Through Stained Glass: The Final Advent-Word-a-Day--Emmanuel

 Emmanuel

God with us. 

Christmas is the season we celebrate the birth of the Christ child -- the Incarnation. The Divine doesn't dwell elsewhere apart from creation -- but the Divine is flowing in and through creation! Our Advent journey reminded me of this reality: the nearness of God, the hereness of God, and the nowness of God. 

Remember what we heard when we listened to the angels on Christmas Eve? That peace has been achieved not through Jesus's death and resurrection but through Jesus's birth: "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to humanity (anthropois)

— the object of God's favor." 

From here on out, we will read Scripture lessons that bring us to the fullness of the Living God's presence here. We will read about Jesus speaking of the future -- but he'll tell us this: don't worry about it (see Matthew 6:25-34)! Salvation is here -- God with us draws us out of our separations and into the fullness of Love and Life. 

Remember, if this is confusing or there is some unlearning that has to happen -- that's okay! Mary took time to ponder the perplexing proclamations before consenting! Listening to the Christmas message, I hear the good news: God shares this life with us. The Christmas season reminds us that all of this life is sacred. 

Near the beginning of our Advent journey, my beloved Golden Retriever, Chloe, was diagnosed with Lymphoma. Chloe has responded well to her treatment. The day the test results came back, I remember my heart sinking deeper than I knew was possible. I found comfort in reading the prophets as they preached that God's salvation includes all creation and the peace of Immanuel includes all living flesh. I know soon the treatment will wear off, and cancer will do what cancer will do. Still, in the presence of death, Chloe has taught me about life. She has brought me to the present, living here and now -- fully aware of the love of the Living God in her. The Living God is present in our dying and our living. The Incarnation testifies to this good news. In this season, Chloe, who is the most anxious dog I've been a companion to, lives wholeheartedly. She is teaching me that death is not an evil to get rid of but rather a central ingredient to a life of wholeness and abundance. We've gone slow these last few weeks and will go even slower in the days ahead. However, we do so not with fear but with deep faithfulness, trusting that we belong entirely to God in life and death. 

Chloe is teaching me that life and death are necessary for the energizing Spirit to become embodied in our world. The fullness of life is now. 

Christmas is not over, friends. We are on day three of twelve, counting down until Epiphany -- when the Magi from the East arrive at the Holy Family. Listening to the Epiphany story sheds light on the reality that this journey we call faith rarely takes a straight path. For our hearts, hands, and resources to transform, we must listen deeply to the Living God and trust the process. We anticipated the good news of God's dwelling with us during Advent. Christmas is the proclamation that God is here, now, with all of us and all creation. Our next stage in the journey invites us to leave familiar places for new ones -- which will require humility, letting go, and moving bravely in a new direction. 

I'm thankful for those who followed along on this Advent Word-a-Day journey. Your likes and comments, shared pictures, and stories not only encouraged me but brought me great comfort in this season of mystery. I thank God that I do not go alone in the days ahead. Not only do I have the promise of God's presence, but I will see it embodied in the ways we share our lives. In my bones, I have courage knowing that as the Living God reveals to us more of God's fullness, I have you all as companions. 

May we embody the good news of our faith -- that God is with us -- and as we go forward, we move towards our desires for Love with intentionality and a commitment to listen with all that makes us beloved. 

Merry Christmas, friends. 

God is with us!  

Through Stained Glass: Advent Word a Day-Restore

Restore

Except for one or two photos, I try to post a picture from the day as it relates to the Word-A-Day prompts. Doing this today is challenging. I'm heeding the advice from First Responders and Weather people to stay inside during this Winter storm. Thus, I'm not sure what I'll capture today for restore. 

I did venture out to grab something from the store. As I was out, I saw an Ameren truck, and I thought, "Goodness, I hope the power doesn't go out, and these workers don't have to be outside in this weather to restore our power." Then, I offered a quick prayer for those working today: First Responders, State and City Workers keeping our streets free from snow and ice, medical folx, assisted living staff, and the many others I'm forgetting right now. 

Of course, I'm mindful of our unhoused neighbors in the community. To my knowledge, Lincoln / Logan County doesn't have a designated warming center for folx to come to during these extreme temperatures. I am thankful for the agencies in town that provide assistance and care for the most vulnerable in times such as these. I keep thinking about Mary's Magnificat and the portrait it paints with these lines: 

He has brought down the powerful from their thrones

    and lifted up the lowly (Luke 1.52)

What captures my attention in this line, and all of Mary's Magnificat and Jesus's ministry is its concern with embodied people. The love of the Living God is moving to restore harmony here on earth! I recently read it put this way, "God fills the hungry not only with hope but with food. Rather than being satisfied with comforting the lowly, Mary's Lord lifts them up, granting them dignity and honor, a seat at the table, and a voice in the conversation. At the same time, God shows strength by disrupting the world's power structures, dethroning rulers, and humbling the mighty." (Judith Jones) Her words and the Incarnation story remind me of Living One's invitation to join Them in restoring and re-creating our beautiful world. Every time these occur, the Christ is born in our midst. The Incarnation bears witness to the liberating love of the Holy Three, while the Resurrection points towards the reality that the Holy Three's love can and will always find us! 

As I write, my Bird friends are busy storing energy as they eat the seed off the feeder and ground. On my fence sits a floofy Squirrel. Let me clarify: this Squirrel sits after stretching to grab sunflower seeds off the feeder. My thoughts turn to our more-than-human kin who live outside and hope the stray animals find warmth and shelter. I'm thankful for those who work to care for these family members of ours. 

I hope you all continue to stay warm and safe. If your internet goes out, remember to turn off your modem to restore it. [What a lousy attempt to use the word of the day!] Embrace these days inside to restore your interior life -- pay attention to your body, enter into the silence and solitude of your space, and listen to the still, small voice of Love whispering to you, "Surely, I am coming soon!" 

Chances are, you'll experience what we are waiting for -- God with us. 

Through Stained Glass: Advent Word a Day-Choose

 

Choose

What will you choose to do this weekend?

I know, a pretty lame question and entry into today's Advent word-a-day post. The wind is howling outside my window. It appears to no longer be snowing. However, the temperatures are still dropping. I read somewhere on the interwebs today that we will experience a 60-degree difference in temperature from this morning to this evening. The Birds were active this afternoon. Tecumseh and I went out twice to fill up our feeders. I haven't seen them since 3:30 pm. I imagine they are roosting somewhere to stay warm like the rest of us. 

Speaking of Birds, did you know they can choose to puff out their feathers? [Again, sorry for forcing the word-a-day!] I notice on days like today, our Bird buddies are rather floofy. I won't bore you with the science of it all, so I'll tell you this: they fluff their feathers to keep warm! This method works because air pockets are created between a Bird's skin and the feathers when it fluffs its feathers. The heat generated by the Bird's body is trapped in these air pockets. In turn, the combination of the feathers and air pockets is excellent insulation. They also will choose to stand on one leg, tucking the other leg under them, then switch -- most often seen in Canada Geese. Like us, Birds shiver to stay warm. 

Before it got cold, the dogs and I decided to go to Kickapoo Park for our morning saunter through the woods. We saw two Bucks and watched a Kingfisher couple fly up and down the creek! By the time we reached the end of our walk, the Trees were getting cranky. The wind had them all in an uproar! 

We made a good choice going early. 

The weather outside is frightful. While I don't have a fire inside, I have two Golden dogs keeping me warm. The weather doesn't show signs of stopping -- and I'm okay with this reality. We are coming to the end of our Advent journey. The beautiful events at church that contributed to our waiting and anticipating the birth of the Christ child has left me tired. I welcome this opportunity to end these final days of Advent doing a type of 'roosting' myself. The Gospel lesson assigned for today is Mary's Magnificat. Her song is a beautiful one of praise, proclaiming the Living God's greatness and rejoicing in God as Savior. What I love about Mary's song is how it invites me to think about the activity of the Living God in my life. God chose Mary to be the Mother of the Christ child, so God chose/chooses us to join our voices with Mary's, singing of God's liberating love for all flesh. 

Tonight I choose to ponder the profundity of the season. I'll light the candles of my Advent wreath, make some tea, and journal, reflecting on how Mary's song magnifies the Savior who loves the whole world with a love that makes creation whole. And I'll think about how I'll choose to do the same. 

But first, supper. It's 5 pm, and Chloe is letting me know it's time to choose which dish she'll be having tonight. 

Through Stained Glass: Advent Word a Day-Sign & Hear

 Sign & Hear

Here is your sign to slow down, pause, set down your worry, lay the burden down to be all the things -- and rest. 

Here is your sign to allow the darkness of Advent to hold you. 

Here is your sign to remember what Advent is about: waiting, expecting, and hoping in the dark. 

Here is your sign to remind you that the signs and miracles in Scripture point to the Living God's activity -- creation, liberation, and salvation. 

Here is your sign to realign the rhythm of your life to the heartbeat of Love. 

Here is your sign to name all of what you're carrying around -- to acknowledge feelings of brokenness, lostness, and hopelessness. 

Also, here is a sign to rejoice in all that is filling your cup these days. 

Here is a sign to hear the stories of our faith again -- listening to the prophets and poets proclaim the promises of the Living God. 

Here is a sign to light your candles, get comfy and turn inward -- slowing down, breathing with intention, and listening for Wisdom's whisper. Hear the stillness and the silence of the season -- you are here -- and God is with you. And me. And them. And us. 

All is not lost. Love is here. As we wait, we celebrate who and whose we are -- the One who loves us so much that They don't know how to stop giving.

Here is a sign to listen and hear Advent's message -- we need not fear the dark ...

Through Stained Glass: Advent Word a Day--Catch Up

Words

Advent happens for us in the Northern Atmosphere at a perplexing time. Outside in nature, things are lessening. Most leaves have fallen, except for the brown ones on Oak and Beech Trees. The green in my yard is nearly all gone except for a few blades of grass. The days are shortening -- a part of the season I welcome. Temperatures are slowly dipping, with next week looking pretty cold! Even the Deer are slowing down. Today, on my walk with the dogs, we were less than twenty yards away from a few that were bedding. I like to think we are no longer strangers to them. Before technology, this was the time of year we would huddle up in our huts, recovering from harvest and preparing for the Winter. 

Now, there are exceptions. For instance, yesterday and today, my Bird feeders were busy not only with Chickadees and Sparrows but those chonky Squirrels who snack with one eye glued to the backdoor. Their activity isn't leisure. They are preparing themselves for those days when food isn't readily available. In their busyness, they are preparing, too.

The perplexing part? I've not slowed down. The opposite is true. A lot has been going on: meetings and visits, Kirk Nights and cookie exchanges, ministry, and ... meetings? Did I mention those yet? Although I find time to pause, reflect, and pray, I've had to speed up my days, leaving me exhausted by the end of the day. It doesn't help that when I listen to the radio or get online, messages bombard me with reminders of how close Christmas is and that I still have time to buy all the things! On my Facebook feed, events are popping up left and right. This game is happening tonight; that fundraiser is tomorrow; Ash Wednesday is just over two months away! I tip my hat to those with kiddos in sports, band, and plays. 

In the Northern hemisphere, as the earth turns inward, the demands from culture to turn outward are many. If you enjoy the hustle and bustle of the season, please don't read this as a critique. My intentions are not to offend but to name the irony of our rhythms to those of nature. 

But I do want to say this -- I hope we don't busy ourselves so much that we miss the Christ in our midst right now. I hope we aren't so overstimulated that we miss the Messengers declaring "Joy to the world!" even as we wait. I hope we aren't so consumed with the pressures of consumerism that we miss the deep Incarnation right outside our windows -- inside our very homes. 

As I write this, the darkness of the night settles on my house. I can't see the stars, but I see the glistening lights from my neighbor's house across the way. It brings me joy to reflect on the day they put those lights up. I don't know their story, but I know they were laughing and having fun while they did it. I hope they are enjoying the spirit of this season. 

Friends, despite how busy I've been, I'm joyful. My heart is whole as I write with two Golden Companions resting at my feet, one the doctor said wouldn't be here. I'm smiling as I think about what awaits us in these next few days: celebrating the Love candle, caroling, and receiving hospitality from friends on Sunday, bearing witness to each other's grief, and making space for the shadow of the season on Wednesday, and of course, preparing our hearts for the good news of the Living God's promise to us next weekend -- that They are with us! 

Below are photos from the last few days. Each picture represents a specific word from the week. Those words are stranger, beloved, thirsty, and traveler. As I ponder these words in my heart, I thank God for the strangers I meet who reveal the presence of Christ right now -- like little children who enthusiastically 'shopped' for their loved ones. I rejoice knowing that all of us -- yup, especially you -- are named, claimed, and declared by God as beloved! I acknowledge my longing for wholeness, thirsting for liberation from all that separates me from Love. And I smile with delight, pondering all the ways I encounter the Incarnation -- as I pray, "Come, Savior, come!"

I invite you between now and the 25th to sit in the darkness. Let the cold air remind you that you are alive. Welcome the ways creation speaks to us of our faith's mysteries. Light a candle and as it dances, remember the Living God has not abandoned us. Acquaint yourself with the fullness of this life. Need inspiration? Read the Song of Songs and indulge in the pleasures of this life! 

Slow down. Speed up. Find your rhythm. Just remember, the world is about to turn! 

I don't know about you, but I'm looking forward to it. 

Through Stained Glass: Advent Word a Day--Wilderness

Wilderness

I want to geek out about this word. And I want to share all the photos from the wild places I visited in 2022. 

But, friends, I'm tired. 

Instead, you'll get a couple of photos. The first is a photo shared today on the Wild Church Network on the Facebook. It is a poem about our intricate connection to the natural world. Also, you want a good intro into the rewilding of your faith? Check out the book "Church of the Wild." This book taught me that the Hebrew word for wilderness, ba-midbar, also means "the organ which speaks." The wilderness is the place where the Divine speaks to us.

I want to tell you how John Muir hated the word 'hike.' And I want to tell you about my week spent with Presbyterian professor Belden C. Lane at Ghost Ranch the lessons he taught me about the fierce landscapes of our lives. And I want to share with you the wisdom of Mirabai Starr and the "Wild Mercy of God." 

But instead, I'll leave you this cute photo of an opossum the dogs and I encountered in the 'wilderness' of Lincoln. And this prayer from Catherine of Siena, "Consecrated."

"All has been consecrated.

The creatures in the forest know this,

the earth does, the seas do, the clouds know

as does the heart full of love. 

Strange a priest would rob us of this

knowledge

and then empower himself

with the ability

to make holy what

already was." 

Through Stained Glass: Advent Word a Day: Messenger

Messenger

Today we rejoice, and we name our joy. 

In the Gospel lesson today, John sends his disciples to Jesus to inquire whether Jesus is the one they were anticipating. 

Jesus responds, "Go and tell John what you see and hear..."

Jesus' message to John and us is to be attentive to God's actions in our lives. It is as if Jesus says to John, "Hey, cousin. You're right. Things are bad -- for you and the rest of us. But we have hope -- that even now, God is gladdening the dry lands and wilderness, and unfolding before us is the Holy Way!"

Here's what I love about today's text: these passages remind us of the beauty of God's justice. These verses remind us of the joy of seeing God working for justice in the world. They remind us to celebrate and sing when we experience the fulfillment of God's promises. Included in this is the land -- the messenger of hope, peace, joy, and love. 

The messengers of the Bible, known as prophets, always end with a word of hope. We need not wait for joy or to rejoice. Did you know the Church remembers John as the patron saint for spiritual joy? Finding joy in John's jail cell may be challenging. However, in the ministry of the messenger who went before Jesus, it is easy to find joy. I find it in the way he confronts my disillusioned expectations of the Christ, and directs my eyes and ears to the fringes where God is continually re-creating. John's the one who reminds me that we never hope in vain -- and that God's response to us is always a resounding 'Yes!' 

Today I found the joy of God's 'Yes!' in three places. In the woods on my weekly post-worship walk, at the nativity festival at our church, with nearly 50 students at our first Presbytery youth gathering. Unlike happiness which is dependent on so much -- joy is a gift -- it is the beauty and belovedness of this world that nothing can take away. Joy can coexist with pain. Joy can accompany grief. And joy can come alongside all the other emotions we feel! Today, these messengers gifted me with love and joy, even as I enter a season of grief. 

But that's the thing about joy. Or as I recently heard it said, "We generate joy by daring to love ourselves, to love our people and communities, and to love our cultures. To insist on a better world built on that bold, brave, bodacious love." And this doesn't sound much different than what Jesus said -- "go and tell John what you see and hear ..." 

Joy -- it's a matter of our perception -- and where we give our attention!