Keeping it Simple-Friday Five

Sally asks us to list five things you won't be doing to prepare for Christmas.

We won't be doing outdoor decorations, except for a wreath on the front door.
We won't be having any out-of-town family with us for Christmas this year.
We won't be having an open house for the congregation because we did so in November.
We won't be sending as many Christmas cards this year.
We won't be making those little quick breads for last-minute gifts.

Oooh....we sound like Grinches. I hope we're going to be asked what we will be doing....

Another perspective

I live right down the road from an order of the Congregation of St. Joseph. They are persitent advocates for peace and justice and have a ministry of the arts that is inspiring. This comes from their most recent newsletter:

The mention of Advent always stirs thoughts of waiting. . .
waiting for Christmas.
We Theologians always speak of reflecting on the three ways of Christ's coming: in history in Bethlehem,
in the daily events of our lives, and the second coming in the future.

I've been thinking that we've got it all wrong. We need not wait for God. God is always present, always with us. That's what the name Emmanuel means: God-with-us. And, that's the primary truth we hear in the Scriptures. God created us, and calls us into relationship. God is indeed present with us, and especially in the person of Jesus the Christ.

No, this Advent, I've come to see that it's GOD who waits for US. . .

. . .waits for us to notice that we are indeed created by God.
We are born with unique gifts and qualities
as well as deficiencies and lack of qualities.
God only sees our goodness, and waits for us to notice too.

. . .waits for us to notice the myriad ways
in which God is with us, always.
We know the Creator in the beauty and amazing capacities of creation, both earth and human. We know the Creator when we experience love. We know the Creator when we can not explain or understand mystery.

. . .waits for us to notice when we observe people acting in the image of God: in covenant with one another, both those known and unknown, both those alike and those very different.

. . .waits for us to notice the emptiness in our hearts
that can only be filled by God's own Self.

. . .in the season of Advent, as Christmas approaches, God waits for us to notice the wonder and innocence of little children. How God must long for us grownups to be more like them, without guile.

It is true that in Advent we wait; but really, it is God who waits for us.
May we savor and revel in that reality.

Sallie Latkovich, CSJ

Anybody home?

FBC got home last night. She brought two darling friends and the laughter and easy fun began immediately.

SBC is one busy athlete, doing impressive things as a second year wrestler. I'm not crazy about watching wrestling, but it does provide some great knitting time when I can't bear to watch.

DH seems to have recovered from a bout with a flu of undisclosed variety.

Blogging seems to have taken a way back seat to work, Thanksgiving planning, tweeting and more. I'm working on a little thing for National Novel Writing Month, and am trying to exercise more. So many practices, so little time...

Happy Thanksgiving to you. I'm grateful for my blogging friends, even though I'm consistently inconsistent in my practice.

Noro Silk Garden and Worship Alive

I've found wonderful yarn to make a scarf to give as a gift this winter. It's a treat to work with and is creating a lovely stripe that's very pleasing.

I'm grateful to have this project to work on as I sit indoors on this blissfully beautiful fall afternoon. Our congregation co-sponsors a series of workshops on fostering creativity in worship. This afternoon, Mark Miller from Drew Theological School in New Jersey is our guest.


Should be a nice, productive afternoon.

Weary

SBC was part of a benefit concert last night for this group. It was a great evening of music for a great cause. I was so proud of his poise and commitment and my mama's heart was delighted to hear him sing and play songs I'd never heard him perform before.

Unfortunately, I feel too weary to blog.

I am so tired of energy-sapping stuff at work, in the world, in life.

I'm way out of kilter. As wonderful as last night's event was, it's not enough of an offset for all of the yuckiness and the pervasive feeling in my gut that keeps me stuck in sadness. Breaks from sadness are nice, but it's so hard to keep returning to a place that is furnished with loneliness and joylessness.

Time for something different, but I don't know what that might be.

Traveling Mercies

It's been a full, busy week here. The congregation I serve has a new partnership with a sister congregation in Cuba and their pastor is here visiting for a week. She is a delight--a second career pastor who had previously been a veterinarian (waving at Purple!)and is doing a great job of working on her English while she's here. She is warm and animated and we've had a wonderful time getting to know her. We've had a steady stream of meetings and visits and it's been a truly fun week and has prompted us to think in new ways about our parntership and how wonderful it would be to send another group to Cuba before too long. We had a pair of people visit a year ago..She'll be preaching on Sunday while my gang heads to Ohio for Family Weekend. She leaves on Monday for Atlanta and Miami before returning to Cuba.

I am particularly excited about this weekend because my in-laws will be joining us for the fun. DH's parents are the best--we used to live just blocks from them for 7 1/2 years (what a gift of time that was!) and my mother-in-law became one of my best friends. We haven't seen them since Christmas for more than a day, so this will be a nice treat. I know that FBC is looking forward to showing off her dry-witted grandfather and sprite of a grandma to her pals.

I have books to read in the car and a strong desire to visit here and here and here while we're there. Additionally, we'll be attending this and this and this.

Can't wait!

Blog Action Day

The Climate Project offers presenters for groups and great ideas for sharing the urgent message that our planet is in peril.

The Regeneration Project is a great resource for green products for faith communities and their members.
The resources page contains particularly useful materials for faith leaders.