was simple.  If they are told that Santa is real and associate him with Christmas, when they find out that he really doesn’t exist it could also cast doubts on the existence of Jesus.  Sticking to the facts about Christmas is something I wholeheartedly endorse.  However, I never had children of my own to practice that philosophy personally.

Music – As I shared before, Christmas music brings a host of joys and happy memories.  Most of the old favorites are easy to sing.  At this point, I am going to switch from prose to a mini-concert: links to my favorites with an introduction to each.  We will also have a guest reader at one point.  Perhaps you will make these selections part of your Christmas celebration?

Christmas is hope for long awaited prophecy to be revealed. — All Israel waited centuries for the Messiah.  Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. – Isaiah 7:14

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPfdD3pBUig

Christmas is holiness. — A majestic voice to sing this beloved carol splendidly.  Note the marvelous statement of social justice that all Christians should embrace: “Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother, and in His name all oppression shall cease.”

But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. – 1^st Peter 1:15-16

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Zh-yR0pbmU

Christmas is beautiful. — This beautifully orchestrated carol is performed by beautiful women, beautifully costumed and beautifully choreographed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmycgoBECgk

Christmas is love and childlike faith. — This modern Christmas song by one of my favorite musical groups contains some important statements about priorities.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYSjqdUcNSI

Christmas is a mother’s heart and miracles. — My previous post gives a detailed discussion of Mary.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agQvboUi3mQ

Christmas is a time for questions and answers. — The singer of this version is a relative unknown (she doesn’t even have a Wikipedia page!), but her voice and rendition is beautiful.  This carol is made for a fine alto voice like hers.  Fame is not important to God; the offering of our talents is.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZ_fH-1xwGE

Christmas is humble and prayerful. — The traditional fourth and final verse of this carol is a wonderful petition and a great description of hearts prayerfully prepared for communion.  I wish that more of the versions found online contained this verse.  In the version I am posting, it is sung as the third verse.

“O Holy Child of Bethlehem, Descend to us, we pray; Cast out our sin and enter in, Be born in us today.  We hear the Christmas angels The great glad tidings tell: O come to us, abide with us, Our Lord Emmanuel!”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzL-5bjQwcs

Christmas is children. — The wonder of Christmas is best seen through the eyes of children.  This selection is a beautiful blend of children’s voices with Baroque music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cP26ndrmtg

Christmas is light hearts for young and old. — This modern Christmas favorite was done in a new way.  It is hard to believe it is about sixty years old now.  The video is also relatively old.  It was originally created and shared as an exe file, before computer creeps made it too dangerous to download them.  After all this time, it still brings a smile to my face.  For the full effect, you need to watch.

Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. – Isaiah 43:19

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ooc5eJc5SHA

Christmas is memories and meaningful testimony. — For many people, A Charlie Brown Christmas is one of the best memories of Christmas.  First seen in 1965, Charles Schulz and producer Bill Melendez had to fight the executives at CBS to keep the animated program faithful to their vision for it.  Upon screening it, the executives were sure it would flop and only be shown once.  As often happens, the “experts” were wrong.  Viewers loved that it was real, not slick, and carried a meaningful message of Christmas against the increasing commercialization of the holiday.

The next two links are from this classic Christmas program: a song and a sweet, lisping voice telling Charlie Brown the real meaning of Christmas, plus some more favorite Christmas carols.  Another thing insisted upon that horrified the executives was the use of children, not adults, as the voices.  It added to the charm and realism.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mor7Ii2Jg3U

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVGJgJ5cReg

Christmas is pure, unbridled joy. — My final selection, from the movie, The Preacher’s Wife, brings a joyful Gospel flavor to one of my favorite carols.  There is also the clear message that Christ is Lord.  “He rules the world with truth and grace And makes the nations prove The glories of His righteousness And wonders of His love …”

Shout it out: Jesus Christ is born!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gtMIueZjIc

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. – Luke 2:10-11

God bless,

Lois