Advent 1: 2020

Here we are at the beginning of Advent in this unusual year where time seems both extended and compressed. We began the journey through COVID-tide in the US around the start of Lent, and here we are at the First Sunday of Advent-the first Sunday of the church year! Where has the time gone? 

While there is hope on the horizon with more and more treatments being developed, and with at least 2 and maybe more vaccines coming in the new year, we are still asked to maintain distance and wear our masks to love our neighbor as ourselves. It can feel like this pandemic is never ending, and we are all tired of it, and the restrictions. 

Advent, though, is a new beginning. It gives us a season to pause and reflect of the past, present, and future coming of our Lord. While we are still mostly unable to participate in-person at our churches, we can actively and intentionally be part of the larger church community. During these nine months, many of us have stretched our church attendance to include places like the Washington National Cathedral or other resources that we would not have considered before. We've developed ways to be community over Zoom, over the phone, through the PO, and other ways. 

Stop and ask yourself where God has been in your life this year, where the Spirit is active now, and think about your hopes for God's presence and work in 2021. 

I invite you to participate with me in AdventWord during Advent. This is a "global, online Advent calendar. Join an international community in prayer to explore the mystery and wonder of Advent!". The idea is to share an image or other impression of the word of the day on social media with the #AdventWord. 

During Advent I plan to spend some time with the words in a variety of ways. For instance, today, Sunday the suggested word is “Tender”. Is there a picture that comes to mind for that word? Does it invite you to pray? Is there a story from your life or imagination that involves Tenderness?

For me, it asks to be made into an acrostic.

TENDER:
Tough
Enduring
Never-failing
Daring
Enfolding
Renewing

Some days I may find an image to share, other days I may do a ZenTangle or doodle prayer, still others I may write a prayer or story using the word. I’ll be posting my daily exercise on Facebook. Feel free to add yours, too, and be sure to #AdventWord! I look forward to seeing what we all come up with.

What will the Spirit say to you through this week’s words?