Words 12.16

 Words Twice a Week        12.16

First, here’s a prayer for the solstice – unfortunately I don’t remember where it came from.

A Winter Solstice Blessing

May you find peace in the

promise of the solstice night,

That each day forward

is blessed with more light.

That the cycle of nature,

unbroken and true,

brings faith to your soul,

and well being to you.

Rejoice in the darkness,

in the silence find rest,

and may the days that follow

be abundantly blessed.

And then from last week, “ a collect about hanging onto joy in the midst of sorrows, fears, reality” -

Strong, gentle, dependable God,

in the sadness and struggle

of sickness, poverty, climate, cruelty, hunger, violence, even war,

Give us strength to hang onto your garment of grace and peace

and find the joy you bring.

Standing next to Jesus, we pray.

And before we completely leave John the Baptist behind – I really like the way he gets presented in The Cotton Patch Gospel (musical) – forget the axe laid to the root of the tree – Tom Key gets out an (imaginary) chainsaw!

Now finally some thoughts on some of the lessons for this week – Fourth of Advent.

Luke 1.46b-55  (The lectionary offers this for the psalm on this Sunday, and while it seems to me to make most sense to read it as part of the gospel lesson if we are reading that gospel, it would also be interesting to read it on it’s own, without the close association with the Mary/Elizabeth visitation story.  And if we are going to do that, maybe it makes sense to look at it on it’s own instead of as a response to the Old Testament lesson.)

+ Mary’s song – and once again, God “acts with” (I guess I really don’t like the “God uses” terminology.  I like to think of God “working with” instead.  But maybe that’s just today.  Might feel differently tomorrow)…..So once again God acts with the little and seemingly insignificant. Well, I feel little and insignificant sometimes.

+ God has brought down the powerful and proud.  Do we see that working today?  Who are the little ones you would like to see God raise up to a more important place.

+ filling the hungry and sending the rich away – how is that comforting?  Troubling?

Psalm 80.1-7

+ Stir up your might, let your face shine – that we may be saved.  What does “Let your face shine” mean?

+ “the bread of tears” – how does that work?

+ the scorn of our neighbors, our enemies laugh – could describe our political situation?  How does this resonate with the global political situation?  Who do we scorn?  Who do we laugh at?

Micah 5.2-5a

+ familiar and encouraging words for the littlest and the least, I guess.  Marquette is little among the cities of the nation (or world), but still things we do can have an effect?  Or, is it just Bethlehem?

+ “until the time when she who is in labor has brought forth” – what kind of time identification is that?  Is there a suggestion that any child born is a sign?  Or is it just a metaphor for all kinds of efforts that we might get started on?

+ “and they shall live secure” – well, that is certainly to be hoped for?

Luke 1.39-55

+ interesting meeting between the women – one too old and one too young – and their babies.  John points to Jesus – at least that’s how Elizabeth understands it.

So that’s what I got for now…..I haven’t really had (or taken!) time to read about these lessons.  Hopefully I will get to it before Sunday….

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