by Christine Sine
Last week when I created my Advent garden, I commented that I expected it would change and grow as the season progressed and that is just what has happened.
One person commented that the rocks reminded them of the pathway we all walk towards the Christ child. I immediately had visions of a rocky pathway, and and arduous to negotiate. Then it occurred to me – the pathway towards Christ is not all hard going. There are gems and precious stones along the way. There are “rocks” that light up our lives as well as those that make life difficult. So I added some of the beautiful rocks I have collected over the years and now my garden sparkles with color.
I appreciate those who comment on what I write, it is often the inspiration I need for future ideas and posts. Thank you for helping me on this journey through Advent.
By Ana Lisa de Jong —
You can do this without us.
Move the earth through its orbit,
the courses of the stars you keep on track.
The galaxies whose music you orchestrate,
sing from millennium to millennium.
That you can do this without us
we so know.
Which is why we are amazed still
that you don’t.
Have not left us alone,
to navigate through the courses of our lives,
to hold on to this spinning earth which,
but for your gravity, we could not survive.
You can do this without us
we understand,
which is why we stand in awe still
that you’ve chosen otherwise.
That instead, you have not only not left,
but you’ve come as close as we each allow.
In Immanuel, God with us,
our unwrapping forever gift.
Oh, you can so do this without us.
Move the earth through its orbit,
the courses of the stars on track.
The galaxies, whose music you orchestrate,
singing from millennium to millennium.
That you would not just visit,
this one planet out of trillions,
but would form us each in your own image,
and then give to us yourself.
Yes, what wonder is this,
that the smallest treasure laid in a haystack,
is the maker and sustainer of all this,
and made his way to stay with us.
What love that keeps us,
while still in awareness of our solitariness,
in remembrance of a connection
with the One who keeps everything.
You can so do this without us,
and that is why we love you the more,
that you have not,
but rather made a path direct to your heart.
Though the universes circle us all.
Today is the anniversary of Thomas Merton’s death in 1968. He was an American Trappist monk, writer, theologian, mystic, poet, social activist, and scholar of comparative religion. He has influenced many of us with his profound insights about faith, and contemplation. The quote below seemed a fitting post as we walk through the season of Advent. It resonated with me because of my desire to see all of us make more room for those we have excluded – a sentiment that I expressed in the poem in my post Come Thou Unexpected Jesus
“Into this world, this demented inn, in which there is absolutely no room for him at all, Christ comes uninvited. But because he cannot be at home in it, because he is out of place in it, and yet he must be in it, his place is with those others for whom there is no room. His place is with those who do not belong, who are rejected by power because they are regarded as weak, those who are discredited, who are denied the status of persons, tortured, exterminated. With those for whom there is no room, Christ is present in this world. He is mysteriously present in those for whom there seems to be nothing but the world at its worst.”
Thomas Merton, “The Time of the End Is the Time of No Room” in Raids on the Unspeakable, pages 51-52
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By Hilary Horn —
As Christmas approaches and our advent season has arrived, one word that has been sticking out to me in particular is the word hope. I love this video from the bible project that breaks down the biblical hope:
Isn’t that video good?!
What I think is so different than the hope that the world presents us, is that hope in the bible is not just happy optimism but a choice to wait on God to bring about a future. This feeling of tension and expectation as we wait because we know Gods past faithfulness is what motivates us to look forward in the hope we have in Him. We trust nothing other than God’s character.
As a mother I can only imagine Mary during this time. Many young woman have a hope (this happy optimism) in our future. For many of us, that involves hopes for a future spouse and most likely children. We day dream about what our life may look like, what we hope it does many years down the road. 2 kids? Maybe 3? 6? Maybe we hope to own a house, have some sort of stability in our careers. Maybe we want a natural birth. We scroll Pinterest and get way over our heads on all the baby stuff we want to get one day and how we want to decorate our nursery. We think of things like clothe diapers or disposable? Breastfed or bottles? We dream of what our child could be, what they may look like. Will they have my eyes or their dad’s? Will they be funny or sensible? You wonder endlessly.
Then often, our perfect optimistic dreams are jaded. Life happens and most of us don’t always get the ideals we dreamt of.
Mary sure didn’t.
She was a young, single mother at first. No husband. No home. No stability. She was probably afraid, ostracized and abandoned. She went off to her cousins house. I’m sure she was worried more about the outcome of her life, let alone what crib she wanted to purchase. She didn’t even have a clue what to dream up about the incarnate God and what he would look like. Would this baby even look or be like her?
But one thing she did have. She had the living hope of Jesus in her. A hope that isn’t just a feeling of optimism, a hope that can be crushed. But a hope that is an eternal, a faithful hope. A hope of who God is and what he will do.
She lived and breathed the waiting tension and expectation of hope. She knew she carried the savior of the world. What a weight! To mother Jesus? Can you imagine this young girls thoughts? But she trusted full heartedly in who God was in the past and who she knew he was going to be in the future.
She resinates the hope in her soul when she proclaims this song in Luke 1:46-55:
“My soul glorifies the Lord
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.
50 His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
55 to Abraham and his descendants forever,
just as he promised our ancestors.”
She remembered God’s faithfulness, his mercy and power. And she was confident in the hope for what was her future and the baby that she now carried. Even though her life was in what most of us would see as utter shambles – she trusted in the hope because she knew Gods past faithfulness and his future. She even called herself blessed.
Whatever season you are in – a joyful one or maybe one that looks like unmet expectations, chaotic, broken, afraid, a lone…
We may not have the hope that the world gives us, but we can be confident in the hope that God is.
Jesus is our living, eternal hope. I am choosing to hope and wait in this tension for the now and not yet Kingdom until he returns once again.
So as advent continues I am reminded that hope is not that God guarantees a life of bliss and perfection, but that in all seasons, trials and circumstances, God is with us.
In seasons that are hard, I want to proclaim the truth of God’s promises and be like Mary, calling myself, “blessed” because I rest in the biblical hope of Jesus…God with us.
by Christine Sine
Vulnerable is the second word in my Advent garden.
When I wrote it I was thinking about Mary’s vulnerability – powerless and open to attack. I was thinking too of the Marylike people in our world today who are also vulnerable because of their powerlessness – those caught in the grip of poverty, abuse, racial & sexual discrimination, refugees, the disabled. The list of the victims of powerlessness is so long it is overwhelming. And to that I add the vulnerability of our planet – 1 million species that might become extinct in the near future, fires raging in the Amazon and Australia, climate change ravaging our planet.
This too is overwhelming, but that I realize is what vulnerability is all about – feeling powerless in the face of power and wealth. And that is how many of us feel today. We are all feeling vulnerable as we face the uncertainties of the future and it’s a hard place to be in.
What makes you feel vulnerable and uncertain at the moment? How do you respond to that vulnerability?
As I reflected on this over the last few days I realized that God too is vulnerable. Our Creator always comes to us in ways that open the possibility of attack, abuse, and woundedness. In fact that is very much the story of God revealed in Jesus Christ. An unexpected Messiah revealing an unexpected and vulnerable God.
My images of God as a rich and powerful leader have been shaken over the last few years by these images of the One who comes to us in powerlessness and vulnerability – not as a ruler but as a servant, not as an authoritarian commander but as a gentle leader, a companion and guide who is particularly concerned about the other vulnerable ones in our midst and who brings change not from the centres of power but from the margins where other vulnerable beings dwell.
It is hard for us to understand a powerful God who comes in such vulnerability, yet in this God we place our hope. This is the God spoken of in Isaiah 11 that Lilly Lewin quoted in Freerange Friday last week. This is the God whose presence will one day fill our world bringing renewal and transformation.
As I wait during this season of Advent, I wait for this vulnerable God and I feel hope well up within me. I believe that the imagery of Isaiah 11 she quotes will one day be fulfilled, probably not in the ways we expect. Probably with some future acts of vulnerability. What I am reminded of today is that I need to have my eyes open to signs of the coming of this vulnerable God who always comes in unexpected ways.
What signs of God’s presence give you hope for the future?
NOTE: The image used in today’s post is by Scott Erickson His book Prayer has been one of my favorite books this year. It contains many images like the one above that are ideal for contemplation. I chose this image because it too speaks of vulnerability – of Eve and of Mary.
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By Lilly Lewin
We are preparing to receive the baby Jesus…Preparing our hearts, our minds, our lives to have Jesus move into our neighborhood. As we move into the second week of Advent, maybe you are like me, and finding it hard to believe that it’s already here! I’ve been in the midst of taking down my fall decorations and putting up the Christmas ones while putting away all the gear from my work trip to Florida that took place before Thanksgiving. It’s been a season of moving. In the past six months, I’ve helped one son move across the country, helped my parents move from their home of forty-five years and helped my sister organize her home so she can use furniture from that move. AND I realized that I move for a living. As the curator of Sacred Spaces, I move boxes and gear from place to place, loading and unloading my mini van. I create the space to pray and engage God, and then after the event is over, I tear it down and pack it up and head back home. It’s beautiful, inspirational and physical work. And sometimes it feels like Sacred Space has become just Sacred stuff and a lot of hard work.
I need a new infusion of the Holy Spirit! I need the life giving spirit of God to pour into and flow over me, and grow new things in my tired soil! Which leads us to the gospel of Isaiah this week! Read both versions and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you!
ISAIAH 11: 1-10 New International Version
A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of might,
the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—
and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.
He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
or decide by what he hears with his ears;
but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;
with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.
Righteousness will be his belt
and faithfulness the sash around his waist.
The wolf will live with the lamb,
the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling[a] together;
and a little child will lead them.
The cow will feed with the bear,
their young will lie down together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
The infant will play near the cobra’s den,
and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.
They will neither harm nor destroy
on all my holy mountain,
for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea.
In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious.
ISAIAH 11: 1-10 The Message
A green Shoot will sprout from Jesse’s stump,
from his roots a budding Branch.
The life-giving Spirit of God will hover over him,
the Spirit that brings wisdom and understanding,
The Spirit that gives direction and builds strength,
the Spirit that instills knowledge and Fear-of-God.
Fear-of-God
will be all his joy and delight.
He won’t judge by appearances,
won’t decide on the basis of hearsay.
He’ll judge the needy by what is right,
render decisions on earth’s poor with justice.
His words will bring everyone to awed attention.
A mere breath from his lips will topple the wicked.
Each morning he’ll pull on sturdy work clothes and boots,
and build righteousness and faithfulness in the land.
The wolf will romp with the lamb,
the leopard sleep with the kid.
Calf and lion will eat from the same trough,
and a little child will tend them.
Cow and bear will graze the same pasture,
their calves and cubs grow up together,
and the lion eat straw like the ox.
The nursing child will crawl over rattlesnake dens,
the toddler stick his hand down the hole of a serpent.
Neither animal nor human will hurt or kill
on my holy mountain.
The whole earth will be brimming with knowing God-Alive,
a living knowledge of God ocean-deep, ocean-wide. On that day, Jesse’s Root will be raised high, posted as a rallying banner for the peoples. The nations will all come to him. His headquarters will be glorious.
Questions to consider from the Passage…journal, draw, or just be with the questions and the passage above.
1. The first week of Advent, the candle is about HOPE. Where do you find HOPE in your life this past week? What gives you HOPE? Where do you need HOPE in your life today?
2. The second week of Advent, the candle is the candle of PEACE. Notice the images in this passage regarding the natural enemies that now are living peacefully together. What places need peace in your world? What people do you need to bring peace to in your family, your workplace or your neighborhood? Are there enemies you need to make peace with this Advent? Talk to God about this.
3. What image in the Isaiah passage speaks to you? Draw or write about this. I drew this picture during journaling time on Sunday nigth and I realized that God is growing many things and God still wants to produce good fruit in my life.
4. How can you prepare Him Room this Advent? What do you need to do or quit doing in order to get ready for the birth of Jesus? For me, less Netflix and more silence.
5. Roots and New Growth. In what ways have you put down roots in your faith this year? In what areas would you like to see NEW growth in the year ahead? We each got an Amaryllis Bulb to plant and watch grow in the weeks ahead. Why not buy a bulb to plant and watch as the shoots come out and begin to produce new growth. Or take a walk outside and use the trees and plants,the roots or branches to be your parable. Let Jesus peak to you through these things as you walk.
6. How would you like to see righteousness and justice grow in your land, in your country, and neighborhood? Spend some time praying for this.
Prepare to be surprised by the Prince of Peace this week. Watch for signs of new growth and glimpses of the Holy Spirit.
CLOSING PRAYER:
Lord God! Give us PEACE as we wait for the Gift of Jesus.
Cleanse us to prepare the way for his arrival.
Help us to slow down and prepare our hearts.
Help us to wait and take time to be with you.
Teach us to contemplate the wonder of God with us.
Teach us to know the presence of your Spirit.
Teach us to bear the life of Jesus and live out his Kingdom.
Today and Always.
In your Name, Amen (adapted from Ray Simpson, Lindesfarne) 
©lillylewin and freerangeworship.com.
You can find resources for Advent and Christmas Sacred Space prayer stations at freerangeworship.com
by Christine Sine
I finally got it together – my Advent prayer garden for 2019. I have been struggling with the imagery this year. What plants can I use that arrest my attention in unexpected ways at this season? I would have loved to be able to use a Waratah, Christmas bush and Christmas bells and other symbols of Advent in Australia – not wintery and cold but sunny and hot, but as you can imagine these were not easy to find here in Seattle. So this succulent was my choice – a little different, startling and in some ways unexpected.
I have painted five stones to go in the garden with the words unexpected, vulnerable, protected, loved, welcomed. These are the words that came to me as I thought about the story of Jesus’ birth. He was unexpected to Mary and Joseph. He was vulnerable because in that culture an unwed pregnant woman should have been stoned yet he was also protected not just by God but by his human father and by people like Elizabeth who seems to have been Mary’s safe person to go to. And it seems that he was loved by Mary and Joseph and welcomed by the angels, shepherds and wise men.
Advent garden 2019
I have added a couple of my favorite Advent/Christmas images around the garden to give me a stronger sense of the season. As we progress through Advent I suspect my Advent garden will continue to change as I reflect on the different aspects of unexpectedness to the Advent story. Hope you enjoy this.
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