A thank you and then a start on Advent II
First of all, a big thank you to all of you who told me that you are reading the blog. When I didn’t see a lot of comments, I assumed no one was reading it! So feel free to read away. I do enjoy comments. Let me know if you need technical help making comments. Even putting a comment like “interesting” is helpful because it tells me I’m on the right track. A comment, like “boring” would be helpful as well!
If you heard Advent I, I have now made the UTO box the centerpiece on my table for Advent. It is amazing how this little blue box has become a reminder of my attempts at a serious spiritual practice of thanksgiving. I have a lot to be thankful for! I really appreciated all the work that got done at St. Peter’s last week. There was a steady stream of men and women cleaning out files, landscaping, fixing things, doing bulletin boards, and of course the new power point presentation we have up before the service. Get to church a few minutes early and meditate on the latest Advent poem.
OK, here goes for Advent II. More on preparing the way of the Lord. Here are the readings: Malachi 3:1-4, Philippians 1:3-11, and Luke 3:1-6.
Here is the Luke reading:
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, 2during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, 4as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. 5Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth; 6and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’”
So how are you preparing for the Lord?
posted by Rev. Julie Cicora @ 10:50 AM
2 comments
2 Comments:
I find this time of year very difficult. It is hard for me to even think about religion or spirituality unless I'm in church and even then I'm distracted. I have so much to do to get ready and then it is all over in a few hours. Help!
I know what you mean. Of course, I would like to do some problem solving here and talk about how to cut down or delegate some of your activities. But I have found that when we are distracted it is usually because we may be avoiding something in our spiritual lives. Some of what we consider the greatest Saints have talked about being distracted. St. Teresa of Avila would go into the chapel to pray and start thinking about what she was going to have for dinner, when she was taking her next trip and so on. The trick is always bringing ourselves back to God and to let the distraction go. The image people use is like watching a stick float by on a river.
I'm thinking about reconciliation as preparation. This is often times how we make our paths straight.
Post a Comment
<< Home