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.
By Ana Lisa de Jong —
Christmas is for a moment
the veil lifted,
the light of Christ appearing
through the mist.
The bright glow
of a candle briefly lit,
that for a time
illuminates the room.
As a lover’s knock upon the door
causes the heart to lift,
so Christmas is the long awaited visit
to which we open our arms.
Christmas is the birth
of the promised child,
whose innocent dependence
draws from us our love.
So that Christmas is
the veil lifted,
the light of Christ appearing
in a crib.
But we must be careful
to not too soon forget,
the one to whose feet we bring
our treasures.
The bright glow
of a candle briefly lit,
might start and stutter,
until it goes out with the wind.
Or the lover’s embrace which warms,
depart,
to leave us waiting
and desirous again.
But Christmas that for a moment
lifts the veil,
shows us what lies always
behind the scenes of things.
Christ, in love
found a way to remain,
and has given us back our treasures,
surrendered at his feet.
So that the treasure that is Christ,
can be threaded through our days,
strung from one Christmas to the next,
as glowing lights across the heavens.
by Christine Sine
When I posted the litany for the first week of Advent this morning I think that I confused a few people so I thought that I would post this litany for the second Sunday of Advent as well even though it was posted last year. I hope that it provides a useful addition to your resources. And I couldn’t resist adding one of the Advent prayers to it as well.
by I wrote this litany several years ago for the Advent devotional Waiting for the Light but decided this year that it needed some revision and updating.
In this Advent season we await the coming of Christ
Come, Lord Jesus, come, We await your coming.
We await the coming of God’s revealing light,
Come, Lord Jesus, come, We await your coming.
We await the coming of God’s saving hope,
Come, Lord Jesus, come, We await your coming.
We wait the coming of God’s redeeming child,
Come, Lord Jesus, come, We await your coming.
(Pause for lighting of the Advent candles)
We wait for the God of life,
We wait for the Christ of love,
We wait for the Spirit of truth.
Come down, come in and dwell among us.
We wait in expectation of your coming,
We wait in hope for your promises,
We wait in joy for your salvation.
Come down, come in and dwell among us.
Come into our hearts that we may love you,
Come into our minds that we may know you,
Come into our lives that we may serve you.
Come down, come in and dwell among us.
(Read Scripture for the Day)
Child of promise come,
Revealer of God come,
Bringer of life come,
Come to the beaten and the battered,
To the despised and rejected,
To all in whom the divine image is still distorted.
We wait in joyful expectation.
Not for a distant emperor but for a helpless babe.
Not for a prince in a gold palace, but for a displaced and frightened refugee.
Not for a man of power, but for a vulnerable infant.
Come to those outcast like shepherds in the field.
Come to foreigners like Magi watching from afar.
Come to rich and poor, young and old, male and female.
We wait in hopeful anticipation.
Come and bless all creation with your love,
Bring salvation on the earth,
Rule with justice and in peace.
Come Child of promise, open the windows of our hearts
Come Christ of compassion, open the doors of our homes
Come Prince of Peace, open the pathways to our lives
We wait with all the peoples of the earth,
Child of hope we welcome your coming,
Christ of life we welcome your coming,
King of glory we welcome your coming.
Our Father who art in heaven hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
Come Lord Jesus and lead the captives from their prisons,
Come Lord Jesus for in you we trust O King of kings.
Come to bring peace in the midst of war,
Come Lord Jesus for in you we trust O King of kings.
Come to offer comfort in the presence of mourning
Come Lord Jesus for in you we trust O King of kings.
Come to provide abundance in the midst of hunger
Come Lord Jesus for in you we trust O King of kings.
Come to show forth justice for those who have been oppressed
Come Lord Jesus for in you we trust O King of kings.
Let us put on hope to guide us,
Let us put on love to surround us,
Let us put on joy to sustain us,
Let us put on peace to inspire us.
And clothe ourselves with Christ.
Amen.
by Christine Sine
I was looking back through my Advent posts from last year and realized that somehow the litany for the first week of Advent never got posted. I realize this is a little late but for those who are looking for something for a midweek service it might be useful. Links for coming weeks of Advent are at the end. These all come from Waiting for the Light
Litany for the First Week of Advent
The advent of the Lord is near.
New light dawning where there has been darkness.
The advent of the Lord is near.
New hope reigning where there has been death and despair.
The advent of the Lord is near.
New light, new hope, new life for all creation.
Pause for lighting of the Advent candle
This is a season of preparation,
We prepare for Christ who broke the barriers between us and God, each other and God’s creation,
We wait with repentant hearts to prepare the way of the Lord,
This is a season of watchfulness,
We watch for the One who heard our cries and shared the suffering of our world,
We wait in anticipation for God’s light to penetrate the darkness and shine within us,
This is a season of promise,
We wait for the promised coming of Emmanuel, God with us, God for us, God in us.
We wait in hope for our Redeemer to bring God’s love into our broken world,
This is a season of reflection,
We expect to be transformed so that we can serve in God’s kingdom as bearers of light.
We wait expectantly for God’s Savior to come and dwell in our midst,
This is a season of fulfillment,
We await the promise of God’s kingdom: wholeness, reconciliation and plenty for all.
We wait for God’s covenant to be fulfilled, for God’s kingdom to come in its fullness,
This is a season of joyful anticipation,
We anticipate the day when God’s glory will be revealed to all people together.
We wait expectantly attentive to all the signs of Christ’s coming.
Read scriptures for the day from daily lectionary
Lord whose light shines in the darkness,
Have mercy upon us,
Christ whose birth gives hope to all creation
Have mercy upon us,
Lord whose advent brings joy and love,
Grant us peace.
Our Father in heaven, may your name be honored. May your kingdom come soon. May your will be done here on earth, just as it is in heaven. Give us our food for today, and forgive us our sins, just as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
Into our troubles and weaknesses,
Into the barren places of our souls, Come Lord,
Come down, come in, come among us and make us whole.
Into the war torn and the refugee,
Into those who live in conflict, Come Lord,
Come down, come in, come among us and make us whole.
Into the homeless and the unemployed,
Into those who feel abandoned, Come Lord,
Come down, come in, come among us and make us whole.
Into the sick and the disabled,
Into those with COVID and cancer and depression, Come, Lord
Come down, come in, come among us and make us whole.
Into the poor and the starving,
Into those who are oppressed or abused, Come Lord
Come down, come in, come among us and make us whole.
Into the lives of loved ones,
Into those from whom we are estranged, Come Lord,
Come down, come in, come among us and make us whole.
Into our joys and celebrations,
Into our work and our achievements, Come, Lord
Come down, come in, come among us and make us whole.
Pause for participants to offer specific prayers and thanksgivings to God
Lord we long for your coming. Hasten the day when those who seek you in every nation will sit at you table. Hasten the day when suffering, pain, sickness, oppression and death will be overcome forever. Hasten the day when we will be resurrected as a multicultural family and live in peace, harmony, joy and love together in your kingdom.
Calm us to wait for the gift of Christ;
Cleanse us to prepare the way for Christ;
Teach us to contemplate the wonder of Christ;
Touch us to know the presence of Christ;
Anoint us to bear the life of Christ. AMEN
————————————————————————————————–
Advent Litany for the Second Week of Advent
by Christine Sine
It is easy for us to grab hold of the traditional symbols of Advent that encourage us to settle in and be comfortable rather than preparing us for unexpected changes. And I must confess I do love having some of those around. Celebrating the first Sunday of Advent at church on Sunday with the lighting of the first Advent candles on the wreath was one of the highlights of my week.
However I love to look for the unexpected symbols that unsettle me and keep me ready for the kinds of change that I think Advent challenges us to. I am still working on my Advent garden, hoping that it will provide some of these symbols, but in the meantime I need other untraditional and unexpected images of Mary to move me into the right frame of mind at this season.
The image above, an abbey altar piece know as The Visit of the Angels and painted between 1390 and 1400 is of Mary knitting. It is unsettling because she is doing something mundane and everyday when the angel Gabriel comes to her. Yes I know this is not really a part of the Advent story because it occurs 9 months before Jesus’ birth and is celebrated at the Feast of the Annunciation. However we have a tendency to think of it as part of the Advent story. Reflecting on this image makes us realize Mary is not some extraordinary woman called by God because she has strange super powers but an ordinary teenage girl living on the margins of the empire – vulnerable, and probably as uncertain as any teenager today.
This is a beautiful image to reflect on as we think about the unexpectedness of the Advent story. What catches your attention? What unsettles you? In what ways does it help prepare you for the unexpected ways that Jesus will be birthed in your heart and your life this Christmas?
Over the last few years I hav been attracted to several other unexpected images – the sculpture of Mary, with a loving Jesus behind her that I discovered and wrote about in my post Is Joseph the Unsung Hero of the Advent Story
Kenneth Bailey’s suggestion that Jesus was born in a family home and not in a stable. This is one idea that really unsettled me several years ago. I wrote about it in my post Was Jesus Really Born in a Stable and Why Does it Matter.
These images have all helped me to ready myself for the unexpected ways that Jesus comes to us at this season. What helps you get ready?
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