Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Christmas Wishes and Christmas Dreams

I wish for you this Christmas:

Awareness of the true meaning of Christmas:  God reaching out to humanity, through the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus, to reconcile all of His creation to Himself  and to unite us also with one another.

Awareness that you are loved and valued. God would not have reached out, if you were not.

A desire to extend that love and value to others, those close to you and those you do not yet know.

The knowledge that people are more valuable than profit or luxury or things.  The latter only have value as they are used for good. They have no value in and of themselves.



I dream of a world this Christmas:

Where we appreciate the gifts that we have and seek to use  them to improve the lives of others.

Where we see that we are a community, meant to support and help one another.

Where we are not disappointed with the content of our meals, but thankful that we have food to eat at all, and are concerned for those who don't have the luxury of disappointment.

Where  we are not discontented with the size of our homes, but simply thankful for the homes we have,  and are concerned for those who have no place to call home.

Where success is measured in how much we give away, rather than how much we have.

Where our first thought each morning is to ask how we can make the world just a little bit better today.

Where we are willing to live our lives, not in fear, but in the boldness that comes from knowing we are doing the right thing.




My wish for all of us this Christmas and every day is that our first inclination would be to seek justice for those who cannot do so themselves, to comfort those who have no comfort, and to bring peace to those who live in turmoil. May our hearts and our homes be open to those who are marginalized in this world, and may our desire be to have a positive impact in our global community. May its pain be our pain, and its joy, our joy.



The birth of Jesus signalled the beginning of a new era of Peace. In that stable in Bethlehem, God began the process of reconciling all of creation once again to Him and in Him. He has brought us healing, and has given us the mission of bringing spiritual, physical and emotional healing to the world. We are a community, united by the mercy of God.



A very Merry and Blessed Christmas to All!


















Tuesday, December 10, 2013

The Potter's Hand


    "Yet, O LORD,  you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand."   Isaiah 64:8 NIV

This beautiful image of God and His People is one that I have cherished for a long time. Perhaps that is why I have taken up a new hobby this fall. I have been going to beginner pottery classes.  My skills are limited  and I have much to learn, but as I have had the privilege of working with the clay and watching my creations, such as they are, emerge from it, I cannot help but reflect on this age-old idea.

Clay can be quite challenging.  Before anything can be done with it,  it must be knocked down repeatedly on a surface to soften it and round out the edges. Then it must be slammed down securely onto the wheel and centred, which involves squeezing it up and pushing it down until there are no wobbles or unevenness in the clay. Once that is accomplished,  it must be carefully opened up to the desired width. At this point,  the clay can be lifted to form the sides of a pot.  Lifting, like centring, is a finicky thing. If the wall becomes unbalanced or too thin, it will collapse, and that portion of the clay must be cut off before lifting can continue. Only when the clay is lifted properly,  can it be shaped. 

And this is only the beginning! Once a pot is formed, it must be air dried, trimmed, fired, glazed and then fired once more. This brings the glaze and clay to a mature state, no longer porous, and ready to be used for its intended purpose.

 A skilled potter, through time and practice, learns to master this meticulous process. He gets to know his clay, and simply by the touch of his hand, he can determine when the clay is centred, when and how far to lift it.  With great patience, the potter works with his clay from its beginning as an unformed lump until it is shaped, trimmed and glazed, now a beautiful and useful vessel, formed  and designed by a loving hand and ready to fulfill its purpose.  

How similar is our journey to that of the clay! Life can be difficult, filled with struggles that we cannot understand, let alone deal with on our own. Like the clay, we can be hard to work with,  loathe to take on a new form,  happy to remain shapeless and useless, rather than be stretched and prodded and worked.  And like the clay, we are fragile, always at risk of being destroyed. We are ever dependent upon  the skilled hand of the Master Potter to see us safely through the process of growing and changing and becoming.  Though we may not always perceive it, with love and patience, He forms us into beautiful and useful vessels, matured by the fires of life and the loving and firm touch of His hand.


Many years ago, I wrote a song that goes like this:
"My Jesus is the Master Potter and He's going to mould me.
My Jesus is the Master Potter and He'll mould me into what I should be.
My Jesus is the Master Potter and He's going to mould me
Into Something beautiful, the way that  I was meant to be.
He's going to make me a vessel for His use
He's going to turn me into a servant of the King
He's going to cleanse me inside out with loving care
He's going to teach me to be an instrument of His Love." (copyright Katherine Kavanagh Hoffman)

I understand a little bit more about the meaning of these words now. And I am thankful that I can depend upon the skill and patience and love of the Master Potter to bring me through this sometimes harrowing journey that we call life.









Sunday, December 1, 2013

Christmas Tale

The earth waits,
groaning as in travail.

Bare threads of hope,
taut,
fragile,
Uncertain.

Is this the time?
Will the hope be fulfilled
or shredded on the wind....

The heavens wait,
palpable anticipation.

Fullness of time,
ready,
defined, 
Imminent.

Bright light,
Heavenly songs, 
Joy.

Cold night,
Shepherds watch,
Awe.

Stable dark,
Straw bed,
Baby’s cry.


The beginning.

by Katherine Kavanagh Hoffman

December 1, 2013

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

An Empty Nest



My mind is flooded with memories. Two little girls playing "make believe" with their Barbies and Lego, telling jokes around the supper table, climbing up into the "tree house" in the backyard. Sleepovers, play dates, family vacations, church events, school events, music lessons, dance, the arts. Even the teen years, which entailed some very real challenges, still evoke some wonderful memories: our house full of friends, never knowing how many we would have for dinner, or who we might find sleeping on the couch when we woke up the next day!  

These memories fade into an even sweeter present.  I  now see my girls, having met the challenges of the teens, grown into women, still learning, but well on the road to maturity. Although they will always be my babies, they are also my friends.

And now, as of 21 days ago, my husband and I are empty nesters. Our oldest daughter has been away from home for a number of years, but now the "baby" of the family has flown the nest!

I admit to mixed emotions.

The house is definitely emptier, and that is a strange feeling. It does make me sad, in a way. As a "stay-at-home" Mom, I could say that my lifework has walked out the door! Yet, I also feel a sense of satisfaction. The work of raising my girls (although done long before our youngest left) is  complete. And so the door closes gently. 

We are now in a new stage of life. An ending has occurred, but a beginning takes its place. I  firmly believe in enjoying every stage of life, and so I am happy and excited to be starting anew. For every  stage brings new opportunities and new experiences. This is true for my youngest, out on her own for the first time, but it is also true for me, and for my husband, and for our home. I do not know what awaits us during this new stage, but I know the One who holds us in His Hands, and so I wait and prepare and plan, thankful for this new adventure! I intend on taking hold of it firmly with both hands!


Saturday, April 13, 2013

I know that Truth is stronger still
Strongest
 I hold on to that truth
    in the midst of lies
Chaos
       threatens to undermine
             to shake my confidence

But
   I know that Truth is stronger still
   Strongest.

We walk through this world of chaos
           Overwhelmed
    Torn by demands
               and expectations
  Wooed by half-truths
                       and promises
         That corrupt the Truth
            and seek to show it
                             Inane

But
    I know that Truth is stronger still
    Strongest.

   And no matter what I hear
          Well-cushioned words
              And accusations
       That seek to undermine
                                my confidence
            that encourage me to adapt
                            the Truth
              to my own needs and
                              sensibilities

I know that Truth is stronger still
    Strongest

  And I will cling to that
                       Truth.

Katherine Kavanagh Hoffman 
written March 8, 2008

Friday, March 29, 2013

Crucifixion

Crucifixion

The bread and cup
             were passed

Thus, the ordeal began.

    A furtive meeting
           A quiet garden
                  Filled with prayer and anguish

     Sleeping men.

            And, then

      The sounds of rushing men
              intent on duty.

          A kiss
              The strike of a sword

                                And healing.

        Fearful men.

                       Trial
                              Denial
                                       Mockery

A night filled with uncertainty
                  for many
    Though not for 
                          One.

    He is sure of the outcome.
            And the purpose

          Purple robes
                Crown of thorns

         Cross to bear.

Through the streets
             Jeering crowds

   A contrast to those
         crowds victorious,
                  worshipful,
                         mere days ago.

        And, then,

               Desolation.

           The pain of
                    flesh and spirit torn

            The torment of sin,
              though not His own
                           The agony of this labour.

                     Death brings completion.

               "It is finished."

        Katherine Kavanagh Hoffman  March 27, 2013

Friday, March 22, 2013

Easter Trilogy

Easter Trilogy

1. Palm Sunday

Welcomed as a king.
Royal ride through the gates
Cheering and Homage
        fron the crowd.

"Forgive them Father
            For they know not what they do"

Cloaks and palm branches
    Spread on the road
              In welcome
                       In reverence.


"...save yourself! Come down
     from the cross, if you are the Son of God!"

Hope and Excitement
For the Son of David-
The One who comes in God's name
The One who will save.

"Surely he was the Son of God!"


2. Good Friday

Focus
   on the Darkness of the day-
        No glimmer of the Light to come

Only sorrow.
            And pain.
                      And despair.

How could it be?

How could this happen?

            He is the one....

                      He was the one....

          And yet

               He hangs now from that tree-

                    One among others-

              Stripped and Beaten
   
                    Barely with us anymore.

Soon- He will be gone.

               How can this be?

                   How can this happen?

What of the kingdom
 
         He has promised?

What of the miracles

                          He did?

How could He die?

      He seemed so much more-

                Was He only a man?

       The Darkness of the Day
                    Despair
                                  Uncertainly
                         No glimmer of the Light to come

                   Only women crying
                                          at his feet
                   While mockers scoff

                            and Disciples scatter.

                                       Lost

 
                                    No direction
                                            No focus
                                                  No assurance.

                                    No tomorrow.

 
                    Only the Darkness
                                               of the Day.


3. Easter Sunday

Darkness turned to light
A touch of hope
      And then
             Unadulterated JOY.

The unthinkable has been
                          Thought
The undoable has been 
                                 done
The unreasonable is now
                          Reality.

Darkness turned to light
          By truth

We are not imprisoned
           Any longer
In cells of our own making.

The light has broken through
         Releasing those
               held by Darkness.

A new world begins.

Hope, once scattered

     Is Now Firm

Truth, once uncertain

     Is Now Confirmed

   The Future, once Darkened

   Is now Filled with

       Light

Light that will guide us

     Into a new reality-

 Through the darkness

 Into what was always

      Meant to be.

No more holding back

     For we know what lies ahead.

No more fear of death

    For that blight has been conquered.

    Our hope
        Our truth
            Our future

         Joy-filled with Light.



             Katherine Kavanagh Hoffman