As we move into Advent we are called to listen, something we seldom take time to do in this frentic world of over-activity. But waiting for birth - waiting for death - these are listening times, when the normal distractions of life have lost their power to take us away from God's call to center in Christ.
During Advent we are traditionally called to contemplate death, judgment, hell and heaven. To give birth to a baby is also a kind of death - death to the incredible intimacy of carrying a child, death to old ways of life and birth into new - and it is as strange for the parents as for the baby. Judgment: John of the Cross says that in the evening of our life we shall be judged on love; not on our accomplishments, not on our successes and failures in the worldly sense, but solely on love.
...
Advent is not a time to declare, but to listen, to listen whatever God may want to tell us through the singing of the stars, the quickening of a baby, the gallantry of a dying man.
Listen. Quietly. Humbly. Without arrogance.
(ML'E Winter Song)
Lord, in Your mercy, give us ears to hear.
Lord, in Your mercy, help us slow down - let our heart beat match Yours-
so that we can listen to You
Amen
2 comments:
Well I haven't been here in a while...mea culpa.
But I do ask prayers--both in supplication and in praise.
Prayers for comfort and healing for our director of music, who has been diagnosed with cancer. He is to have a PIC line placed on December 26, chemo and radiation therapy to begin the 27th. That runs for about three months, then they may do surgery. And even though we're in Canada, he's a new Canadian--he and his partner were married in October--and so his immigration may be held up because of this, and he's not eligible for medical coverage as yet. We're having fundraisers and so on, but it is a lot of money to come up with (c. $20,000, CDN). He's been very active in our church, our area, our denomination, over the last twenty years...it's so hard to see this now. I count him as a friend, too, so I'm trying to play dual roles here, of pastor and friend. And most of the pastors I know are in the same position... Please keep Dale and Dan in your prayers.
But there is also praise...I was able to move past my own pride and accept the gift of a plane trip (from my ex-husband) to visit my son at Christmas--I'll be there a week. And friends living on another coast have made it possible for me to travel to a church conference near their home in February--I'll be staying with them and going to the conference during the day. The icing on that cake--totally uncalled for extra decoration--was that my friend, using his frequent flier miles, upgraded my ticket to first class. So in the midst of pain and worry over Dale, I am also celebrating the care and presence of friends. Prayers of appreciation for Steve, Tim and Arthur...
Many thanks...
And prayers for each of you in your sorrow, hope, joy, pain, busy-ness of Advent.
Lord in your mercy heal RP's director of music
Thank you too for the generosity of her former husband and friend who have made travel possible. God you are good and we love and worship you :)
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