The Ark Community
An Ecumenical Christian Convergent Community
9th of January 2006
The Vessel Article 7:
We are more than a Congregation – We’re family!
While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside,
seeking to speak with Him. 47Then one said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are
standing outside, seeking to speak with You.” 48But He answered and said to the one who told
Him, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” 49And He stretched out His hand toward
His disciples and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! 50“For whoever does the will of My
Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”
46
Matt 12:46-50 (NKJV)
I don’t know about you, but Christmas is an exciting time for me, exciting yet also disturbing.
Exciting because I find great amusement in the fact that the birth of our Saviour, Jesus Christ,
reset every clock and calendar in the entire known world. 2000 years later we’re still using
Jesus’ birthday to date our existence, run our busy lives and accurately date the events in our
modern history. Jesus left His “mark” even for the atheists, or maybe they are using a different
calendar?
However in the midst of this internal excitement, deep within my heart I find a murky
disturbance, like a sickly uneasy feeling beneath the surface of the dam water, a lurking
“barbel” (type of catfish), waiting to disturb my fun, and preventing me from completely
relaxing and enjoying the moment. In the midst of Christmas celebrations I found myself
becoming quiet and somewhat withdrawn. I sank beneath the surface of celebration to take a
closer look at the lurking monster. While swimming around in the depths of my inner world, I
found myself confronted by a sickly feeling. Following the trail it lead me all the way home, the
origin of the murky waters, the monster of “falsity”.
Falsity. Why celebrate Christmas if you don’t believe in Christ? You may well answer, “Tony,
it’s a commercial celebration and a public holiday, it’s not about Christ anymore!”
Sorry, but if Christmas is not about the birth of Christ, then what is the world celebrating? The
birth of Santa? The spontaneous birth of the single cell amoeba, our founding member of the
Human race…? We need to wake up! Many of us Christians get belly ache during Christmas
time, and it’s not caused by too much turkey… it’s that monster of “falsity” that kicks us in the
stomach when we’re trying to enjoy the celebration of our Lord’s birthday, while we’re
surrounded by partying people who are missing the whole point.
I know that this may be sounding rather judgemental, but I have gone through these emotions
with the Lord, and found out that the displeasure I experienced was me sharing in the heart of
God Himself. And I know that many of you have felt the same feeling over the Christmas
period, and this is why I believe the Lord has lead me to write this for you to read.
Imagine if everyone you saw celebrating Christmas would remain faithful to the Christ they
had just celebrated for the rest of the year. Can you imagine a world like that? I can. I hope for
such a world. I hope to be part of a world where people will be looking out for each other’s best
interests. Perpetual joy and abundant goodwill. Cheerful faces, and extravagant charity….. can
you imagine with me?
Imagine if everyday could be like Christmas, imagine how the tears would cease, how bellies
would fill, how hurts would heal, how wars would stop…. Imagine all the people, living in a
world as ONE… Imagine (you can turn off John Lennon now!) …. Jesus said it’s a reality! The
Bible describes it….
Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed
away. Also there was no more sea. 2Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down
out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3And I heard a loud voice
from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them,
and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4“And God will
wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying.
There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” 5Then He who sat on the
throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true
and faithful.” 6And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and
the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. 7“He who
overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.
1
Rev 21:1-7 (NKJV)
So even though my wife and I celebrated a wonderful Christmas in a snowy-white North East
England with my (blood) family, I found out that I was far from home. Celebrating Christmas is
not only a family celebration, it’s a Christian celebration. It’s celebrating with those who believe
in His birth and perpetual existence. It’s not “cultish” to feel more at “home” with believing
brothers and sisters than it is being with our own “natural” relatives; it’s very biblical, and a
deep resounding confirmation of our new “citizenship”.
“Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” 49And He stretched out His hand toward His
disciples and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! 50“For whoever does the will of My
Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”
Matt 12:46-50 (NKJV)
Have a Christ filled 2006, from all of us …. The Ark Community.
Tony Palmer
Community Priest and Founding Member
www.thearkcommunity.org
www.thearkcommunity.org
An Ecumenical Christian Convergent Community within the Celtic Anglican Tradition.
Consecrated members of the Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches (CEEC). www.theceec.org
Tel: +39 333 834 9945 or Fax: +39 0823 471 441 - Palazzo Russo (Sc. B, Int.9), Via Marchesiello, Caserta 81100, Italy.