For when the world seems dark

An Advent Prayer

In this Advent of isolation, we light the candle of Hope

and pray for all of those facing despair, displacement and loneliness.  May they find comfort and joy.

In this Advent of uncertainty, we light the candle of Peace

and pray for your Spirit to calm our anxious hearts, and those of our siblings around the world.

In this Advent of mourning, we light the candle of Joy

and give thanks for the comfort that comes from knowing Christ, even when we are worn out and weary.

In this Advent of division, we light the candle of Love

and pray that we may draw together in unity and mission, remembering that we are all together in service.

Lord, as we expectantly long for the coming of Christ may we be open our hearts with compassion and care and may our prayers and deeds serve to heal a broken world.

(A prayer provided by CLWR.)

Bring Advent back

What would it be like to have Advent for 4 weeks?  I would like to know.  

Over the years, I've become less excited about December. I love Christmas, but not the weeks leading up to it -- until I went to Germany for 2 weeks in December and felt Advent for the first time.

Advent was named and visible in the Advent wreath in the hotel lobby and the Advent family singing in the cathedral.  Windows in the city hall were turned into an Advent calendar - one lit each day during Advent.  It was the special Advent menu at the restaurant and the music played at the Christkindl Markets; the greens sold to make an Advent wreath at home and the Nativity scenes everywhere.  (Some cathedrals in Europe employ someone just for the purpose of creating the Nativity scene in the cathedral each year using sets that are hundreds of years old!)  In Munich there was one market dedicated exclusively to items to create your own nativity scene at home.

Everywhere we went, it was live greenery with white lights.  It wasn't about visits to Santa, reindeer, blow-up characters, blue and orange lights, black trees (2019's trend in North America apparently).  It wasn't about trend at all.  

So it got me to realizing that I want Advent.  I want a time to prepare for Christmas and then celebrate Christmas during the twelve days until Epiphany.  If we had a North American "do over", I'd put Santa Claus on Saint Nicholas day, December 5-6, and keep the fun that is Santa Claus but separate it from Christmas (which apparently was something that Martin Luther wanted: to put the Christ child as the focus of Christmas).  I'd move all our traditions (pageant, carols, dinners and parties) to the 12 days.  Advent would be the Advent wreath and advent music and stories of waiting and expectation and the 4 themes we follow with the candles:  hope, love, joy and peace.  And then we celebrate when the wait is over!

I appreciate this year people are decorating early and radio stations went all-Christmas after Hallowe'en because we all need some hope and Christmas spirit this year.  But I think we'd all be better off to do the work of Advent and get ready for Christmas.  Bring Advent back.

Here are some Advent pictures from my trip to Germany:

We Embody the Presence of Christ

It is possible that the biggest barrier to accepting this as our lifelong vocation is not a lack of faith but a lack of imagination.

On this final Sunday of the liturgical year [Christ the King Sunday], we receive a parable from Jesus challenging and inspiring our imaginations to grasp our whole vocation that is celebrated in baptism: to embody Christ in every moment and to engage every part of our world as Christ’s redeemed creation.

The parable of the sheep and the goats has sometimes been used to instill fear of God’s judgment. However, it is possible that Jesus’ point here is to urge his disciples to share God’s generous saving grace with all. Jesus’ parables consistently offer a simple setting and story, but behind them lie a world of rich meaning that takes a lifetime to unpack. For this reason, Jesus’ parables are important texts for the postmodern church, which is hungry for story, for connection, and for meaning for our faithful lifelong questions.

With shepherding texts from Ezekiel and the Psalms as well as Ephesians, an epistle written to build faith, we have a constellation of texts that make the shape of God’s intimate—even incarnational—love of creation. The parable even suggests that being merely intentional about ministry in the name of Jesus is not the point. After all, both “sheep” and “goats” groups are equally shocked at the news that Jesus was present in those relationships involving thirst, imprisonment, and so forth. Instead, Jesus seems to invite us to wonder what’s at the deepest foundation of our presence and purpose—and perhaps even walk away faithfully bewildered at the possibilities of God’s kingdom being practiced on earth as it is in heaven.

What if we really do embody the presence of Christ?

From Sundays and Seasons

Beauty...love...wisdom...knowledge

The BE-attitudes

In the Old Testament, Moses went up a mountain and God gave him the 10 Commandments, new laws to live by.  He and the Hebrew people wandered for 40 years in the wilderness looking for the Promised Land.  In the New Testament, after spending 40 days in the wilderness, Jesus went up the mountain to give the people a new way to live as God’s people looking for the Kingdom.  The first thing both the Commandments and the Beatitudes tell us to do is to put God first.

The Beatitudes turn worldly values upside-down.  Jesus promises good things and some spectacular rewards to people who are having a tough time or normally don't get rewarded.  Are his rewards and comforts 'due' in this world or the next? ...or both?  His Beatitudes make you think.  They are provocative.

As is true of Jesus’ teachings, the Beatitudes are something to read again and again and learn new lessons each time.  Jesus commends the meek, the merciful, those with pure hearts, and those who work for peace.  These are virtues we have come to know throughout our whole history with God.  Others in the list are more surprising.  Jesus blesses the poor, the hungry, and the weeping as well as the virtuous, recognizing the injustice of their situation and assuring them of God’s care.

The Beatitudes give us a framework for living – attitudes to acquire to be faithful disciples. Having these attitudes lead to blessings beyond measure.   They are “blessings” which mean true happiness.  These Be Attitudes are keys to the kingdom. The Beatitudes deal with the here and now and what will be in the future. 

The only challenge then is to “be”.