Grateful Advent 4

 As we pray through Advent this year, I’m offering seven Bible citations each week to meditate on. You can download a file with all seven or return to this blog daily for inspiration.

One way to do this is to read and pray the verse first thing in the morning and let it sit with you all day.

Another is to post the citation where you’ll see it throughout the day as a reminder.

You may want to pick just one for the whole week.

God will honor your commitment to being present in what ever way you decide is best.

This week’s list is below and the pdf with images is here.

Grateful Advent 3

 

As we pray through Advent this year, I’m offering seven Bible citations each week to meditate on. You can download a file with all seven or return to this blog daily for inspiration.

One way to do this is to read and pray the verse first thing in the morning and let it sit with you all day.

Another is to post the citation where you’ll see it throughout the day as a reminder.

You may want to pick just one for the whole week.

God will honor your commitment to being present in what ever way you decide is best.

This week’s list is below and the pdf with images is here.

Grateful Advent 2

 As we pray through Advent this year, I’m offering seven Bible citations each week to meditate on. You can download a file with all seven or return to this blog daily for inspiration.

One way to do this is to read and pray the verse first thing in the morning and let it sit with you all day.

Another is to post the citation where you’ll see it throughout the day as a reminder.

You may want to pick just one for the whole week.

God will honor your commitment to being present in what ever way you decide is best.

This week’s list is below and the pdf with images is here.

Grateful Advent 1

 As we pray through Advent this year, I’m offering seven Bible citations each week to meditate on. You can download a file with all seven or return to this blog daily for inspiration.

One way to do this is to read and pray the verse first thing in the morning and let it sit with you all day.

Another is to post the citation where you’ll see it throughout the day as a reminder.

You may want to pick just one for the whole week.

God will honor your commitment to being present in what ever way you decide is best.

This week’s list is below and the pdf with images is here.

Rejoice always, pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:16)

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:17-18)

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (Philippians 4:6)

The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7)

But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:57)

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. (1 Chronicles 16:34)

For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be glory forever! Amen. (Romans 11:36)

Prayers for Christmas Eve Weekend: Peace

 Advent 4 falls on Dec. 24, so today we have the Advent prayers, plus prayers for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Use this offering however you feel led. May you have a holy and joy-filled Christmas.

 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” (Luke 2:14)

 Purify our conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation, that your Son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in us a mansion prepared for himself; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer)

Blessed Jesus, born of our sister Mary, the first and most perfect disciple who fully accepted the will of God and acted upon it: Give us the faith to accept your will for us and the strength to carry it out, to the honor and glory of your name. Amen (Women’s Uncommon Prayers)

 Blessed are we, the fearful, though we long to be people of peace.

We can’t lie: we are afraid.
Afraid there won’t be enough—enough resources, enough time, enough memories.

Blessed are we who ask you for wisdom. Show us what to turn from, what to set aside.

Come, Lord, that we might see you, move with you, keep pace with you.

Blessed are we who ask that this Advent we might dwell together quietly in our homes.

Come, Lord, that we might be for others the peace they cannot find.

Blessed are we who look to you and say, God, truly, we are troubled and afraid. Come govern our hearts and calm our fears.

Oh Prince of Peace, still our restless selves, calm our anxious hearts, quiet our busy minds. (The Lives we Actually Have/Kate Bowler)

 Shepherd of Israel, may Jesus, who is Emmanuel and son of Mary, be more than just a dream in our hearts. With the apostles, prophets, and saints, save us, restore us, and lead us in the way of grace and peace, that we may bear your promise into the world. Amen (Daily Prayer for All Seasons)

Christmas Eve

O God, you have caused this holy night to shine with the brightness of the true Light: Grant that we, who have known the mystery of that Light on earth, may also enjoy him perfectly in heaven; where with you and the Holy Spirit he lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer)

 Jesus, this is the great inversion I would not have known had you not appeared and made yourself small.

Jesus, I would have been satisfied with the God who moves mountains and whose breath imparts life but who never cried in his mother’s arms.

The world whispers to me about what must be done. About empires and war. About efficiency and strength, but there you are.
A refusal.

Your fragility, a witness.
Your dependence, an invitation.
Your cry, a reminder.
Our finitude is not an embarrassment, because neither was yours.

Blessed are we when we see love, at long last, in every small and tender thing, stealing into our world to change us all. (The Lives we Actually Have/Kate Bowler)

 Holy One, come this night.

Open my heart to the brightness of your love.
Release my fears and revive my hope,
that I may rest well and rise to share your love. (Daily Prayer for All Seasons)

 

Christmas Day

Almighty God, you have given your only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and to be born [this day] of a pure virgin: Grant that we, who have been born again and made your children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by your Holy Spirit; through our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom with you and the same Spirit be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer)

 Most gracious God, for our salvation you were born and manifested in a human body: Help us see your likeness in women and men of all nations, races, and cultures, that we may rejoice in our diversity and live together as one; in the name of your Child, our Savior Jesus Christ, given to us this holy day. Amen (Women’s Uncommon Prayers)

 God, this is a kind of magic the way this day shines so strangely, how it sparkles beyond our understanding.

(Yes, it was a disaster the way the food turned out this year and how what’s-her-face said—I told her not to—what shouldn’t be repeated. Again, this year.)

But, somehow, this day never fails to awaken a longing to love well—or at least better—all those here with us, and those far away, and to remember with gratitude those now gone, gone, gone and missed.

What is this mystery?

Our God, who set the world spinning, should come down for this one reason:
to love us into newness.
Not for gain, nor our capitalist fantasies, but for the hope so freely, lavishly given that we might learn to see, feel, and live Christ’s love.
Thank you,
Christ the Giver and the Gift.

Amen (The Lives we Actually Have/Kate Bowler)

 Light of life, you came in flesh, born into human pain and joy, and gave us power to be your children: Grant us faith, O Christ, to see your presence among us, so that all creation may sing new songs of gladness and walk in the way of peace. Amen. (Daily Prayer for All Seasons)

 

Advent 3: Joy

 This Advent, I am simply offering some prayers for your Advent devotions. Each week, I’ll include the Collect from the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer for that Sunday. I’ve added the Collect from Women’s Uncommon Prayers, a collection of prayers by women in the church from 2000. This feminine leaning set of prayers can offer a different insight into our spiritual journey. I’ll also include a prayer from Daily Prayer for All Seasons, compiled in 2014. I have also added one for each week from The Lives we Actually Have by Kate Bowler. The Bowler book is a resource I just recently learned about, and it is definitely one to add to your collection.

Each week in Advent traditionally has a theme. Hope—Love—Joy—Peace. The prayers help us focus on that theme. Use this offering however you feel led. You can pray all of them each weekday, use them just on Sunday, pray one a day, etc. May your Advent journey be blessed this year.

“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:15)

Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us; and, because we are sorely hindered by our sins, let your bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer)

O Hidden, Eternal, and Self-giving god, who became human for our salvation: Open our minds, liberate our hearts, and strengthen our souls, that we may live into the fullness of your desires for us; in the name of the Source, the Word, and the Spirit. Amen. (Women’s Uncommon Prayers)

Blessed are we who wait with bated breath, who wait for something new to be born—for new hope or new joy or new life.

Blessed are we whose patience grows thinner by the day. We who are tired of the world as it is—in all of its heartache and loss and hopelessness. We who want more.
More hope. More joy. More life.

Blessed are we who sit here, waiting at the still point between desire and expectation. We who are making room for more of you, oh God, this Christmas.

Surprise us with joy in the midst of the mundane, abundance in the midst of so much scarcity, presence in the midst of Christmas chaos.

We have quieted our souls to listen, to wait for you, oh God, for your Word-Made-Flesh is life to us.

Amen. (The Lives we Actually Have/Kate Bowler)

Wise and loving God, you bear us for joy. In humility, you show us wisdom. Enfold us at this hour with the knowledge born of love. Awaken within us the desire to know rightly and the will to live justly, with grace and generosity. Amen (Daily Prayer for All Seasons)

Advent 2: Love

 This Advent, I am simply offering some prayers for your Advent devotions. Each week, I’ll include the Collect from the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer for that Sunday. I’ve added the Collect from Women’s Uncommon Prayers, a collection of prayers by women in the church from 2000. This feminine leaning set of prayers can offer a different insight into our spiritual journey. I’ll also include a prayer from Daily Prayer for All Seasons, compiled in 2014. I have also added one for each week from The Lives we Actually Have by Kate Bowler. The Bowler book is a resource I just recently learned about, and it is definitely one to add to your collection.

Each week in Advent traditionally has a theme. Hope—Love—Joy—Peace. The prayers help us focus on that theme. Use this offering however you feel led. You can pray all of them each weekday, use them just on Sunday, pray one a day, etc. May your Advent journey be blessed this year.

“Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” (Matthew 11:3)

Merciful God, who sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation: Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins, that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen (Book of Common Prayer)

Life-giving God, in whom we live and move and have our being: Kindle your love within us as we await the coming of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ, that we might humbly serve others in his name, both now and forever. Amen. (Women’s Uncommon Prayers)

God, we are waiting for love, not the simple kind or the sweep-you-off-your-feet kind, but the absurd kind.

The kind wrapped in rags, resting in a bucket of animal feed. Love enough to save us all.

Blessed are we who look for Love deeper, fuller, truer—than we have ever known, than we could have ever hoped for.

Blessed are we who seek you, the light that dawned so long ago in that dark stable.
Love given.
Love received.

Receive this gift, dear one.
Love has come for you. (The Lives we Actually Have/Kate Bowler)

O Holy One, thank you for coming to us anew this day. Prepare our hearts and reawaken our love for you as we discern your call within us. May we join with you in making level the path for all people. Amen. (Daily Prayer for All Seasons)

Advent 4: Promises

 This Advent readers are invited to look at the Sunday readings (from the Revised Common Lectionary) and consider where and how we are part of the long and ongoing Sacred Story of God’s work in the world. Some suggestions can be found in the Nov. 27 post.

Readings for Advent 4

Isaiah 7:10-16

10Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, saying, 11Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven. 12But Ahaz said, I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test. 13Then Isaiah said: “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary mortals, that you weary my God also? 14Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel. 15He shall eat curds and honey by the time he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land before whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted.

Romans 1:1-7

1Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures, 3the gospel concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh 4and was declared to be Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, 5through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for the sake of his name, 6including yourselves who are called to belong to Jesus Christ, 7To all God’s beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Matthew 1:18-25

18Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. 20But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”22All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 23“Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.” 24When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, 25but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.

Summary Reflection

Christmas is only a week away. Throughout Advent, we've looked at being Awake, Preparing, and Waiting. This week right before Christmas is a time to Remember the Promises. Isaiah’s promise is fulfilled by Mary’s Son. Through Jesus, we have received the Promise of grace and apostleship outlined by Paul in the Letter to the Romans. These are powerful promises of God’s love.

Even though Ahaz refuses to ask God for a sign, God gives one anyway. A return to peace is promised when the young woman conceives and bears a son named Immanuel. As Christians we read into that long-ago promise the birth of Jesus, God with us, to a teenage girl in Israel. Mary’s betrothed husband, Joseph, receives his own promise when the angel explains that the infant is of God and does indeed fulfill Isaiah’s promise.

We are bearers of that Promise as we, “called to be saints,” share the Love of God which is the greatest Promise of All. “I will never leave you or forsake you” is stated again and again throughout the Bible. Isn’t that a wonderful Promise to hold onto as we enter the Christmas season and the New Year?

Response

Can remembering God’s Promise “I will never leave you or forsake you” give you comfort in troubling times and in good ones?

Make the promise part of what you take into 2023!

Advent 3: Waiting

 During Advent readers are invited to look at the Sunday readings (from the Revised Common Lectionary) and consider where and how we are part of the long and ongoing Sacred Story of God’s work in the world. Some suggestions about doing this can be found in the Nov. 27 post.

Readings for Advent 3

Isaiah 35:1-10

1The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus 2it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God. 3Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. 4Say to those who are of a fearful heart, “Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense. He will come and save you.” 5Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; 6then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy. For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; 7the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp, the grass shall become reeds and rushes. 8A highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Holy Way; the unclean shall not travel on it, but it shall be for God’s people; no traveler, not even fools, shall go astray. 9No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there.10And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

James 5:7-10

Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. 8You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. 9Beloved, do not grumble against one another, so that you may not be judged. See, the Judge is standing at the doors! 10As an example of suffering and patience, beloved, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.

Matthew 11:2-11

2When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples 3and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” 4Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. 6And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.” 7As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? 8What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. 9What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10This is the one about whom it is written, ‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’ 11Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

Summary Reflection

The readings this week call us to patient waiting. Even though the Christmas frenzy of gifts and decorating and travel and family is starting to ramp up all around, Advent invites us to WAIT. Wait for the new life that is coming. We wait for the time when sorrow and sighing shall flee away. And that promise is fulfilled in the One soon to be born in a borrowed cave.    

On this third week of Advent, we find images more spring-like than December. Isaiah promises new life springing forth when God comes. For anyone who has heard Handel’s Messiah, it is almost impossible to read verses 5 and 6 without hearing the Alto recitative ((1644) Handel Messiah, Alto Recitative: Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened and Alto/Soprano Duet - YouTube). That’s not all there is to this citation, though. The full promise is that the redeemed will return and find joy and gladness. Spoken to the people of Israel in exile, this was powerful. Spoken to us over 2500 years later, it is still powerful.

The Epistle counsels patience, like a farmer waiting for a crop. The Gospel reading is Jesus’ reflecting on the ministry of John the Baptist who we met last week at the Jordan. Jesus refers back to the prophetic promise of blind receiving sight and lame being able to walk as signs that he is, indeed, the long-awaited promised Messiah.

Response

Waiting is difficult. Whether it’s waiting to see if you got the gift you wanted, or waiting for the greater gift of God’s love, it is hard. We don’t want to be in the uncomfortable position on not knowing when or what or how. Images of new growth and farming are good reminders that waiting is an important and inescapable part of life. The end result is worth the wait.

Do you find it easy to wait? Does knowing that the end result will be good make it easier or harder to wait? Ask God to help you wait for the coming fulfillment of the promise.

Advent 2: Preparing

 This Advent readers are invited to look at the Sunday readings (from the Revised Common Lectionary) and consider where and how we are part of the long and ongoing Sacred Story of God’s work in the world. Some suggestions can be found in last week’s post.

Readings for Advent 2

Isaiah 11:1-10

1A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. 2The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. 3His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear; 4but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. 5Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his loins. 6The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. 7The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den. 9They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. 10On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious.

Romans 15:4-13

4For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope. 5May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus, 6so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. 8For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised on behalf of the truth of God in order that he might confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will confess you among the Gentiles, and sing praises to your name”; 10and again he says, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people”; 11and again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples praise him”; 12and again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse shall come, the one who rises to rule the Gentiles; in him the Gentiles shall hope.” 13May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 3:1-12

1In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, 2“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”3This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said, “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’” 4Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.5Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, 6and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 7But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8Bear fruit worthy of repentance. 9Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. 10Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 11“I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

Summary Reflection

This trio of lessons invites me to think about preparing my heart by reflection on God’s revelation in scripture. Isaiah tells us that when the shoot from the stump of Jesse comes there will be judgment, and the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. Our lesson from Romans promises by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope. Christ welcomes all—Gentile and Jew. For the Gentile believers in the early church this was an amazing promise. To us it may be an invitation to be more welcoming ourselves to those we may look at as outsiders. In the will of God there is joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Gospel reading tells of John the Baptist calling for a change of direction (repentance) from the crowds that came to hear him. He warns that God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. In other words, there is no one and no group who can claim God prefers them to another. As we look at the divisions among us today as a society and even in our churches, we might do well to ponder how we are called to include rather than exclude. We may want to take this season of preparation as a time to look inward at the walls we build and then reach outward beyond those walls.

Response

Advent is about preparing our hearts. We can do that by meditating on scripture and by acting in love. What do these lessons say to you? Are there ways you can build up community within and beyond any groups you are involved in? Who are we excluding, on purpose or through blindness?

Advent 1: Awake

 Introduction

This Advent is a new beginning for the postings here. I hope readers will enter the scriptures for the week and find that the Sacred Story from the Bible speaks to each of our personal sacred stories. The intersection of God with our daily lives is fascinating when we pause to consider that we are part of the long and ongoing Sacred Story of God’s work in the world.

There are many ways to enter scripture. One of the better known is lectio divina. This method invites the Seeker to read, meditate, pray, and contemplate. The Scripture is read (usually a couple of times) then you think about what it is saying to you at this moment in time—what words or phrase stand out. Then you offer this word or phrase to God in prayer, closing with contemplation of the Love of God found in the time with God and the Sacred Story.

Another method is Ignatian study which invites the Seeker to use Imagination and enter the story. The four steps are to Scan the passage and consider the background (history, author, purpose) and then Praying for guidance. You then read the passage and Imagine you are present in the scene—what are you drawn to; what do you see, hear, feel; where are you in the story (bystander, character, speaker). And then you re-read the scripture with the intent of hearing what God is saying to you in it.

In studying these Advent lessons taken from the Revised Common Lectionary for the Sundays of Advent, I invite you to use one of these methods or another that works for you to immerse in the words of scripture. You may want to take more than one day to work through the three citations. Or read them all through and find a common thread among them, which is what I will offer in my reflection.

What God bring to your heart may be entirely different than what I discover, and that is wonderful. Feel free to share in the comments.

Readings for Advent 1

Isaiah 2:1-5

The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. 2In days to come the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; all the nations shall stream to it. 3Many peoples shall come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. 4He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. 5O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!

Romans 13:11-14

11Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; 12the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; 13let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

Matthew 24:36-44

6“But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 37For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, 39and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. 40Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. 41Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. 42Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into.44Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.

Summary Reflection

All three lessons speak to me of a new beginning. This is appropriate for the beginning of the Church year. For me this is a sense of anticipation.

Isaiah speaks the oft-quoted words about beating swords into plowshares. Before that, however, we are summoned to go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.  Until we meet God, we cannot imagine the dream of love held out to us. Knowing God’s dream makes it possible for us to turn our “swords” into “plowshares” which turn over soil to make it ready for growth. (A plowshare, by the way, is the part of a plow that actually cuts into the soil.) Our personal, modern-day swords likely aren’t actual weapons. Instead, they are the words and actions that harm each other. Our swords are the overt and the even more destructive, hidden biases, disagreements, actions and inaction that diminish any part of God’s creation. When we are able to see, acknowledge, and change our response to love we are forming plowshares and cutting a new path for growth.      

The Letter to Romans talks of waking up and putting on the armor of light. Paul urges his audience to live honorably and not to gratify the desires of the flesh as manifestation of the armor of light. This contrasts to the glitter of Christmas lights around us. We are urged to find the right gift because the perfect present will make everything happy and bright. God invites us to be Light and Hope to the world instead of being caught up in following the crowd to the best and most as defined by media and commercials.

In the reading from the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus warns his followers to keep awake…and be ready for the Son of Man.  This follows several other warnings about how hard it will be to know the true Messiah. We are just entering Advent when we prepare for the coming Holy Child. Rather than coming in glory and triumph, we welcome an Infant in a manger. God comes in unexpected ways and places. We think we are trudging along and getting nothing done for God, when in reality we are the Light in the dark that is needed, we are the Plowshare turning over soil, and we are walking with God.

The Advent clarion call to ‘wake sleeper’ is also found in Ephesians 5:8-14: Live as children of light—for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true. Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what such people do secretly; but everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, ‘Sleeper, awake!  Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’

Response

These early Advent readings call a response of anticipation and of action. We might ask, What is the Path of God in my life? How can I prepare my heart and life to be changed in these weeks? Is there a difference these words of God may make in my Christmas plans and preparation? How does God whisper Love to you in Advent and every day? What is your light that you can add to the season and beyond? Is there some part of my life that is sleeping and needs to awaken to God?

Advent: Hope

 This Advent season we are looking at Kindness, Peace, Joy, Hope and Love as ways to make space and create ways to empower change that builds Beloved Community. We’ve seen that Kindness is a way we can create a space and offer understanding. Peace and Joy are linked to Gratitude and Vulnerability which are also ways that we can be open to change in our lives and in our relationships.

This week, we consider Hope as the core of how God relates to us. Walter Bruggemann says, “hope is the conviction, against a great deal of data, that God is tenacious and persistent in overcoming the deathliness of the world, that God intends joy and peace. Christians find compelling evidence, in the story of Jesus, that Jesus, with great persistence and great vulnerability, everywhere he went, turned the enmity of society toward a new possibility, turned the sadness of the world toward joy, introduced a new regime where the dead are raised, the lost are found, and the displaced are brought home again.”

Richard Rohr adds, “’Come, Lord Jesus’ is a leap into the kind of freedom and surrender that is rightly called the virtue of hope. Hope is the patient and trustful willingness to live without full closure, without resolution, and still be content and even happy because our satisfaction is now at another level, and our Source is beyond ourselves.”

It’s hard to live in a time of un-knowing, of wondering when the ‘other shoe might fall’, of not having an end in sight. This COVID-tide over the last two years has made us all live in that uncomfortable space. Yet, in the midst of the worrisome, crazy-making, and even fear inducing news we are bombarded with, we can find Hope. We can look at ways to as Bruggemann suggests, to ‘turn the sadness of the world toward joy, introduce a new regime where the dead are raised, the lost are found, and the displaced are brought home again.’

How do we do that? By small actions. By supporting local charities that minister to those in our midst who are lost and displaced and afraid. By reaching out to victims of disasters. By looking at the larger picture of root causes of hunger and homelessness and division. By being the Kindness, the Peace, the Joy, the Hope we are looking for.

The Rev. Phil Hooper in the week’s Episcopal Church AdventStudy reminds us that Mary’s Magnificat was, and is, a song of Hope. He also notes that “Hope is the song of empty karaoke bars, of late nights and of last dances, of a husky voice crying out a melody to defy the encroaching night. It is the song one sings under the breath, an insistent memory, perhaps, or a reassurance on the lonely walk home. It is the warbling note that has no obvious splendor other than its defiant insistence to be heard. The hope-song is not elegant, but it is faithful. It is honest. It is the song one offers up when the song is all that’s left to offer.”

As this year, like last year, drags to a close with pandemic restrictions still in place, and new variants rising, we may feel that there is little way to find or give hope. Phil Hooper adds that we need to tell ourselves, “I will sing though I am weary, though I am frightened, because in the singing I place myself within a story, not just a circumstance. I sing a song of victory, not of victimhood. I am a teller of hard truths and I am the bearer of hard hope, the type that survives—it is my people’s hope, and my own.”

I am reminded of the hymn His Eye is on the Sparrow, here sung by the Georgia Mass Choir.

What song of hope and victory can you sing to challenge the powers that deny kindness, peace, joy, community, hope and love?

Hooper suggests writing your own Magnificat. You may want to try that. (Mine is here.) Or you may want to offer a bit of time, talent, or treasure to a ministry that offers hope in this time and year round.

In the well-known Thirteenth Chapter of 1 Corinthians St. Paul notes that Faith, Hope, Love remain and the greatest of these is love. Next week we’ll look at Love and how Love holds within all our kindness, peace, joy and hope.

Advent: Joy

 It seems appropriate to think of Joy during Advent, esp. on this third Sunday of Advent. This is often called Gaudete Sunday—or Rejoice Sunday. We light the pink candle as a break from the deep and thoughtful preparation we are involved in for the coming of Christ.

The author of this week’s Episcopal Church Advent BibleStudy, the Rev. Marcea Paul states, “In our minds, joy tends to overlap with happiness. Happiness is often connected with what is happening to us and around us…When we are discouraged and afraid, rejoicing in the Lord can be a hard sell. But the truth is that joy is not usually inspired by happy circumstances. Poet and author David Whyte writes, 'To feel a full and untrammeled joy is to have become fully generous; to allow ourselves to be joyful is to have walked through the doorway of fear.'"

Generosity and Gratitude are two ways to combat the loss of joy. The Rev. Heather Melton in her UTO newsletter article this month quotes the work of Brene Brown and her own work as a Daring Way facilitator. Melton says, “one of the most important lessons I’ve learned through my work on “The Daring Way”…is to push back against “foreboding joy.” Foreboding joy is…that moment when you realize that everything is pretty great, but then you come up with all the ways it could be destroyed. For example, when someone looks at a new baby with their heart full of joy, in the next second they might start thinking about all the terrible things that could happen to that baby…when we interrupt the opportunity to embrace joy, we begin to numb our brain’s ability to identify and feel feelings. So how do we stop foreboding joy? According to Brown, we practice gratitude. We [like the Virgin Mary] treasure these things in our heart.” 

The Rev. Marcea Paul continues, “We might think that focusing our attention on what we long for but do not yet have [in Advent] might be a cause for discouragement rather than joy. But, perhaps, it is that very act of watching and waiting and looking for the coming of God that inspires great joy. The Gospel writer calls John’s exhortation “good news.” And it is, especially if we believe that we are not worthy of God’s saving grace. Nothing in our lives is beyond redemption. Knowing and accepting this is reason enough for rejoicing.”

Paul admits, “This is not easy….it takes intentional preparation and repentance – which means amending our lives and turning toward God….Advent is beckoning us to do just that, and it encourages us with a promise, rather than a threat: the promise of the coming embrace of Christ and the gift of abundant life that he brings.”

Melton echoes this idea, “Holidays can be bittersweet…Embracing joy does not mean that we can’t feel sadness or loss, but it means that gratitude can help us not let one feeling overwhelm the other. We can feel two feelings at the same time, without either being wrong. Gratitude can acknowledge that both feelings are true and important. We’ve been trained to forebode joy, minimize our feelings, and keep our vulnerable hearts safe…Christmas is a reminder that God is fully invested in us living more authentic lives, and authenticity requires vulnerability, and vulnerability takes courage and tenacity. We know this because God showed up as a tiny baby, completely vulnerable and dependent upon others at time when being a baby was especially challenging. God reminds us that love is a vulnerable act, as is joy and being present in the moment.”

Both Paul and Melton equate Joy with being grateful and generous as well as open, available, aware, and vulnerable to the promise of the season. I will say that I too often catch myself falling into ‘foreboding joy’. I can think that if I am too joyful about something that it will be snatched away. That’s not the way our God works.

Last week we saw that Philippians 4 promises the peace of God. When we look at the citation again, we note that St. Paul starts by saying, Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice…in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. (Philippians 4:4-7) We can rejoice that God hears our prayers, and rejoice that we are never separated from God’s love. This time of anticipation, waiting, and preparation for the coming of Christ, both as a Babe in a Manger and at the end of time, gives us plenty of reason to rejoice and carry joy with us.

If you are guilty of practicing ‘foreboding joy,’ try replacing it with gratitude and real joy.

What gives you the most Joy in this Advent time?

One of the suggested activities in the Advent Bible study is to write “Rejoice” on a paper and carry it with you. I would suggest putting it on your mirror so you can see it every time you look at yourself.

Next week we'll consider Hope as the way God enters our lives. 

Advent: Peace

 During Advent, we are looking at ways to empower one another to live lives of Kindness, Joy, Hope, Peace, Love as we prepare for Christmas. Last week we started with Kindness. This week we consider Peace.

Peace is a word often used around Advent and Christmas. Think of the hymn “Silent Night” where the Infant is invited to “sleep in heavenly peace” or the song “Let there be Peace on earth this Christmas” or…name your own favorite. We are told that the Holy Babe is the Prince of Peace.

What exactly is ‘peace’? The dictionary says it’s freedom from disturbance or a state where there is no war. Freedom from conflict of all kinds sounds nice, but is it enough?

The Letter to the Philippians offers another perspective. Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:4-9)

The peace of God is characterized by rejoicing, gentleness, thankfulness, and prayer. It is expressed in honorable, just, pure, and excellent living. As Micah 6:8 says it is To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

I don’t know about you, but I want that kind of peace. The Kingdom of God peace that is joyful and just, merciful and grateful. Sounds rather counter-cultural, especially when the secular creed for the pre-Christmas season is to want, acquire, spend, and maybe think about the less fortunate by donating some money or toys.

What might we do to promote God’s peace?  

The Rev. Lucy Strandlund, in this week’s sermon from the Episcopal Church Lent study Bible Study: Advent 2 (C) – December 5, 2021 – The Episcopal Church notes, “the prophets were encouraging people to return to God, to care for the vulnerable, to be restored in relationship with one another, there were surely then, as now, competing voices for the people’s attention—voices of power, greed, despair, or complacency that were louder than the prophets’ call.” She goes on to note “John [the Baptist], answers in Luke 3:10 when the crowds ask, “What then should we do?” by saying, “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.”...the crowds flocked to him, hushing as they approached and listening. In his words, they heard restoration, justice, and hope.”

How do our words and actions speak restoration, justice, hope?

Remember, the peace of God looks different than the world’s peace. The hymn which starts “They cast their nets in Galilee” (William Alexander Percy) ends by saying, The peace of God, it is no peace,/ but strife closed in the sod,/ Yet let us pray for but one thing—/ the marvelous peace of God.*

John, and other prophets who proclaimed the need for and way to the Peace of God were not always honored and were often killed. As Standlund reminds us, no matter who is proclaiming the peace and justice and mercy, “It is the voice of God who continually invites us all to return, to care for the vulnerable, to be in relationship with one another.”

Is there a way you can proclaim God’s way of Love and Peace this week? It may be that you (and I) need to first “Stop intentionally for an hour this week from the busyness and meditate on where you can find the voices of John and Jesus through the noise.”

One way to do that might be to sit with this image of the cross. Remember that the Prince of Peace born at Christmas died on a cross. What price, what cross might you be called to pay in order to offer and proclaim ‘Peace’?

Or sing (or read through) the hymn thinking of the cost to each of the men mentioned in it as they followed the Prince of Peace and proclaimed God’s Love.

*They cast their nets in Galilee/ just off the hills of brown;
such happy, simple fisherfolk,/ before the Lord came down.
Contented, peaceful fishermen,/ before they ever knew
the peace of God that filled their hearts/ brimful, and broke them too.
Young John who trimmed the flapping sail,/homeless in Patmos died,
Peter, who hauled the teeming net,/ head-down was crucified.
The peace of God, it is no peace,/ but strife closed in the sod,
Yet let us pray for but one thing—/ the marvelous peace of God.

Next week we'll look at Joy. 

Advent: Kind

 The Episcopal Church Advent Bible study this week notes, “Advent is a time to stop and to hesitate. It is a time to dig into the discomfort and seeming incongruities Scripture presents to us. It is a time to linger with questions rather than rush to answers. These moments of delay or disruption create space to feel. In these coming weeks leading up to Christmas, may we all pause and look around. May we notice those things which are and those things we wish would be. Certainly, we believe in Christmas and the theologies of Incarnation and of God’s presence with us. But we also believe in the not-yet. We hold onto those feelings of discomfort and of doubt. We believe in Christmas, but let us also believe in Advent.”  

Throughout Advent we’ll be looking at how we might as individuals empower one another to live lives of Kindness, Joy, Hope, Peace, Love as we prepare for Christmas. In the midst of pandemic and negative news and conflict, we forget that there is so much good being done that doesn’t make the headlines. Let’s try to find some good news and share it. We CAN be the change we want to see. We CAN begin to build what is ‘not yet’. We CAN live into the space of waiting and preparing.

This week we start the series by considering “Kindness”. Ephesians 4:32 says, Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. The writer links kindness with compassion and forgiveness. Fredrich Buechner quotes Henry James as saying, “There are three things that are important in human life. The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind. The third is to be kind.”  

“Random Acts of Kindness” was a catch phrase a few years ago. There is still a Random Acts of Kindness website, with a calendar and curriculum. You’ll also find all kinds of suggestions online for doing simple acts of kindness. As the image suggests, we can “Be the I in KIND”. 

Below are just a few of the ides from online:

1.       Leave money on a vending machine for someone
2.       Bake cookies for the elderly
3.       Serve at a homeless shelter
4.      Check in with a friend or family member you haven’t heard from in a while 
5.      Write an encouraging note with sidewalk chalk outside to brighten the day of passersby
6.      Compliment a loved one in the morning to make their day bright as it starts.
7.      Smile or give a friendly nod at a stranger you see while on a walk or doing errands.
8.      Send a card in the mail to someone you miss.
9.      Mow the lawn, rake leaves, or shovel snow for a neighbor.
10.     Leave some treats or a small gift on a neighbor’s doorstep.

In this season of preparation of our hearts to welcome Christ, we can offer space to each other. We can be less quick to judge and more open to understanding. We can listen with our heart to the hurting heart of another. We can provide a concrete action of kindness. Mary Oliver comments, “I believe in kindness. Also in mischief. Also in singing, especially when singing is not necessarily prescribed.” 

Let’s make ‘good mischief’, add some singing to the world, and be kind!

Thanksgiving

 Since the end of May we’ve been looking at Words, Story, and how that impacts our Action. Names are the words we use to identify each other, the things in our surroundings, and yes, the Un-Nameable, Un-definable Holy One.

Today is Thanksgiving—a day set apart to be thankful and remember our blessings. It’s become all about the food and the shopping and the football, perhaps, but the core should still be pausing to say ‘Thank you’ for our blessings, and for each other.

I hope you can find time on the day, or sometime during the weekend to pause and think about what you are really, deeply thankful for in your life, your family, your work, your surroundings, your blessings. Brother Curtis of the Society of St. John, Evangelist notes that “’sitting at table’ with someone, sharing food or drink, makes a social statement about yourself and your guest. Eating and drinking is our most basic human need, one that is shared across gender, race, culture, language, orientation, religion, education, or age…But the invitation of the table can invite us beyond our boundaries. To share food is an experience of being one with another. This opens a possibility to find commonality with those with whom we might disagree. To sit at table with others is to experience the humanity that we share, even with those whom we might consider as “other.” A conversation at table can be a disarming, delightful venue for meeting our neighbors. We are all neighbors to one another. At table with one another, we begin from a point of unity: our common need for our thirst to be quenched and our hunger to be satisfied”…Breaking Bread: How Eating Together Makes Us Whole – SSJE                                             

Next Sunday is the First Sunday of Advent, and the start of a series about Empowering one another to act in a way that builds relationships and community. I’ll be borrowing from some of the Advent and Christmas resources of The Episcopal Church, which invite us to remember: “Advent is a season of preparation: shopping for gifts, decorating our homes and sanctuaries. Advent is also a time to prepare our hearts and communities for the coming of Christ, the Almighty God who came among us poor and homeless, a stranger and a child. There may be no better time to reflect on how we [all] embrace the Holy One who continues to draw near in the neighbor, the stranger, the refugee, or the one who seems most “other” to you. It is the ideal season to commit to becoming Beloved Community and growing loving, liberating, life-giving relationships across the human family of God.”

Advent 4: 2020

 This is the final week of Advent. The season of waiting and watching and preparing is drawing to a close. In reflecting on the AdventWord devotions and by thinking about the words myself, I have been able to take a little time to pause, and think about this liturgical in-between time.

Last week’s words were the seven disciplines of the Way ofLove. I thought about how we should always #GO in a way that reflects God’s love. We can #REST in the Lord and #PRAY in confidence because God holds and carries us at all times and in all circumstances. I thought about the ways my friends #BLESS me, even when socially distanced; and how #WORSHIP isn’t just something done inside a church. This past nine plus months has certainly given us time to #LEARN new ways and #TURN from some of our old ways that weren’t necessarily necessary or helpful. You can see my images based on these words and this week’s words here.

This week’s words call us to look at the Mystery of this Season and to Proclaim the Good News. We are called to Rejoice in the Holy and seek the Wisdom of God as we make the final preparations for Christmas. What will the Spirit say to you through this week’s words as we get ready for Christmas?

Our Christmas celebrations will likely be different this year. Many families will opt to care for each other by not gathering in person across the miles (or even around the corner). Even with the vaccine, we must maintain the mask and distancing practices that we don’t like, but that we know help slow the disease. The love of God can be shared by the love we have for each other.

Our Christmas services, too, will look different. No midnight mass with the lights dimming and candles being lit from person to person, no in-person pageants, no hugs and admiring one another’s Christmas finery.

Yet, the Babe will come. In the stillness of our homes and hearts.

The Babe will come even via Zoomed or YouTube services and socially distanced choirs. (And thanks to all who work so these services can happen.)

The Babe who changed the world will lie in a manger, and will ask us to join God’s dream of the Kingdom.

Maybe, without the traditional and expected trappings of the Day, we can take time to consider the One who came as the least among us. Maybe we can ask ourselves how we can, in 2021, be a light to the least among us. How can we be Hope to the hopeless, Joy to the mourning, Peace to the fearful, Light to the despairing?

January 6 to February 17 is the Season of Epiphany. I hope you’ll stop by to look at Isaiah 61:1-4 with me, starting on January 3, 2021.

May you have a Joy-filled Christmas. See you in 2021.

Advent 3: 2020

Can you believe it’s already the Third Sunday of Advent? We’re over half-way to Christmas! I for one haven't been as introspective as I had hoped planned. Quiet waiting and praying has been pulled into the general 'getting stuff done' of the every day and of the pre-Christmas time. Even in this unusual year, when holiday celebrations will be socially distant, there seems to be a lot to get done. 

This week a couple of friends shared they are feeling the weirdness of time in this season and esp. this COVID-tide. Even more than usual, time seems to have a mind of its own. Sometimes a day lasts forever and then suddenly you realize it’s the THIRD Sunday of Advent! It would be no surprise to have something like the experience recorded in the Book of Joshua: So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself on its enemies, as it is written in the Book of Jashar. The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. (Joshua 10:13)

In fact, you probably have heard that there will be a rare sight in the heavens on the Winter Solstice (Dec. 21). The planets of Jupiter and Saturn will have one of the rare ‘Great Conjunctions’ and form what will appear to be the ‘Christmas Star’. They are in the southwestern sky slightly after sunset, getting closer and closer all week. This is the first time in 800 years these 2 planets have appeared close enough together in the sky to provide this phenomenon. The last time was in 1226. You can watch the actual conjunction via live stream courtesy of the Lowell Observatory. The link to the live stream is in this article. 

My thoughts and images from last week are here. Mostly the words reminded me of scripture. What did you think of?

This week, each of the Advent Words is one of the disciplines in the Way of Love. You may remember that I’ve done a couple series looking at the Way of Love on this blog, including Advent 2018.

What will the Spirit say to you through this week’s words? I will try to remember to live into these 7 disciplines this week as I think about the words.