Advent Week 1: Monday - "Grace to Cast Away The Works of Darkness"

This year I have a goal of daily blog entries during Advent. This came about as I was asked to participate in a Parish "Virtual Advent Calendar" at Saint George's Episcopal Church in Arlington VA. You can look for the "2020 Virtual Advent Calendar" link at St. George's Web Site.

I propose (to myself at least) to use the  weekly Advent Collect from The Episcopal Church Book of Common Prayer as inspiration and departure. You will find each weeks Collect posted in the Advent Collects page on my blog site. Remember, I did say inspiration and departure, don't be surprised to find the occasional exception.

On to today's blog entry...

"Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness..." Ever since I can remember I have loved the imagery of casting darkness away when we read this collect at our family dinner table. The physical act of striking a match to create light, lighting the first Advent candle, followed by reading the collect as part of family grace at supper brings back fond memories. I remember when Mother or Daddy struck the match, the light bursting forth and the acrid smell of the match wood burning as the candle was lit; then being old enough to have my hand held as I learned to strike the match and light the candle, and, finally, being able to strike the match and light the candle all by myself...

God can strike light in our life just like that match. And, if we allow, God kindles flames in our lives just as the match kindles the flame of the candle. Does this cast away the works of darkness? With prayer, and a lot of help from God, we are well on the way to casting the works of darkness away from our lives...

A Prayer: God, help me to remember the grace of your light in my life, that You will cast away all darkness in my life, if only I will let you. Amen.

Advent Week 1: Sunday - "Anticipation"

No, not the ketchup ad... but the first verse of the Carly Simon song "Anticipation" says it well:

• We can never know about the days to come
• But we think about them anyway
• And I wonder if I'm really with you now
• Or just chasin' after some finer day

Advent is our season of anticipation as we wait for God's arrival here on earth. We are not the first to wait in anticipation. We may sometimes wonder about our waiting, possibly even begin to lose heart. Think about Zechariah in Luke 1:7 "But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were getting on in years." Zechariah had been praying, it must be for years, but at that time if I were Zechariah I think I would have given up anticipating having a baby with my wife. God, however, had other plans. God sent an angel saying "Your prayer has been heard... Elizabeth will bear you a son and you will name him John..."

Just as Zechariah and Elizabeth's pregnancy is just the beginning, so this Sunday is just the beginning of our time of anticipation. We don't know if our lives will be upended like Zechariah's, Elizabeth's, Mary's, and Joseph's lives were upended. But this year our lives are upended. We didn't plan on our lives being upended any more than Zecharia expected to hear he was going to be a father, then get told that just because he didn't immediately believe this unbelievable news that he would be mute for the next nine months and eight days...

Let us not be "just chasin' after some finer day", let us spend time with our Lord as we prepare for His arrival on Christmas...

A Prayer: Lord thank you for today, and thank you for the year we have had since the start of last Advent. Help us to accept our lives as they are and give us courage to listen to You. Amen.

Knowing God - Today I Am Comfortable With, Well, "God"

 

Since my last blog entry ( I Know God, Do I Know Jesus? ) I have been thinking more about who I know: God, The Trinity, Our Lord, Jesus, the Holy Ghost, my Heavenly Father (Parent)... Thinking, walking, listening, and simply going on with my day to day life.

I am comfortable with how I call and interact with God. Or rather with You, God. I feel empathy during the Passion, it is like I am there with You. When out walking I have no problem talking with You, we have been talking for as long as I can remember. I cherish our conversations when I was young and knew you as "Fish", my friend and companion in exploring the world. I fall asleep with You now on many nights after quiet prayers, sometimes breathing in my call of "Father", "God", or "Jesus" exhaling "Thank You..." You hold me when I forget, or cry, or am tempted. I know You, I interact with You, I have given, and give, my life to You.

I think questions come from my fear that somehow I am still "doing it wrong", that I somehow fail you. Oh how human of me.

I do have a deep and personal relationship with You. I need not worry about the exact definition of "You." More importantly I need not compare it with labels nor worry what others say I "should" do or call You.

A Prayer:
Lord God, Thank You for being with me today, and all my life. Please help me to never stop asking questions about who You are and what we are together. Please help me to remember You always love me, regardless, of well, anything. And thank You for the faith I have, and help me never let go of that faith. Amen.