rantings & ramblings
I’ve written before about my love for Lebkuchen (here and here).
Mom sent Lebkuchen for my birthday.
Or maybe Christmas.
The two tend to run together.
Either way, it’s Day’s Bakery Lebkuchen.
Just as good as I remember.
Mother-in-Law found Lebkuchen at the commissary.
She told Mr. Tom.
She/He/They bought me a bag for Christmas.
Let the Lebkuchen-Festival commence!
Perhaps you have never heard of a Lessons and Carols service.
From Wikipedia:
The first Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols at King’s College, Cambridge, was held on Christmas Eve in 1918. It was conceived by Eric Milner-White, the Dean of the College, whose experience as an army chaplain had led him to believe that more imaginative worship was needed by the Church of England. The order of service was adapted from the order created by Benson for Truro Cathedral 38 years earlier, based on an idea from the future Bishop of Edinburgh, George Walpole . . .
The format of the first Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols did not differ substantially from the one known today. The order of the lessons was revised in 1919, and since that time the service has always begun with the hymn “Once in Royal David’s City” . . .
The Nine Lessons, which are the same every year, are read by representatives of the college and of the City of Cambridge from the 1611 Authorized King James Version of the Bible . . . The singing is divided into “carols” which are sung by the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge, and “hymns” sung by the Choir and congregation . . . The service ends with the hymn “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” . . .
If you have never attended a Lessons and Carols service – or, if you are unable to attend one or find a broadcast – I would like to provide one for you.
AB INITIO
FIRST LESSON
Genesis 3:8-19
8. And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.
9. And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
10. And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.
11. And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?
12. And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.
13. And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.
14. And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:
15. And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
16. Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.
17. And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
18. Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
19. In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
The best things in life require effort.
Lebkuchen, for instance.
My hometown of Honesdale, Pennsylvania is semi-famous for two things: the Stourbridge Lion and “Winter Wonderland.” It should also be famous for the wonderful lebkuchen from Day’s Bakery. Their wonderfully soft and spicy bar-style lebkuchen is simply divine. And when the crunchy glaze cracks and begins to melt in your mouth . . .
Unfortunately, they don’t ship. At least, their website doesn’t offer shipping and I haven’t heard back from my email. I could ask family to send me some, but things of that nature tend to get “lost in the mail” – if you know what I mean.
I tracked down a recipe that sounds like it might be similar to my culinary fantasy, but the ingredients proved to be cost-prohibitive.
The stores in my area don’t even sell a boxed variety, the smaller, crunchier lebkuchen set on oblaten. Rumor has it that the commissary sells some sort of lebkuchen, but I’m not in the military. I have friends who are, though, so maybe I can call in a favor or two.
Now if only I could find some Moxie to go with it . . .
[rant]
Many of my students suffer from the delusion that any time before the present day was “boring.”
You didn’t have internet? or cell phones? What did you do?
I used something called imagination. It’s nearly extinct, but you can see traces of it here and there . . .
In my experience, they find music the most tedious. Why? I don’t really know. Perhaps it’s because enjoying older styles of music takes work. Gregorian chant, polyphony, opera, and classical music all require effort, something today’s One Direction-crazed teenyboppers or Selena Gomez-infatuated prepubescents just aren’t willing to do.
Music? Effort? It took a whole minute to download this song, and now you want me to think about it?! I don’t think so, old man . . .
But music from days gone by simply isn’t boring. I get that you don’t like it, but it certainly isn’t boring.
Case in point:
“Gaudete”
Rejoice, rejoice! Christ is born
of the Virgin Mary – rejoice!
The time of grace has come—
what we have wished for,
songs of joy
Let us give back faithfully.
God has become man,
With nature marveling,
The world has been renewed
By Christ reigning.
The closed gate of Ezekiel
Is passed through,
Whence the light is raised,
Salvation is found.
Therefore let our gathering
Now sing in brightness
Let it give praise to the Lord:
Greeting to our King.
Did you even hear that tune?!
How on God’s green Earth is this boring?!
It’s not. That’s the point.
[/rant]
My good blogger-friend Phil recently commented on Christmas People and Non-Christmas People.
Apparently – according to my family, at least – I am an NCP.
They put up the decorations.
I look at said decorations.
They drive through neighborhoods for lights and decorations.
I watch Fireplace for Your Home.
They sing along with 24/7 Christmas radio station.
I sing Christmas carols in German.
And Latin.
And English.
They watch Hallmark Christmas movies.
I watch A Christmas Story.
And Fireplace for Your Home.
They drink mulled cider and hot chocolate and eat sugar cookies and gingerbread.
I drink mulled cider or hot chocolate or eggnog or coffee.
I eat sugar cookies and gingerbread and – when I can get it – lebkuchen.
With the lights off.
While watching Fireplace for Your Home.
I enjoy Christmas, just in a different way. Don’t judge me.
I’ve said quite a bit over the last twenty-one months, but have generally avoided neglected refrained from things of a more religious nature.
Nevertheless, we are approaching a time of year celebrated by most Christians around the world. I’m referring – of course – to Advent.
My own religious preferences have never been “High Church” so-to-speak. Creeds and liturgies just aren’t my thing, you understand. I have nothing against them personally, it’s just that I think religion of any kind needs to come from the heart. If you’re told exactly how to respond to a particular reading, doesn’t that take away the personal aspect of religion? I don’t mean to start a theological discussion; this is just the way I think.
That said, I find some liturgies absolutely gorgeous. And as I’ve begun to meditate on the Christmas season, I find myself drawn to observing Advent for the first time.
I suppose I should have seen it coming. I’ve spent the last year independently researching medieval and early modern Christian traditions. I’ve waded through beautifully illuminated manuscripts (isn’t the digital age wonderful?), finally putting my college-level Middle English and Frakturschrift skills to use.
For the first time I’ve found myself searching aisles for Advent candles and wondering if I’ve found the right color (confounded colorblindness). I’ve scoured the internet for at-home reading, songs, and meditations.
Last night I lit my purple candle . . .
sang Veni, Veni, Emmanuel . . .
Veni, veni Emmanuel!
Captivum solve Israel!
Qui gemit in exilio,
Privatus Dei Filio,
Gaude, gaude, Emmanuel
Nascetur pro te, Israel.
and read Isaiah 40:1-5.
Tröstet, tröstet mein Volk! spricht euer Gott; redet mit Jerusalem freundlich und predigt ihr, daß ihre Dienstbarkeit ein Ende hat, denn ihre Missetat ist vergeben; denn sie hat Zwiefältiges empfangen von der Hand des HERRN für alle ihre Sünden. Es ist eine Stimme eines Predigers in der Wüste: Bereitet dem HERRN den Weg, macht auf dem Gefilde eine ebene Bahn unserm Gott! Alle Täler sollen erhöht werden und alle Berge und Hügel sollen erniedrigt werden, und was ungleich ist, soll eben, und was höckericht ist, soll schlicht werden; denn die Herrlichkeit des HERRN soll offenbart werden, und alles Fleisch miteinander wird es sehen; denn des HERRN Mund hat es geredet.
Advent: A Celebration in Three Languages. And this is just the start!
I’d like to know: do you observe Advent?
If so, what do you do or what are your traditions?
I’d love to hear from you!
