Advent - at this time of year....

Last week disappeared in a blur
I was expecting a mad busy time. lots of meetings, lots on and in amongst it, the gift shopping and spending time with one of my boys - typical two weeks to Christmas

Into that mix came news we had anticipated and dreaded at the same time.
a member of the congregation; a good, good friend who has been fighting her own battle against the big C was in the last stages.

the privilege of ministry is that we are called into these times; we are treated as an extension of the family. It is an honour, it is painful, it is truly awesome to sit alongside a family as they say goodbye.

so my week disappeared; no small thoughts for each day to share.
No lists completed
Just being
and holding
and weeping
and knowing

and God in amongst us

Sheila had an attitude to life that was full on!
She loved to laugh, and to sing, and to play
She was beloved wife, and mother, and daughter and sister and Aunt, and good friend to many people.

Yesterday as I paid tribute to her in our Sunday worship there was not a dry eye in the house of God.
Thursday, as we say our final farewell to her will be the same

God has called her home
and we part, not forever, but until we meet again

go well my friend
go well

Advent 4 & 5

Today being Wednesday my task is to create a sermon outline
the scripture was chosen Monday
and this being Advent the second Sunday has a familiarity, a traditional feel
John the Baptist

I had a memory of a poem I wrote - some years back to reflect on the relationship of John to Jesus
and I thought I might post it here today...
but what do you know?!!
I posted it this time last year!! (Almost- if you want to see it - archive 2011 -Nov)

so it got me thinking...
how often do we use and reuse our resources
at what stage do they become old/ worn/ out of date?

how often do we take for granted what we have
at what stage do we stop and think?

John had a destiny - not to be remembered for himself, but for the message he bore
he did not care for convention
nor did he worry about offending folks...

have you ever wished you could declare "You brood of Vipers!!"?  

Advent 3

And the Lord sent an angel messenger
The Lord has found favour with you, and you will bear a son....

Meantime, over here, and pretty much everywhere else, the news is full of an impending royal birth...
I feel quite sorry for them - on many levels
forced to go public early beacuse of severe morning sickness
forced to tell the world about the secret you want to keep to yourselves for a while
forced into the spotlight, when really all you want is peace and quiet, and rest

blessings on all couples who wait tonight - expecting your own wee blessings is a wonder indeed

Advent 2

Sunday night

and all's well

the word was preached

and songs were sung

my voice held out (just)

and the people brought their advent prayers of hope and expectancy to the tree

Waiting... and waiting...
in this season of hopeful waiting
may we be blessed by the things we hope for
and spared the things we dread
Lord God, as we wait - lighten the darkness and guide us into hope

Advent 1

Today is the first of December -

today I opened the first door of my advent calendar.

No chocolate in mine!

Instead a wee verse: telling the tale

Each day will give a new verse.

Each day - through Advent - I aim to write a little.

To share a thought; a blessing; hope, peace, joy and love

Advent - God approaches

Advent - the new year

Advent - bringer of joy and hope.

the world that waits in darkness...

 

Words

I have been reflecting on words
My work means that I use words constantly
I write, I create, I reflect and in each case, the way I use words can make or break the occasion
Words, like a tree's roots go deep and can capture and hold onto a heart or mind - and can damage or heal
disturb or calm


I conduct a funeral - and the family is comforted. But if I were to use the words carelessly then the comfort could be lacking - or worse non-existent
I lead a meeting - and how I speak, how I encourage, or temper the participants can change the atmosphere for good or bad
and of course, more than anything else - I preach
I preach

It was this that started my reflectings; yesterday being Sunday
The encounters I have through the week will always inform the words I use on Sunday morning - or earlier when I am writing what I will say
Sometimes there has been pain and tragedy; other times the news has been joyous. But each week, as I read the scriptures, and choose the music to fit... underlying it all is the words that will come together to communicate something of God, of the Spirit - of Faith and Grace and Hope and Joy.
And it is a painful process!
Some weeks I am sure I will never manage to create something I am satisfied with
Some weeks it feels as though come Sunday all I will have is a blank sheet
But by prayer and God's amazing, and sufficient grace words do appear
and often, it is the most painful; the ones which have been hardest; the ones I am not satisfied with that somehow touch others

Yesterday was such a day - even as I prayed before the service I was unsure and yet, an hour later so many people thanked me!
God is gracious
God will provide
I am nothing without Him


I am a wordsmith - blessed am I

time - where did you go?

In the past several weeks I have composed many short blog posts in my head - just never took the time to sit down and commit them to keyboard.
The topics have covered family; phones; keys; frustrations; and family again.
The thoughts have been philosophical; maudlin; excited; joyous and ever so slightly ditsy...
and the ideas have flowed quite freely!

in quick order: 
family: a family gathering where all my closest relatives were there. My parents, my siblings, my nieces and nephews and my aunt & uncle - truly joyous time!
the loss of my phone. Irksome; frustating and then slightly appalled by how badly I missed it
the forgetting of keys: frustrating (because if I hadn't lost the phone the arrangements would have been SO much simpler!)
the sluggishness of returning to work
the productiveness of my garden
the fun of conducting a summer wedding
and another family gathering - this time with my beloved's family

what a summer it has been!

now school is back

meetings pick up

routine is re-established

and life goes on

How blessed we are!