Dear Friends
On behalf of the Scargill Community we would like to wish you a peaceful and joy filled Christmas.
Please remember the St Oswald’s Community, Whitby in your prayers as the house closes and the Community are dispersed by the end of January.
Our next livestream evening prayer service is taking place on Monday 1st January (from 4:30pm).
Here is Di’s reflection – enjoy!
Listening In by Charles Spencelayh (1865–1958), exhibited 1933, from the Tate Gallery. The description speaks of an ‘old man listening attentively to a startlingly modern wireless through a pair of head phones.’
Yesterday, as we entered the Harry Potter Experience with two of our grandchildren, we read these words from JK Rowling ‘No story lives unless someone wants to listen.’ I wanted to add – no story lives unless it is told.
A week ago, sitting at the back of Chapel, for once allowing myself to listen to one of our guest speakers, I found myself looking at people’s ears! (possibly because we were being encouraged to listen!) At first, I was struck by how funny ears are, two rather oddly wing shaped appendages, then of course I remembered that they serve us very well allowing us to hear all the sounds around, sweet as well as harsh.
I then began to think about my listening skills, well, they’re often not great! There are times I find myself mainly out of anxiety, butting-in whilst others are speaking, full of my thoughts and solutions, rather than hearing what is really being said. Unlike our first painting where we have an ‘old man listening attentively and in amazement’.
As did Joseph. Joseph a man of no words, a man of action: he plans, he resolves, he dreams, he hears an angel of the Lord, changes his mind, and obeys.
As did the shepherds. Who listened to the angels with utter astonishment and amazement and then left immediately, ‘with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them.’
As did Mary. Who ‘treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.’
Now I am fairly sure most of us won’t have a heavenly visitation, perhaps we may have a dream or two, perhaps not. Remember though ‘No story lives unless someone wants to listen’ – no story lives unless it is told.
This Christmas we can all hear God’s voice afresh, if we listen with renewed hearts to the words we read, hear and see, pondering them like Mary. Can we like Joseph treasure God’s words, savour them, try to understand little by little what God is asking of each of us. Can we like the Shepherds eagerly share the Christmas story of hope to a world that desperately needs it.
With much love and prayers