Dec 13 – Advent Three – “Preparing a Space Isaiah 40:3-5 ... · Isaiah 40:3-5 and Psalm...
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Dec 13 – Advent Three – “Preparing a Space Isaiah 40:3-5 and Psalm 51:10-12 a voice cries out: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. 5 Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” “In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. 4 Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. 11 Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me. 5 Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit.
Transcript of Dec 13 – Advent Three – “Preparing a Space Isaiah 40:3-5 ... · Isaiah 40:3-5 and Psalm...
Dec 13 – Advent Three – “Preparing a Space
Isaiah 40:3-5 and Psalm 51:10-12 a voice cries out: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. 5 Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. 4 Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. 11 Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me. 5 Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit.
Peace Before Us – StS 16 Peace before us, peace behind us, peace under our feet. Peace within us, peace over us, let all around us be peace. Love… Light… Christ… Alleluia…
For all the generations that have prepared the way; for all the unseen hands that have made ready every space; for those who light the fires of welcome and who tend to every resting place, O God of every pilgrim, We bless you with our thanks. ~ Jan Richardson, Night Visions¸p43
These days bathe us in images of abundance and happiness, But we pray for those who do not find in this time a season of goodness and light. Give us eyes to see into the shadows cast by the millions of blinking lights; Ears to listen beyond the carols to hear the anguished weeping; And hearts that long for the liberation your Advent truly brings. ~Jan Richardson, Night Visions, p51
Still me Until I hear your heartbeat Quiet me Until I feel your breathing Make me One with your rhythms Move me To the cadence of your love. ~Jan Richardson, Night Visions, p53
God of making and unmaking of tearing down and re-creating, you are my home and habitation my refuge and place of dwelling. In your hollows I am re-formed, given welcome and benediction beckoned to rest and rise again, made ready and sent forth.
~ Jan Richardson, Night Visions, p41 Peace Before Us – StS 16 Peace before us, peace behind us, peace under our feet. Peace within us, peace over us, let all around us be peace. Love… Light… Christ… Alleluia…
~JanRichardson,NightVisions
beyondanythingbutthelongingforrest.letmyem
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face,andletmywearinessbewearinesstillitpromptsmetoyourrest.thenmayIknowthehealingof
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“Vessels”byJanRichardson,NightVisions
Imeasuremylifeinvessels.Theytracethecontoursofmydays.Teacup,bowl,oillamp,pitcher,baptismalfont,Communionchalice,basinbathtub.Isleepinthebellyofnightandwakeunderadownturnedbowlofblue.
IpondertheirshapesasIbegintounderstandmyownlonging:wantingtobeheld,fightingagainstbeingcontained.
Teachme,Isay.Tea,food,oil,water,wine,stars,sky.Teachmehowtogracefully,powerfullyfillmyspace.
Youhollowusout,God,
sothatwemaycarryyou,
andyouendlesslyfillus
onlytobeemptiedagain.
ImagesbyJanRichardson:janrichardsonimages.com
Advent Three Meditation: Preparing
December 13, 2015
Shawn Friesen
Advent is a time for preparing. A time to prepare for Christmas - Jesus’ first coming to Earth,
but it is also a time to prepare for when Jesus will come to Earth a second time. I love Christmas time
and everything that goes with it. I like the presents, the food, spending time with family and the people
I love. Most years I feel very prepared for Christmas, but what does being prepared for Jesus’ second
coming even look like?
I think preparing for Jesus’ coming looks like the inclusion of LGBT people in the church. I
think preparing looks like caring for individuals struggling with mental illness. I think preparing looks
like accepting refugees and accepting the Muslim citizens currently living in our country. I think
preparing looks like caring for the families of murdered and missing indigenous women. Maybe
preparing looks like a small church welcoming a scared 18-year-old, who is new to the city, into their
congregation. Preparing looks like loving anyone else who feels marginalized, victimized, abused,
forgotten, or unloved by society.
Matthew 25 says,
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take
your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was
hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I
was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you
looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or
thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or
needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers
and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
If we are meant to prepare a space for Jesus in our hearts, lives, and in our churches, a good
place to start would be by preparing a for “the least of these”. Preparing a space for the people we have
different views than, the people we might be scared to be associated with, and the people who are cast
aside by everyone else.
I don’t really know how to prepare a space for royalty, let alone the king of everything. The
closest I’ve ever been to royalty was seeing Sir Paul McCartney from the back row at one of his
concerts. Maybe I’m not quite ready for Jesus, if I can’t accept people made in God’s own image. I
think preparing for the advent season involves preparing a space for these people in our lives.
My prayer for this advent season is that this kind of space would be prepared in each one of us.
Dear God, help us to prepare a space for others…
Help us to prepare a space for you.
Amen.
