“Being present—being alert and awake to what is going on around us right now—I am convinced is one of the great lessons of Advent. In a time when our identity and sense of self-worth is wrapped far too tightly around what we do or who we know, Advent reminds us that simply BEING is perhaps even more important.”
There is no cloud of glory can define, no gates of heaven can confine; there is no dogma, doggerel, or doctrine can describe, no earnest imitation reinscribe him.
“After all the long nights feeding the baby, the meltdowns over what clothes the toddler would wear, the endless pile of dishes, the worry about a family member’s recent diagnosis, the food to be cooked, the distractions, the constant busyness, and the coordinating of schedules, the days are good.
Because as night comes and I’m ready for bed, the words come naturally.
A good day.”
“…(the hope against hope) that there is in this cosmos the listening, the watching, and not least, the judging, the sorting, which so many of us, for so long have sought,…”
“Waking up means getting better at serving others. Waking up also means that we keep growing. Christ needs us to keep growing because he reveals himself to humanity in ever evolving ways. There is nothing static about a relationship with God. If it is static, it is atrophying.”
“What might it take to spend a few minutes every day to meditate on the coming of Christ and what his coming might means to us as Christians in a secular world? What might we give up doing to make time for that meditation or reflection? What might we gain by it? What might we lose by ignoring it?”
“We hear this tale
time and time again
and so often, our thoughts
wander to the audaciousness
of James’ and John’s mom’s request,
and their chutzpah.”
“Holy One, send your angels to tend to those
who call upon You and depend upon your care,
especially those away from home,
and those whose needs we place before You,
that your peace, surpassing all our knowing,
may be our embodied prayer.”
“As we enter this time of thanksgiving, may we find moments of stillness and quiet gratitude. May we find a way to share God’s love with all who we encounter as we maneuver through blending hints of what was with the newness of what is before us. May we lift our hearts and voices in gratitude for those who have walked beside us on this winding and lingering journey.”
“God of the table,
prepare a place for us
to love and be loved
to know and be known
to forgive and be forgiven.”