the ramblings of a perambulent and often distracted sojourner
Four calling birds Down Under
Would be kookaburras, and no wonder!
Announcers sublime, they herald the time
When Good News burst abroad like thunder.
(c) Dennis Ryle December 2024
And here’s how they used to announce the Movietone news
https://teara.govt.nz/files/high_source/26150-pc-h.mp4
Traditionally the calling birds stand for the four gospels (“good news”).
Three French Hens have such obvious symbolism in the Western Christian tradition. I found it challenging to come up with a fresh approach for writing about them. I unashamedly asked AI to come to the party and lend some inspiration. It gave me a picture and a story, evidently concocted from a variety of sources within its ever-expanding data bank. I rather like it, so without any editing, let AI inspire us on this third day of Christmas.
Once upon a time, in a quaint village nestled in the heart of France, there were three elegant hens named Amélie, Camille, and Lucille. These French hens were not just any ordinary birds; they were known far and wide for their extraordinary bond and unity. Each hen was unique, yet together, they formed a perfect harmony.
One crisp morning, as the sun cast a golden hue over the village, the three French hens decided it was time to announce their oneness to the world. They gathered in the central square, where the village folk often came to enjoy the market and share stories.
Amélie, with her vibrant feathers, stepped forward and clucked, “Mes amis, we have gathered here today to share something special with you all.”
Camille, the hen with the melodious voice, joined in, “We are not just three separate hens. We are united by our love, our friendship, and our shared dreams.”
Lucille, the wise and thoughtful hen, concluded, “Together, we are stronger. We are not merely individuals but a symbol of oneness and unity. Let us show you what it means to be truly united.”
With that, the three hens began to dance in perfect synchrony, their movements so graceful and coordinated that it left the villagers in awe. Their performance was a celebration of togetherness, a testament to the power of unity and the beauty of their bond.
The villagers cheered and clapped, inspired by the hens’ display of harmony. From that day forward, the three French hens became a symbol of unity in the village. They reminded everyone that, no matter how different they might be, they could always find strength and beauty in their togetherness.
And so, the story of the three French hens spread far and wide, inspiring others to embrace unity and cherish the bonds that bring them together
Two turtle doves keep partridge company!
What on earth can they mean?
So docile and peaceful
‘Gainst Boxing Day sales’ frantic scene!
Christmas reflections continue
Some teach Old and New Testament in disguise
‘Twould seem Law and Grace
Find balance in a manger’s surprise.
(c) Dennis Ryle, December 2024
Partridge, pear tree, and Christ candle
Hint that Christmas has not ended, but come.
For retail the season has passed;
For the cosmos, the feast’s just begun.
Far from a Bethlehem manger
Where cloaked figures pay their respect,
In hearts given to pause and attention
The Christ is reborn among those who reflect.
We sing of twelve days for such pondering,
The partridge leads the array.
What mean the strange gifts that follow?
This is what pondering is meant to explain.
Partridge, pear tree and Christ candle
Reveal a purpose with rhythms upbeat.
A saviour, a cross and a victory;
Day one is almost complete
(c) Dennis Ryle, December 2024
Primal love ignited the cosmos
And it could not be contained
Elusive in its fecundity
Far beyond all that can be sustained.
Yet once upon our timeline
A young girl burst into songful mirth
Primal love found concentration
and became a human birth.
(c) Dennis Ryle December 2024
Who dares speak of joy
In this world so full of woe?
When downcast eyes and heavy hearts
Question why it is so.
Why spell out this defiant word
In the face of life so dreary?
Don’t you see the tear-stained face
and the shoulders stooped so weary?
The prophet calls for peace and faith,
The apostle for robust trust,
The baptiser lays out a brand new path,
And we catch a glint amongst the dust.
For in the darkness, there’s a spark,
A flicker of a brighter dawn,
While hope, though fragile, never fades,
And joy’s rebirth is gently drawn.
(c) Dennis Ryle December 2024
While thirteen-year-olds riot on Rottnest
and Middle East regimes fall
Assassins smile and CEOs hide away
Prophets amplify their call.
Prepare the way! Get ready!
Straighten things up and clear the road!
If it’s peace you want, then roll up your sleeves
And do the work, share the load.
For peace within requires an altered mind
And a disposition to forgiveness
Peace without requires a critical mass
Of such who dispense such witness.
Advent peace the prophets bring
Malachi and John, the one who baptises
Not for the faint hearted, this peace of old
But One is coming who Shalom comprises!
(c) Dennis Ryle December 2024
Political fortunes shift and sway
Abroad and at home we dodge their spray
Except that’s impossible, for come what may
They affect how we live from day to day.
Something anew has risen its head
A phrase of combat that fills one with dread
Fresh from a lexicon of conflict abroad
Familiar, however, for we’ve wielded its sword.
Lawfare – the bitter charge is hurled from each side
The “law of the jungle” would better describe
Not only the conflict of Titans unleashed
But effects on the people remaining unreached
‘Tis the season of hope – can such survive?
For Advent calls forth a spirit to thrive
On One who comes to sort out the mess
Ancient Law of Shalom arriving to bless
So this first week of Advent calls all to hope
With images of peace expanding our scope
The Law of the Jungle must yield its domain
The Law of Love is here to remain.
Dennis Ryle (c) December 2024
Fifty years ago, tonight, I knelt alongside my colleagues as elders of the Federal Conference of Churches of Christ in Australia stepped forward. They laid hands upon us, ordaining us as ministers. This sacred moment marked the climax of four years of rigorous study, formation, and discernment within our live-in community.
I honed my skills in Victoria as a trainee minister in two suburban churches and one rural church. Following graduation and ordination, I served congregations across South Australia, the Australian Capital Territory, and Western Australia. In retirement, I remain actively engaged in ministry.
Today’s moment will pass with little fanfare, just a quiet toast with close friends during an impromptu weekend retreat. In Churches of Christ, we embrace mutual ministry and the priesthood of all believers. Our history, while celebrating entrepreneurial, pastoral, and innovative leadership, shuns the notion of a clergy class that separates the shepherd from the flock.
Some have remarked that our baptism is our ordination.
Yet today feels special—it is a thin moment. I am remembering the faces of countless individuals, young and old, from all walks of life, with whom I have shared significant moments of deep engagement in life’s struggles and opportunities. Each face is unique, each story distinct. Many of them are now beyond the veil, part of that great cloud of witnesses.
Fifty years ago, kneeling on that platform, I recall asking myself in trepidation, “What have I done? What now?”
Fifty years on, today, I savour the same question with gratitude, awe and a remaining reserve of expectancy.
James Baillie, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Waking up to the day that marks the middle of my seventies, the muse beckons me to a brief thematic review of each decade – its wound and its gift. So here goes!
Decade one sees a fawn emerge
Timidly testing boundaries
Seeking safe borders
Decade two summons brittle courage
Trading safety for adventure
Finally discovering a set course
Decade three packs so much in
Equipped, wedded, and set loose
To see what makes this man
Decade four lights the fire that refines
Battles fought and skirmishes won
Revealing wounds that heal
Decade five changes landscape
A vineyard to tend
Its wine rich and flavorsome
Decade six calls forth a reluctant chief
Steering tribes through daunting change
While ever seeking one’s own stability
Decade seven sees broken shards
Releasing exotic bouquets
Bringing endings that are yet beginnings
Decade eight is not what it might seem.
Service ended that yet begins
Still in the fray of battle
Each decade has its four gospel paths
Winding change, suffering, union and service
Christ’s Celtic knot!
Wondering Pilgrim 