Over the weekend we, like many others, decorated our Christmas tree and. I always love inhaling the aroma of pine leaves as we decorate, and the memories that the decorations evoke. Evidently there are approximately 25-30 million live Christmas Trees sold in the U.S. every year. There are close to 350 million currently growing on Christmas tree farms in the U.S. alone, all planted by farmers. North American real Christmas trees are grown in all 50 states and Canada. One way to plant trees for climate action I suppose.
As those who follow me on Facebook know I also decorated the jade plant that sits by my dining room window. Most people preferred this unconventional offering, some thought that it was very much in keeping with my unconventional approach to the season and in fact to the whole journey of faith that I am on. I also finished another knitting project this weekend so pulled out my image of Mary knitting when the angel Gabriel arrives to reflect on. I wrote about this a few years ago in Meditation Monday – The Unexpected Symbols of Advent. Yes I am definitely drawn to the unconventional, a true liturgical rebel my friends tell me.
We are now well into our Advent journey and Christmas is only three weeks away. If you are following along with Celtic Advent you are halfway to Bethlehem and probably like all good travellers negotiating the rough terrain that this journey takes us through, like Black Friday and Cyber Monday, then Giving Tuesday. I always feel that having Giving Tuesday at the end of this shopping frenzy is an indication of where we place our commitment to supporting the work of God’s people, at the bottom of the list, getting whatever is left over. Of course this might just be my natural cynicism. I hope you are giving generously to your favourite charities and that they didn’t just get the leftovers. I like to support a range – from those that work locally to those that are globally focused, from those that fight for justice for the marginalized, to those who are concerned about sustainability and climate change and to those who nourish me spiritually.
This week we focus on hope, something that is not always easy to find and that needs to be intentionally sought and held onto. My Meditation Monday – Through Broken Glass was a reflection on how the light of Christ shines through us no matter how broken we feel, just as it does through broken glass. In fact the brokenness often makes the light look more beautiful. The poem/prayer at the end is one that Carol Dixon wrote as her response to my reflection. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
On Friday in response to Black Friday’s barragement I decided to give away a set of my prayer cards to all my subscribers. You can still download these from Friday’s post and as I mention in the post, I really would love to your feedback on the prayers as I hope to make more such sets next year. This is the first of such gifts to you this Advent season, though I am sorry but the rest of the gifts from now until Christmas will be for paying subscribers only.
Lilly Lewin in Freerange Friday – Practicing Hope For Advent shared a more conventional approach, focusing on hope and the scriptures for the first Sunday of Advent. However the practices she suggests are far from conventional. I love her practical and creative suggestions for us to try this week and found them very helpful.
On Wednesday my husband Tom wrote a short note about our dear friend Tony Campolo who passed last week. Tony’s life and ministry had a huge impact on us and many thousands of others. It was always fun to be together with him not just sharing ministry but also life and laughter.
I am embarrassed to say that because I was so keen to get you ready for the rest of Advent last week that I forgot the mention our last episode of Liturgical Rebels for the year, A Year In Review with Forrest Inslee. It has been a good year and I feel Liturgical Rebels is off to a good start. Forrest and I reflect back on the year that is past and look ahead to some possibilities for next year. Looking back there are several episodes that you might like to listen to again during this Advent season. Iconographer Kelly Latimore whose powerful image Christ Under the Rubble caught our attention last year during Advent is one I highly recommend. Other artists whose Advent images have really impacted me powerfully are Scott Erickson and Kreg Yingst whose new book Everything Could Be A Prayer has been one of my inspirations for this season.
I know that a number of you enjoyed the liturgy for the 1st week of Advent I published last week. Here is a link to this week’s liturgy or this one by Welsh poet John Birch.
My life is broken
By pain, by disability,
Sharp shards which
Pierce my daily existence
And make me feel
Fragmented and useless.
Take the broken pieces
Of my life, Lord and
Form them together
Into a stained glass
Window of your love.
Shine your light on
My brokenness until
I glow with joy and hope
Of a new beginning
With You.
~Carol Dixon Dec. 2024
Many blessings on you this Advent season
Christine Sine
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