Categories: uncategorized
Date: 17 November 2011 15:41:05
In recent years I have moved up the candle very slightly from v. non-conformist Free Church to slightly non-conformist Free Church. An interesting part of the move for me is coming to appreciate the changing church calendar.
Now don't get me wrong all the churches I have ever been in have acknowledged Advent; a candle at the beginning of each service but I am getting into the idea of the church calendar and am excited at discovering some resources which I hope will help me deepen my faith and connect more deeply with the spirituality of mid-winter including the birth of Jesus.
Occupy Advent I now understand is not a radical Christian attempt to tie up Jesus' coming and the wider aims of the Occupy movement. Rather this site looks like an interesting attempt to get people out of the shops and into a rhythm of Advent.
The Advent Conspiracy stuff on You Tube reiterates this point and is a really useful resource to start with.
Take a Minute is an Advent resource which has been produced by Darlington Methodist District.
EA and Biblefresh are going with Running the Race
For me...informally at least Advent is starting tonight. Tonight is the opening of Lumiere a festival of light in Durham. It's a festival which takes the city secular and spiritual and alters its appearance for a period of four nights.
Other things I want to incorporate into my exploration of Advent this year include World Aids Day - in many ways this is a remembrance of vulnerability - something crucial to Advent.
As I say I am beginning today with Lumiere, although I won't get to see that much of it as I have MAZE - which is officially one year old tonight - and am off to MK straight from work tomoz...hope I'll get back in time on Sunday to see some more.
Bringing it all together here is an offering of sorts:
Strange shapes and metal towers
Mixed with covers of polythene sheeting
Cover the city today...
Something is happening
We are watching and waiting
Waiting and watching
With eyes and with ears
For the light to emerge
And the celebration to start.
The light is expected
We have had it described to us
Yet we stand ready
Ready to be amazed by it
Have our breath taken away
As it consumes the darkness
With it's quirky appearance.
The light takes many shapes
Altered according to the location
Suited to the context
Ready to enhance and simultaneously subvert
Made relevant for the audience
Whilst challenging their assumptions
About what, why and how.
The light come into the city
Is but the beginning though.
It is a short event
Whose significance to those who witness it
May be the beginning of a lifetime journey
Into exploring the light and those art forms associated with it
Or they might see the event and shrug
Thinking of this as a transient act of beauty.
Others still will view this beautiful light as something to be resented
As roads are closed and normal routines interrupted
Most though will celebrate and enjoy
If only for the day or two.
As for me
Tonight I will be distracted
Busy with the everyday
Then off on a journey
I will miss the coming of the light.
However, as I re-enter the city on Sunday
I hope to be struck by the first glimpse of the light
From the train window; looking out at the light below.
I who will have seen a glimpse of the light
Will then want to be able to see more
And appreciate the unwrapping of the beauty
As I wander the city searching for that light which is hidden.