This Sunday is the Third Week of Traditional Advent…the candle we light is the candle of Joy, or the Gaudete Candle (pink in some Advent Wreaths). Gaudete is Latin for REJOICE!
How are you finding Joy in these days of December? How are you experiencing Joy? Do you need to make a date with yourself to find some joy in the busyness of the holidays?
What things might help you REJOICE the week?
To add some joy and help my ability to rejoice, I am headed out to hear Handel’s Messiah. It’s become a family tradition but we haven’t been to hear it live since the pandemic started. I am looking forward to some rejoicing as I listen! Here’s a version for you to listen too.
The Old Testament Reading for this Sunday is from ISAIAH 35…Read this out loud and you might read it again in other translations …or just read this one three times and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you. Listen and Notice what God’s word is for you today….What do you notice about rejoicing and joy?
The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.
Like the crocus, 2 it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;
they will see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God.
3 Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way;
4 say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear;
your God will come, he will come with vengeance;
with divine retribution he will come to save you.”
5 Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped.
6 Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy.
Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert.
7 The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs.
In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow.
8 And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness;
it will be for those who walk on that Way.The unclean will not journey on it; wicked fools will not go about on it.
9 No lion will be there,
nor any ravenous beast; they will not be found there.But only the redeemed will walk there,
and those the Lord has rescued will return. They will enter Zion with singing;
everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them,
and sorrow and sighing will flee away.
What does the Holy Spirit highlight for you today?
Which image in Isaiah speaks to you ? Why?
WATCH Isaiah 35 in video
Are you feeling like a dry desert or an abundant flower bed right now? Or somewhere in between? Talk to Jesus about where you are.
In the gospel passage for this Sunday, Matthew . John the Baptist wants to know if Jesus is really the ONE they all have been waiting on and watching for…
“When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offence at me.’ Matthew 11:2-11
Jesus is saying who he is …EMMANUEL …God with us! Just as Isaiah had promised!
5-7 Blind eyes will be opened, deaf ears unstopped,
Lame men and women will leap like deer, the voiceless break into song
Who in your life needs prayer for healing? For physical healing, emotional healing, those feeling unheard or unloved. Take time to pray for these friends.
Our world is filled with brokenness and injustice. Take time to pray for the things that are on your heart…the areas where the voiceless need a song and where blind eyes need to be opened.
USE THE ART to help you engage this week’s scripture passages for the Third Sunday of Advent. Which piece of ART speaks to you?
Along with ART, Music can help us engage the story. Listen to the Messiah above or these songs.
And this song by Bebo Norman capture our theme of RADICAL ADVENT….” The Rebel Jesus”
We are midway in the Advent Season, and if you are like me, the days of December are flying by much too quickly. The TO DO list seems to get longer, not shorter. And our rainy, warm days are not bringing much joy, if I am honest. So I am grateful today for the reminder from Isaiah 35:1-4.
The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.
Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;
they will see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God.
Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts,
“Be strong, do not fear;
HOMEWORK: Find some flowers at the store. Sadly it’s not the season for crocus here but maybe find a bulb like paper whites or tulips to watch grow. Use these as a reminder that the wilderness is bursting into bloom! THE GLORY OF THE LORD is at Hand!
Just like the Shepherds, watch for those Surprises and Godly interruptions along the way! Watch for things that make you smile.
Take time to find some JOY this week. And know that we do not have to live in the land of fear….because Jesus truly is EMMANUEL …GOD with US!
Blooming Heart
The other thing bringing me joy is my new website! findingyourthinplace.com
©lillylewin and freerangeworship.com
It’s time to celebrate Advent and Christmas. Let Godspace be a resource to you as you prepare! We have many devotionals, gifts, prayer cards, free downloads, retreats – and more – to offer. Check it out in our shop under the category of Advent!
This writing was originally posted on December 21, 2021 and can be found here.
Of all the customs and traditions of Christmas, the creche or nativity set is my favorite. As a child, I remember my parents would have us slowly create the scene during the season of Advent. First, we would set up the stable, and then over time, my brothers and I added a cow, a sheep and shepherd, and then an angel. The last week of Advent, Mary and Joseph would take their places. The Three Kings were set up somewhere else in the house as they made their slow and solemn journey to Bethlehem. On Christmas Eve, a votive candle would be lit and placed in the scene, symbolizing Christ’s divinity. And then, finally on Christmas Day, the baby Jesus would make his entrance, lying in the manger at the center of it all.
We were enacting that the Incarnation, God-with-us, entered into life in a very concrete and material way. As the Gospel of John writes, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” (John 1:14) Or, in Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase, “God put on flesh and blood and moved into our neighborhood.” (The Message) That is a picture of a God who wants to get close to us. Think of God moving in as your next-door neighbor!
In fact, God is revealed in our neighborhoods and in our homes, in one another and in creation. Celtic Christian imagination brings this point home, literally. It has been said that the genius of Celtic spirituality is its ability to fuse together the unique time and place of Christ’s birth in Bethlehem with our own specific present. It teaches us that Bethlehem can become present wherever we are. (Ray Simpson, A Holy Island Prayer Book)
To illustrate that point, Patrick Thomas, a Welsh author and an Anglican priest, has written that in Welsh nativity scenes of the 19th and 18th centuries, whether it is a painting or a figurine set; a washerwoman, or laundress accompanies Mary, Joseph and Jesus at the manger. What a wonderful and beautiful thought, that God so loved the Holy Family that someone was sent to do the laundry!
On a more serious note, for the Welsh, God enters into the timeless story of the Holy Family by introducing a contemporary figure that they would recognize from their own culture–a working-class woman. It is interesting because a working-class woman of that period had about the same status as the shepherds did in Biblical times. One might romanticize shepherds but not working-class women. The Welsh people really understood who it was the Christ came for –the poor among their own communities.
I love the Celtic understanding that there need not be a division nor a separation between the rich and poor, the divine and human, the spiritual and material, the sacred and ordinary, the real and imagined, this time and former times. To illustrate the last point, in the Irish tradition, there is a tradition that St. Brigid accompanied the Holy Family as the midwife, never mind the degrees of centuries separation!
Intrigued by the Welsh tradition of bringing our lives into the nativity story, I engage in sacred play as part of my prayer. Over the years I have had a variety of nativity sets and I tend to favor indigenous ones. One of my favorite sets that I will use this year is from Africa. As I contemplated on how Christ is being born in my life this holy season, images of creation “danced in my head.” During the pandemic, I learned to pray and worship outdoors. I am grateful for my prayer time in nature.
This year, my nativity scene will include not only the Celtic expression of the elements of earth, air, wind, and fire; but it will also include more friends of the animal kingdom. In addition to the donkey and sheep, as I placed my turtle, my quail and my owl in the scene, I also gave thanks for St. Francis. He of course created the first living creche by bringing in sheep, a donkey and a real live baby into a church on Christmas Eve, centuries ago. St. Francis and many of the Celtic saints would appreciate a more inclusive representation of the animals at any manger scene, I am sure. And as an aside, in the movie, “Love Actually” a school Christmas pageant in England included two lobsters at the birth of Jesus! That feels like the Celtic imagination and inspiration jumping into the culture of our day. And it is good! It is another indication that Christ was born for all.
That a laundress accompanies the Holy Family in Welsh art means that the Holy Family and Christ accompanies us in all our life tasks as well. So, I wonder, how is Christ being born in your life or in your children’s and grandchildren’s lives? Who might stand with the Christ child and stand in for you at the manger this Christmas season? Might you find a creative way to illustrate that reality in your home so that your household nativity scene reflects your understanding of how God is among us now?
Perhaps, imagining being at the birth of Christ with the help of this meditation will spark your creativity:
“I open the stable door. I kneel before the infant. I worship with the shepherds. I adore the Christ child. I give my love with Mary and Joseph. I wonder at the Word made flesh. I absorb the love of God. I sing glory with the angels. I offer my gifts with the wise men; I have come from a land afar. I receive the living Christ. I hold Him in my hands. I go on my way rejoicing, glorifying and praising God.” (David Adam, The Open Gate)
For to us a Child is born. Let us rejoice and give thanks for the many ways that Christ is born again in our lives!
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Advent Oratorio –
Advent is more complicated than Easter. When Paul Spicer approached me about writing a follow-up to our ‘Easter Oratorio’, suggesting we take Advent as the theme, it seemed to me both completely appropriate and freshly challenging. Easter is about one single, massive moment: the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. We have four different accounts of that moment and its immediate aftermath, and for the Oratorio we took John’s version as having the most obvious and varied ‘human interest’, in the meetings of the risen Jesus with several of his followers. Advent isn’t like that. It’s about two different historical moments which, though they’re umbilically joined, do not immediately reveal how they fit together. The great, massive Advent moment is still to come in the future, and this provides the over-arching structure of the present Oratorio…
This chorus is an extract from the oratorio that was performed at Lichfield Cathedral in 2009.
A Chorus from the piece
Paul Spicer & N.T. Wright
Come, Lord, and cleanse us from our sin;
Your new, glad work in us begin.
Remove our idols from our sight;
Let us in you alone delight.
Prepare us for your coming reign
By washing us from every stain;
Make known to us your holy Name;
Let us no more turn back to shame.
Call us to you from every land,
And guide us with your powerful hand;
Show us the path that we must tread,
Let us by you with joy be led.
Implant your Spirit in our heart,
That, with your Breath, new life may start;
Take from our flesh the heart of stone,
Let us rejoice in you alone.
For your own sake your love display,
That we may worship and obey;
Rebuild the wild and desert place;
Let us acclaim your sovereign grace.
Read more from N.T. Wright and download his free Advent ebook here.
by Barbie Perks
On Saturday past, I gave a little talk at a tea on how to become more mindful at Christmas, how to use the Advent period to focus more intentionally on the “reason for the season” and how to not fall into the trap of commercialising our faith. Some stores are selling goods that commercialise Advent these days – the ubiquitous advent calendars, and now I see peace, joy, hope stockings in store too.
As I was drawing attention to a nativity scene, I picked up a camel and asked whether we could use this as a symbol to help us remember and pray for those who are on long journeys:
- The plight of refugees we see on the news broadcasts every day
- The nomadic and homeless
- The starving and dispossessed
- Those who might have walked away from childhood faith, seeking their own way
- Those on the unending journey to sobriety
- Those who have been walking the lonely valleys of grief and loss
- Those who have just received news of illness, and impending death
- Those who struggle to navigate the despair of mental health
Camels have such a capacity for going the journey. They are beasts of burden, capable of bearing heavy loads, and keeping going through very adverse conditions. Check it out here.
Galatians 6:2 reminds us to “carry each other’s burdens and so fulfil the law of Christ”. There may be times in life when we may be invited to ”become camels” for a short period, to walk alongside a friend or family member and help them to shoulder the burden. At other times, just as Rebecca watered the camels of Abraham’s servant, so we might be called to “water” or “refresh” those who have depleted their stores of resilience.
Are there any “camels” in your vicinity? In what way can you fulfil the law of Christ today? “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34-35). How can you effectively love someone you know is burdened?
May your own personal journey this season be a blessed one, knowing that you are not alone but that you are part of a greater community, a body, a living, breathing extension of Jesus reaching out to the world around you.
Looking for hospitality inspiration? We have an entire resource page dedicated to hospitality. Find recipes and reflections on numerous hospitality topics, including Celtic hospitality, prayers, and liturgies. Click on Hospitality for more!
by Christine Sine
I always knew that Advent was a radical season, but I did not realize how radical until I started preparing for our theme Proclaiming Justice, Seeking Peace Through Advent. First there is Mary the rebel, whom I talked about last week. Now I want to introduce you to Zacharias the father of John. He too was a bit of a rebel. In spite of the objections from his family he called his son John and made an incredible proclamation of freedom and liberation at his birth.
As we read Zacharias’s song, sometimes called The Benedictus, I wonder if Mary was standing there listening and lapping up his words. Luke tells us she spent 3 months with Elizabeth who was in her sixth month when she arrived so it seems she left to return to Nazareth either just before or just after John’s birth. Just after seems more likely to me. How many times, I wonder did Elizabeth, and Mary discuss the angel’s words, with the silent Zacharias listening? She had listened expectantly to the angels and sung their song of liberation. It obviously resonated in Zacharias’s soul and now his first words, his words of liberation you might say, echoed the Magnificat, and reinforced the promises that had already taken root in Mary’s heart. Listen to Zacharias’s song in Luke 1:67- 79. (The Voice)
May the Lord God of Israel be blessed indeed!
For God’s intervention has begun,
and He has moved to rescue us, the people of God.
And the Lord has raised up a powerful sign of liberation for us
from among the descendants of God’s servant, King David.
As was prophesied through the mouths of His holy prophets in ancient times:
God will liberate us from our enemies
and from the hand of our oppressors!
God will show mercy promised to our ancestors,
upholding the abiding covenant He made with them,
Remembering the original vow He swore to Abraham,
from whom we are all descended.
God will rescue us from the grasp of our enemies
so that we may serve Him without fear all our days
In holiness and justice, in the presence of the Lord.
And you, my son, will be called the prophet of the Most High.
For you will be the one to prepare the way for the Lord.
So that the Lord’s people will receive knowledge of their freedom
through the forgiveness of their sins.
All this will flow from the kind and compassionate mercy of our God.
A new day is dawning:
the Sunrise from the heavens will break through in our darkness,
And those who huddle in night,
those who sit in the shadow of death,
Will be able to rise and walk in the light,
guided in the pathway of peace.
The Benedictus, the Song of Zechariah, has been said or sung in early morning worship since it was introduced by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century. It is a song of blessing (‘Benedictus’ means blessing in Latin) and hope. But it is a song that also speaks of times of hardship and the anticipation of freedom from oppression. It begins, ‘May the Lord God of Israel be blessed indeed! For God’s intervention has begun, and He has moved to rescue us, the people of God.’ – we are reminded that God’s people were once enslaved, had enemies and longed to be able to worship God in freedom.
Zechariah’s song sprung out of a time of hopelessness. The Bible tells us that he was an elderly priest who, with his wife Elizabeth, was ‘getting on in years’. They had no children. The priests would take on a week’s duty in the temple where they officiated at services: a bit like being Canon-in-Residence in our Cathedral. One day whilst in the temple Zechariah encountered an angel who promised him a son, to be called John. He was told he would have ‘joy and gladness’, that the child ‘will be great in the sight of the Lord’. (Luke 1.14)
But Zechariah didn’t believe the angel.
“How will I know that this is so?” he asked. “For I am an old man, and my wife is getting on in years.” (Luke 1.18)
From that moment he became mute, unable to speak at all. He remained silent throughout the entire pregnancy and didn’t speak until his baby was eight days old. It was only when he announced, ‘His name is John’ that his tongue was freed and he began to sing his song of blessing and hope. Did his sudden freedom to speak out strengthen Mary’s resolve to bring up her child to be the liberator the Hebrews were looking for?
Within the Benedictus there are great themes of hope and salvation.
There is hope for the salvation of the people of Israel: ‘a mighty saviour’ is on his way. There is hope for Zechariah’s son John who will prepare the way for Jesus with his father’s prophetic blessing upon him. And there is hope for all people,: for each one of us. “A new day is dawning: the Sunrise from the heavens will break through in our darkness, And those who huddle in night, those who sit in the shadow of death, Will be able to rise and walk in the light, guided in the pathway of peace.”
I love these words reminiscent of Isaiah 9:2 which all of Zacharias friends and family would have recognized as referring to the hope for the coming of the Messiah, the Prince of Peace, the One who would make all things right and bring justice for them and for all humanity. Some of them, I am sure, would know Mary and had probably heard the rumors of her pregnancy and the possibility that the child she carried was the hoped for Messiah. Perhaps they whispered their hopes and dreams for the liberation of their nation from the oppression of the Roman Empire, little realizing that the child to be born promised peace and freedom for all the peoples of the world.
Who are the singers of freedom and justice in your life? Who are the ones that proclaim the coming of Christ not as a meek and vulnerable child, but as the bringer of peace for all.
Read these words from Isaiah 9:6,7 and reread Zacharias’s song above. How does it make you feel? Are you excited for the coming of God’s son who will “ensure justice without fail and absolute equity, always.” ? If so, in what ways does the promise of Christ’s coming in all its fullness impact the way you live now?
Hope of all hopes, dream of our dreams,
a child is born, sweet-breathed; a son is given to us: a living gift.
And even now, with tiny features and dewy hair, He is great.
The power of leadership, and the weight of authority, will rest on His shoulders.
His name? His name we’ll know in many ways—
He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Dear Father everlasting, ever-present never-failing,
Master of Wholeness, Prince of Peace.
7 His leadership will bring such prosperity as you’ve never seen before—
sustainable peace for all time.
This child: God’s promise to David—a throne forever, among us,
to restore sound leadership that cannot be perverted or shaken.
He will ensure justice without fail and absolute equity. Always.
The intense passion of the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies,
will carry this to completion.
Whether you are praying the stations of the day, in need of resources for rest, hoping to spark joy and find wonder, or simply want to enjoy beautiful prayers, poetry, and art – our digital downloads section has many options! Christine Sine’s book Rest in the Moment is designed to help you find those pauses throughout the day. Praying through the hours or watches, you may find inspiration in our prayer cards set Prayers for the Day or Pause for the Day. You may find your curiosity piqued in the free poetry and art download Haiku Book of Hours. All this and more can be found in our shop!
A contemplative service with music in the spirit of Taizé. Carrie Grace Littauer, prayer leader, with music by Kester Limner and Andy Myers. Also there will be a live Taize style service at St Andrews Episcopal Church at 5pm December 4th. See you there.
“See I Am Near”
Words, Music by Taizé copyright © 2008 GIA/Les Presses de Taize. All rights reserved.
“Maranatha, Come Lord Jesus”
Written for The University Of Notre Dame Folk Choir by Steven C. Warner, released on the album “Prophets of Joy” / Copyright 1996 World Library Publications, all rights reserved.
“Maker Song”
Music and lyrics by Kester Limner, 2019
Shared under the Creative Commons License, Attribution (CC-BY)
“The Lord is my Light”
Copyright and all rights reserved by GIA/Les Presses de Taizé
Permission to podcast/stream the music in this service obtained from One License with license #A-710-756.
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