Christ comes with Glory

In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter, long ago.

I have written on these pages about the lightning suddenness of God’s appearing.  Meanwhile, winter can be quiet and cold as we wait for the hot breath of an angel’s whisper or the streak across the sky showing us the way to Christ.

I grew up in a winter land, 50 miles south of the Arctic Circle.

There winter becomes more and more hushed as snow piles on snow.

The day and the night are dark, illuminated by stars and moon, reflected back by fields of ice crystals.  It is beautiful and it is very cold.

Seasons in the north can come suddenly and leave just as suddenly.  It is hard to predict the first snowfall or the first groans of break up.

This is a land where it helps to have a waiting nature.

It helps to have a fluid expectation.

It helps to be ready for surprise!

These are the qualities of a Holy Advent, as well.  We know that we are invited to wait, with Mary, with Joseph, with the whole host of angels.

Because we have read ahead-we know who we are waiting for.

But I tell you- be ready for a surprise.

Christ will not be contained in a manger, resting sweetly on a beautiful Christmas card.

Christ will come with power.

Christ will come in glory.

The shepherds know this:

In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

Luke 2

It is no small thing that our God has come to us, and continues to come each day, each moment.

Let us wait in wonder this Advent

For our God comes with power!

Blessings,

Debra

Divine Conversation

Fra Angelico

Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?”

The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy;

 He will be called Son of God.

^{Luke 1: 34-36}

Last week we prayed with the lightning and thunder that accompanies an angel’s

announcement to a young woman.

This week I want to consider the middle of the story.  Between the angel’s appearance and Mary’s yes, Luke recounts an extraordinary conversation-a divine exchange of information, hope and possibility.

The angel tells Mary about the work of the Holy Spirit, in symbolic language that she understands, in part.  The image, particularly of the overshadowing cloud of the Spirit, echoes in her as she recalls the cloud that led the Israelites in the wilderness.

Surely, this same cloud will lead her through her own wilderness of an unexpected pregnancy and a child called ‘Son of God.’  The scripture tells us that she is perplexed.  She is also brave enough to initiate a conversation with an angel.

In this middle way of the annunciation story, Mary models for us what it means to come to God in uncertainty.  When we enter the divine conversation or prayer with both uncertainty and willingness to hear, we are following the footsteps of Mary.

Advent can be a time for both a piercing message from God and a quiet wondering with God.  Advent is surely a time to consider your prayer life in a new way as the whole Church awaits the coming of Christ.

In quiet moments or in whirling activity, let us each take a cue from Mary. 

Stop when the message resounds in you, and offer a listening heart to God.

Blessings,

Debra

BREAKING INTO THE WORLD

Our King and Savior now draw near

Come let us adore Him

The couplet from Morning Prayer in Advent tells a story of a fluid, perhaps even gentle, movement from God toward humankind.

But the entry of the Divine is rarely simply another moment in a day of events.

When God breaks through there is a crackling in the air;

 a definite shimmer to the light.

A sound like thunder, perhaps,

or a streak across the sky like lightening.

Thus it was for Mary when she received an announcement so strange that she dared to ask a heavenly messenger a question.

The appearance of Gabriel stopped her in her tracks.

She wasn’t thinking about cooking or domestic chores.  She was riveted to the moment.

She wasn’t expecting an announcement that would change her life and the whole world, but once presented with such incredible news she gave herself totally to a new thing.

Her ‘yes’ has echoed down the centuries as a potent example of obedience and reliance upon God alone.

Advent, the season that prepares us for the birth of Christ, is more than a time to decorate or shop or cook.

It is even more than a time to gather with friends and relatives.

Advent is a time to look for and expect a sound like thunder bursting into our lives and changing them forever.

Advent is an opportunity to join Mary’s yes, even though we aren’t sure exactly what that will mean for our lives.

Let us not domesticate Advent.

Let us ride the lightning of Advent into a new Christ-mass.

Blessings,

Debra