Mother Laura over at Revgals asks:
Can you believe that in two days we'll be halfway through Advent? Gaudete Sunday: pink candle on the advent wreath, rose vestments for those who have them, concerts and pageants in many congregations. Time to rejoice!
Rejoice in the nearness of Christ's coming, yes, but also in the many gifts of the pregnant waiting time when the world (in the northern hemisphere, at least) spins ever deeper into sweet, fertile darkness.
What makes you rejoice about:
1. Waiting?
The time anticipating and imagining and getting excited about the thing I am waiting for. Husband and I take a week at a relative's condo in Arizona every January. The anticipation is almost as good as the event. Even now I am imagining morning walks, fresh squeezed orange juice, and staying in the spacious home they so graciously offer us every year.
2. Darkness?
When it's dark, you can see the light better. At our advent service on Wednesday, we had two little girls dressed up as Lucia, wearing battery-operated crowns, and white robes with red sashes. We turned the lights low and their crowns looked so cool in the dark!
Also, I used to love going to the planetarium, where my white shirt would glow in the dark!
3. Winter?
Right now, not much! it's about one degree, with the windchill below zero, and Scout the wonder dog is not getting a very long walk. However, she loves to roll in the snow. I don't like to roll in the snow, nor am I big on snow angels any longer, but I still love to look at the snow, and to watch it coming down.
4. Advent?
Advent calendars and wreaths, and all of the traditions that help us wait with anticipation. One year I made a "Jesse tree" to use with the children during the children's message time, and put a decoration with a different ancestor of Jesus on it.
5. Jesus' coming?
God is with us -- in the cold and in the dark, in prison and to set us free. As Songbird put is so eloquently the other day, that God is pleased to dwell with us as Emmanuel is such an incredible statement
Rejoice, rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to you, O Israel.
Can you believe that in two days we'll be halfway through Advent? Gaudete Sunday: pink candle on the advent wreath, rose vestments for those who have them, concerts and pageants in many congregations. Time to rejoice!
Rejoice in the nearness of Christ's coming, yes, but also in the many gifts of the pregnant waiting time when the world (in the northern hemisphere, at least) spins ever deeper into sweet, fertile darkness.
What makes you rejoice about:
1. Waiting?
The time anticipating and imagining and getting excited about the thing I am waiting for. Husband and I take a week at a relative's condo in Arizona every January. The anticipation is almost as good as the event. Even now I am imagining morning walks, fresh squeezed orange juice, and staying in the spacious home they so graciously offer us every year.
2. Darkness?
When it's dark, you can see the light better. At our advent service on Wednesday, we had two little girls dressed up as Lucia, wearing battery-operated crowns, and white robes with red sashes. We turned the lights low and their crowns looked so cool in the dark!
Also, I used to love going to the planetarium, where my white shirt would glow in the dark!
3. Winter?
Right now, not much! it's about one degree, with the windchill below zero, and Scout the wonder dog is not getting a very long walk. However, she loves to roll in the snow. I don't like to roll in the snow, nor am I big on snow angels any longer, but I still love to look at the snow, and to watch it coming down.
4. Advent?
Advent calendars and wreaths, and all of the traditions that help us wait with anticipation. One year I made a "Jesse tree" to use with the children during the children's message time, and put a decoration with a different ancestor of Jesus on it.
5. Jesus' coming?
God is with us -- in the cold and in the dark, in prison and to set us free. As Songbird put is so eloquently the other day, that God is pleased to dwell with us as Emmanuel is such an incredible statement
Rejoice, rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to you, O Israel.
15 comments:
I get such a kick out of dogs who run, play, and roll in the snow. It seems like pure fun.
God is "pleased to dwell" as both you and Songbird have said so well.
Beautiful. Thank you.
Good play.
The "pleased to dwell" line had been powerful for me as well....thanks for refreshing it again. Good play
glowing in the dark--yes, and God's pleasure to dwell among us and journey alongside us. thanks!
Nice. I also like "anticipation almost as good as the event" ... so true.
Great play--and I love the Lucia crown pictures (never seen one in real life even though I have some Swedish ancestry).
Our snow is frozen and my poor dogs cannot walk on it. They barely straddle the icy layer, paws splayed, nails digging in, just to get out long enough to take care of business...sigh...
I do love a nice snow fall and fresh snow.
What, no real candles in their hair?!?
:-) It must have been lovely.
oh arizonia in january... i'm jealous! mocha java puppy also loves, and i mean loves to roll in the snow, run in the snow, bound over drifts, bury his head in the snow, and then shake snow all over us! HubHC has been great about bundling in ski gear and giving mochajava a walk every night! whew!
Arizona, at this time of the year, would definitely be something to look forward to!
I think Garrison Keillor has a running bit of dialog from Lake Woebegon about the Lutheran pastor making an annual trip to Florida in January...it will be well deserved after the extremely busy schedule you've had in November and December. Relax and enjoy.
Great picture for St Lucia! Arizona sounds delightful and deserved. I still like snow angels, but sadly we have not had enough to make them.
Oh! Arizona! I would love to be anticipating that!
The 'Jesse tree' sounds interesting!
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