The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
As it is written in the prophet Isaiah, "See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you who will prepare your way; the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight," John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel's hair, with a feather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, "The one who is more powerful than 1 is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." Mark 1:1-8. NRSV
The church calendar is cyclical, just like our lives. Each year as we move toward Christmas we enter a time of Advent...a time of waiting.
Those of us living in this day and age have a unique perspective. We can look backwards many years not only to the birth of Jesus, but to his life, death, and resurrection and recognize who he was. So our waiting time takes on special meaning. It is not only a time of waiting, but a time of preparation. It is a time to reflect upon our lives this year, and to be especially intentional about spending time with God. It is a time to make ourselves vulnerable to God, a time to invite God to grow our spiritual lives so that we might live more fully as the body of Christ.
A year or so ago, I met a woman who touches many lives with her work. She also suffers from a debilitating long-term illness.
"How do you do it?" I asked her.
"I pace myself," she said, "I rest when my body tells me to rest, and every morning I spend some time just sitting in God's lap.”
How long has it been since you just sat in God's lap? In the midst of this busy season it is easy to become caught up in a sea of distractions and lose our focus on God. But to spend time each morning sitting in God's lap... now there is a place free from distractions, free from everything but God's love and shalom (peace and wholeness) which bountifully overflows to wrap itself warmly about us.
For many of us it is very difficult to be still long enough to enjoy sitting in God's lap. Our minds race...filled with so many things. But life can have a different perspective from the safety of our Creator's lap, especially if we practice quieting our minds and listening to God.
Being quietly present with God is difficult at first for most people. Many have found that if they practice intentionally letting go of whatever thoughts pop into their minds and just sit with God, over time just being with God becomes easier. You might think of it as hanging out with the Lord.
Just in case you expect immediate results, I have to warn you that this prayer practice is something that deepens your spiritual life over time.
And then one day, often when you least expect it, you will find that it is spilling over into other parts of your day, reminding you of Whose you are. Those reminders cause us to become more aware of our actions and whether who we are being in each moment reflects the inner beauty of the people God created us to be.
It is one way of waiting with hope, peace, joy, and love and preparing our hearts for the coming of the Christ Child.
Christmas Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love
Donna
As it is written in the prophet Isaiah, "See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you who will prepare your way; the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight," John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel's hair, with a feather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, "The one who is more powerful than 1 is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." Mark 1:1-8. NRSV
The church calendar is cyclical, just like our lives. Each year as we move toward Christmas we enter a time of Advent...a time of waiting.
Those of us living in this day and age have a unique perspective. We can look backwards many years not only to the birth of Jesus, but to his life, death, and resurrection and recognize who he was. So our waiting time takes on special meaning. It is not only a time of waiting, but a time of preparation. It is a time to reflect upon our lives this year, and to be especially intentional about spending time with God. It is a time to make ourselves vulnerable to God, a time to invite God to grow our spiritual lives so that we might live more fully as the body of Christ.
A year or so ago, I met a woman who touches many lives with her work. She also suffers from a debilitating long-term illness.
"How do you do it?" I asked her.
"I pace myself," she said, "I rest when my body tells me to rest, and every morning I spend some time just sitting in God's lap.”
How long has it been since you just sat in God's lap? In the midst of this busy season it is easy to become caught up in a sea of distractions and lose our focus on God. But to spend time each morning sitting in God's lap... now there is a place free from distractions, free from everything but God's love and shalom (peace and wholeness) which bountifully overflows to wrap itself warmly about us.
For many of us it is very difficult to be still long enough to enjoy sitting in God's lap. Our minds race...filled with so many things. But life can have a different perspective from the safety of our Creator's lap, especially if we practice quieting our minds and listening to God.
Being quietly present with God is difficult at first for most people. Many have found that if they practice intentionally letting go of whatever thoughts pop into their minds and just sit with God, over time just being with God becomes easier. You might think of it as hanging out with the Lord.
Just in case you expect immediate results, I have to warn you that this prayer practice is something that deepens your spiritual life over time.
And then one day, often when you least expect it, you will find that it is spilling over into other parts of your day, reminding you of Whose you are. Those reminders cause us to become more aware of our actions and whether who we are being in each moment reflects the inner beauty of the people God created us to be.
It is one way of waiting with hope, peace, joy, and love and preparing our hearts for the coming of the Christ Child.
Christmas Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love
Donna
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