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Primitive religion is not believed, it is danced!

Arthur Darby Nock

Earth's crammed with heaven,
And every common bush afire with God;
And only he who sees takes off his shoes;
The rest sit round it and pluck blackberries.

Elizabeth Browning



Saturday, December 15, 2018

The Hope of God-With-Us


The Hope of God-With-Us does not come as guaranteed outcome,
or predetermined plan, or promise of a happy ending.
Hope cannot be imposed from on high.
Hope cannot be commanded.
The Hope of God-With-Us is courageous, risky, unfolding, indeterminate.
The Hope of God-With-Us is collective, liberating us from deadly complacency.
Hope is gestating in darkness; it comes unexpectedly.
Hope invites our expectation, and demands our participation.
Prepare the way, for hope with courage.
May Hope be birthed among, within, and through us, this Advent.
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel…
Rev. Anna Blaedel
_______________________________________

Advent
The Season of difficult Hope

For even though one has proclaimed the way
Even though one has shown the way

We are confused
And stumble in the dark

We are told God is with us
We are told to fear not
To have hope

We are told that God will make a road through the wilderness
But we cannot even find a pathway

Our lives are full of the indeterminate and the unexpected
It never seems to stop
Never

We are assailed from every side
Cancer
Another large expense
Words of hate
Harbingers of fear.
Greed, abuse, lies

To have hope seems illogical
Risky
Foolish

Perhaps it is better to say it is courageous
Faithful
Trusting

And hope is not received
It is lived

It is does not come down from on high, with angel wings
But emerges from the depths of our bowels
From the dirt and grime, the sweat and tears

It is lived out
Not only in the words we say,
“Prepare the Way of the Lord” (Luke et. al)
But in the lives we live,
“Let us abound in love” (I Thessalonians)

It is birthed each time we become aware
Of the advent of love in our lives
Of the Mystery that lurks in our souls

Of the love that in power incarnates
And ultimately determines who we are
In the face of it all



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