Categories: uncategorized
Date: 05 December 2004 10:16:38
This morning, having arisen early like Ian, I listened to the birds, felt the cool morning breeze before the heat of the day settled in, watched the gum trees reach way up high into the bright blue sky, said good morning to the kookaburra and enquired after her babies I sat down to contemplate just what I would do today. Would I having so enjoyed God's beautiful creation then go and sit in a cold, dark, windowless hall to have someone talk at me about God, devoid of all ceremony, participation or ritual?
Instead I went had lunch with a friend, and bought my advent candles. I have only just discovered advent candles. My aunty lit them at Christmas last year, but couldn't explain to me their meaning. "You just do" is not a very satisfying answer to me, which is a bit unfortunate, because it would make my life easier to not have to investigate everything for myself.
I had big plans for my advent display this morning, but alas my vision was not to be. I had envisaged a circle of gum leaves with a gold thread running throughout, and gum nuts and banksia pods, all of it symbolic of God's love and eternity and presence through history, and plans laid from the begining to rescue people from darkness, and the child growing within, and the scent and incense at Jesus birth and death, and maybe something about the knarled wood of the banksia pods representing pain or the cross or something. It's all there, it just doesn't look as exciting as I thought it was going to. I still haven't worked out why the candles are purple and pink. I had big plans of writing little meditations for each day in new-age spiritual-ese.
Instead, at six o' clock I found an internet site or three with daily advent worship and pieced it together from those into something like this:
Lighting the first candle.
Tonight we light the first candle, a candle of hope. It stands in the circle of green that represents the continuing love of God that never dies. In a world of darkness, God brings light and hope of new and better things to come, of the coming of Jesus.
Before Jesus was born, Isaiah foretold his coming. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. On those who live in the land of the deep shadow, a light has been shown. (Isaiah 9:2)
God, Give us hope as we wait for the coming of Jesus, and may the bright light of God in us bring hope to people living in darkness.
Come Lord Jesus