I invite you to ponder Isaiah 9:2-7.
Any child is a mystery.
This child is a mystery.
God’s love- a mystery.
Mysterious- yes.
Good News- absolutely!
“And she gave birth… and laid him in a manger”
Luke 2:7
May your every Christmas be wonder-full and mysterious.
(c) 2017 Rev. Brian Hardesty-Crouch
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“Then Mary said, ‘Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.’” Luke 1:38.
This is Mary’s “yes” to God’s action in her life. Henri Nouwen in his meditations for Advent titled In Joyful Hope says: “You have to say ‘yes’ fully to your powerlessness in order to let God heal you. But your willingness to experience your powerlessness already includes the beginning of surrender to God’s action in you. Your willingness to let go of your desire to control your life reveals a certain trust. The more you relinquish your stubborn need to maintain power, the more you will get in touch with the one who has the power to heal and guide you.”
Jesus, I confess that I struggle to stay in control. My Christmas prayer for myself is to surrender and trust you for what I need to grow.
(c) 2017 Eunice Cheshire
Spiritual Director &
HeartPaths Core Faculty
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O Lord, you have searched me and known me.
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from far away.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is so high that I cannot attain it. (Psalm 139: 1-2, 6)
It is said that Advent is a season of wonder. What is it that fills me with awe? Today (truth be told), I have one foot in the exuberant joy that is just around the corner. I struggle to avoid “skipping ahead” to lose myself in the beloved story. But still, I know that it isn’t just contemplating God coming to earth that fills me with awe. I drag myself back from anticipating the Incarnation to ponder the reality of God being fully present in me, not just on earth. Now, that truly is too wonderful.
(c) 2017 Nancy Jagmin
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How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.” – Isaiah 52:7
Peace.
Did you hear the whisper?
Peace.
Did you see the light?
Peace.
Did you feel the breath??
Peace.
Sit and linger.
God is near.
(c) 2017 Rev. Lil Smith
Spiritual Director and Supervisor
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I am coming home.
I am coming home to celebrate the most incredible gift with you.
I wonder how I will be received.
Will there be room at the inn?
At the table?
In your heart?
Real space that looks past all my shame, all my failings, seeing me as an unblemished child in the manger wrapped in bands of cloth.
Will you look at me again this way?
This is the best gift you could give me.
I am coming home.
(c) 2017 Rev. Lil Smith
Spiritual Director and Supervisor
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The walk to pick up a grandchild from school takes only ten quick adult minutes. But if I am accompanied by his younger brother the walk takes thirty minutes, because little Luke finds wonders all along the sidewalk. We investigate ant trails, bees gathering pollen in weeds, pecans spilled from overhead branches, rocks that surely contain fossils. My efficient adult walk completes a task. My languid little boy walk nourishes our relationship and opens my senses to God’s creation alive in the suburbs.
My Advent can pass quickly as I check off tasks and hurry through the whirlwind of activities to arrive at Christmas Day. Or my Advent can take a slower path where I look and listen and feel God’s presence in my world. I still arrive at Christmas Day, but the wonders are spread all along the way.
(c) 2017 Cathy Irby
Read MoreThe Bible has numerous stories of God’s call for the faithful who least expect it. Whether it is Zechariah, or the virgin Mary, the feeling referred to in that instance is fear. They are admonished not to be afraid. How does fear impair God’s action and presence in our lives? The message of the angel rings out – fear cannot abide with obedience to God’s invitation to trust. The first letter of John tells us that there is no fear in love. Perfect love drives out fear because fear implies punishment. One who fears is not yet perfect in love. It also tells us that we love because God first loved us – in becoming human like us – and whoever remains in love, remains in God and God in him. What fears do we need to cast out this Advent, so that God’s call may lead our lives?
(c) 2017 Cheryl-Ann Monteiro
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The list-making app I have on my phone is cool. I’ve got lists for shopping, for doing stuff, for places to go and people to see. When I check something off it moves down to a sort of bin for items already taken care of, but I can move it back up onto the beckoning active list at any time.
At first I was discouraged because there were always items on some lists not checked off. I imagined I might have downloaded a disguised critic, sneaky like those offers that lure you to just click on the hotlink then secretly they store data about you in cyberspace.
However, in some quiet moments, I realized that critic-voice was in fact my own! Ah, a call to release the imagined detractor and accept the app’s help.
Out of my quiet time, my TO-DO, and my TO-NOT-DO lists made peace with each other.
(c)2017) Nancy Kate Dunkerley
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The Lord God’s Spirit is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me.
He has sent me
to bring good news to the poor,
to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim release for captives.
Isaiah 61:1
It is recorded in the fourth chapter of Luke that Jesus stood up in the temple and referring to himself announced almost these same words. It has always been dangerous to try to alter the balance of power of the rich especially on behalf of the poor. Jesus embraced this risk. It’s easy to say we want to follow in the steps of Jesus until we come to a challenge like this. We fear being labeled “do-gooders” or “naïve.” But can we really avoid this risk and be faithful to the Jesus of the Gospels? Let’s take this step before Christmas arrives and reach out to someone with less – fewer resources or less family support.
(c) 2017 Eunice Cheshire
Spiritual Director &
HeartPaths Core Faculty
