A new song for Christmas Eve

A few days ago, Zoe wanted me to write a song with her "on the computer". At the piano, we started to talk about what sort of song she wanted to write. She wanted a song about Christ and baby Jesus. We thought of a few ideas, and Kira joined us. We continued to discuss different perspectives of people in the story and tried out a few musical notions. What unfolded over the next few days is the following text.


Come, Little Baby Jesus

Come, little baby Jesus
I can't wait to see you
We have traveled far to Bethlehem
Will you come this evening?

"We have no room for strangers"
so the people tell us
But the animals will welcome you
in their humble station

The sheep and goats stand near you
in the cold of winter
They will share their grain and straw with you
rest you in the manger

The light that shines about you
gentle as a candle
sets to flight the darkness of the night
when our eyes behold you

Your mouth so small is breathing
now our ears can hear you
What the prophets sought so long to hold
infant hands are clutching

Come, little baby Jesus
I can't wait to see you
We have traveled far to Bethlehem
Will you come this evening?


by Zoe, Kira and James Hilden-Minton

Come Little Baby Jesus by James Hilden-Minton

an advent song

truth, truth, your word o lord is truth
i will wait for you
truth, truth, your word o lord is truth
i will wait for you

speak my lord, into my hidden darkness
speak my lord, when I cannot find my way
speak my lord, ignite a new horizon
i will wait for you

truth, truth, your word o lord is truth
i will wait for you
truth, truth, your word o lord is truth
i will wait for you

i will cry, i breathe a new horizon
i will cry, i will be for you the way
i will cry, and fill your heart with gladness
i will wait with you

truth, truth, now i see a truth
i will wait with you
truth, truth, now i see a truth
i will wait with you


Truth, truth by James Hilden-Minton

Mechizedek feeds Abraham's troops

Come, O Priest Melchizedek
Bring your wine and bring your bread
Bind our wounds with healing oil
Restore us from the battle


Melchizedek (You have saved the good wine for last) by James Hilden-Minton

the economy and Jooble

It's been some time since I've posted. Strangely my thinking has wandered from matters of faith to economics. From God to mammon, or from prophets to profits, if you will. In fact, I am contemplating starting a whole new blog to reflect on economic issues, financing and investing.

The truth is we need each other, and currency--for what it's worth--is one of the ways we engage each other. I need workers in the field to grow my food. I need my dentist to drill my teeth. I need my daughter's school to educate her. I need someone to manage the money that makes my mortgage possible. I need countless workers across the globe to manufacture the clothes I wear. I need someone to haul away the trash of things I no longer need. At every turn, I need someone, and they need me. Money passes from me to you, and from you to me. This is called, economy.

I recently was approached by someone promoting a online job listing service, and he asked me if I would put a link in my blog to the Jooble website. Because he asked, I said I would, and my prayer is that someone who reads my blog might find a new job.

Here's the link: jooble-us.com

May all find meaningful and rewarding work. And may all participate with confidence in this mixed up economy.

Disclosure: I am not compensated by nor am I invested in Jooble. I own shares of Waste Management (WM)--somebody's got to haul the trash, recycle it and turn it into gas and electricity.

Preparation for Pentecost, a song

Break up the ground
break up the ground
break up the ground
Open your heart to love again
Careful, the seed within

Messianic hope

To be a people after God's own heart, this is messianic hope and its true fulfillment. To abide with the Holy One in the midst of the camp, this is the journey to the promised land and its eternal possession. To greet the stranger with loving-kindness and to rest justly on the sabbath, this is the repair of the walls of Jerusalem and the light of lamps in the temple.

Did the Temple make Jerusalem invulnerable to disaster? No, but the people learned the worth of sabbath in exile. Did Moses enter the promised land? No, but he beheld Yahweh in the midst of the people. Did David take the crown by force? No, but he found shelter in the Most High. Did he conquer his own weakness? No, but he wept for his sin and danced with might and joy before the Lord.

So do not wait for a new prophet to arise, a high priest or a king, only be now the royal, priestly and prophetic people God has put it in your heart to be.

Peace be upon Israel through whom may all people be blessed. Shalom.

A Song for Pentecost

Come, Spirit, come
Breathe upon our heart
Ignite a fire in us
Clear away the dross
Illumine our mind
Lord, make a way for holiness

how the stone began to roll

Once again the Holy Spirit moved within the hearts of the prophets--billions upon billions of them, more numerous than the stars of night, the faithful of every age, the righteous of every land, the children of every race, tribe and tongue--all these began to shout together one endless word, "Rise up, Jesus of Nazareth!" This is how the stone began to roll.


Wake up, children of Israel! Rise and prophesy. Say to the dead, "Wake up, children of earth! Your father calls you forth."

the will of the father

In the grave, we are powerless to do our own will, much less the will of God, but in the prayer, "Your will be done," there is all the power of resurrection.

grandmother parable

God is like a grndmother who delights to see the world anew through the eyes of her grandchild.