God Among Us #adventbookclub – Day 3

•December 3, 2013 • 2 Comments

Luke 1:1-7 (CEV)

1 Many people have tried to tell the story of what God has done among us. 2 They wrote what we had been told by the ones who were there in the beginning and saw what happened. 3 So I made a careful study of everything and then decided to write and tell you exactly what took place. Honorable Theophilus, 4 I have done this to let you know the truth about what you have heard.

An Angel Tells about the Birth of John

Distant Shores Media/Sweet Publishing [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons

5 When Herod was king of Judea, there was a priest by the name of Zechariah from the priestly group of Abijah. His wife Elizabeth was from the family of Aaron. 6 Both of them were good people and pleased the Lord God by obeying all that he had commanded. 7 But they did not have children. Elizabeth could not have any, and both Zechariah and Elizabeth were already old.

The story of what God has done among us.  That is what the bible is trying to tell us.  That is what Luke wants to continue to tell us.

Luke wants us to know why he is writing.  He’s telling us about real life characters.  People we can identify with.  Maggi points out that Luke

wants to tell us in a way that demands personal engagement with Jesus (p22)

Luke is telling us a story, a true account, not so that we can be interested or entertained, but so that we can engage with Jesus, God Among Us, and do something about it.  This is not a story to be heard dispassionately, but entered in to and responded to.

Advent is our opportunity to meet God anew.  To remember his place here among us.  And to do something about it.  To let him change our lives by his presence.  To hear the Good News, to realise it is for us and to let it come in our lives.

God among us,
God in our midst,
God in our world,
God in my life,
Thank you that you are here,
that your life is real,
human,
God among us.

May we respond,
as we encounter you
in and through this Advent journey

The King Among Us

This year, several of us are reading Beginnings and Endings by Maggi Dawn and joining together to comment on it.  Do join us at the Adventbookclub Facebook page, follow #adventbookclub on Twitter or comment below.  If you are also reading and blogging on this book, let me know and I will link to your blog.

 

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Shedding Light #adventbookclub – Day 2

•December 2, 2013 • 2 Comments

Genesis 1:1-5 (CEV)

The Story of Creation

1 In the beginning God
created the heavens
    and the earth.
2 The earth was barren,
    with no form of life;
it was under a roaring ocean
    covered with darkness.
But the Spirit of God
    was moving over the water.

The First Day

3 God said, “I command light to shine!” And light started shining. 4 God looked at the light and saw that it was good. He separated light from darkness 5 and named the light “Day” and the darkness “Night.” Evening came and then morning—that was the first day.

Earth Lights

John 1:1-5 (CEV)

The Word of Life

1 In the beginning was the one
    who is called the Word.
The Word was with God
    and was truly God.
2 From the very beginning
    the Word was with God.

3 And with this Word,
    God created all things.
Nothing was made
    without the Word.
Everything that was created
4     received its life from him,
and his life gave light
    to everyone.
5 The light keeps shining
    in the dark,
and darkness has never
    put it out.

The street light opposite our house has not been working for quite a while.  It was only when it was mended that we realised how much light it shone out, how much brighter it makes our part of the street, and our bedroom, when it is on.

A light shining in the dark.

2013-11-22 18.19.19

Illuming, guiding the way, showing what is there.

Maggie takes us to the words of Maria in The Sound of Music,

Let’s start at the very beginning, A very good place to start

There are many beginnings in life.  New starts, new possibilities, new paths.  All of them weave together as part of the whole.

These two passages show God was there in The Beginning.  The start of everything.  The start of us, before us – and has been there all along.  His light shining.  Nothing is going to put the light out.  God was and is.  Bringing light, illuming our way, shedding his light.

Thank you Lord,
that you are a light in my darkness,
showing the way.

Thank you
that you were here long before me
and will be here well after me,
that you are the eternal theme
woven through history,
thread through my story.

Light of the World

This year, several of us are reading Beginnings and Endings by Maggi Dawn and joining together to comment on it.  Do join us at the Adventbookclub Facebook page, follow #adventbookclub on Twitter or comment below.  If you are also reading and blogging on this book, let me know and I will link to your blog.

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Right Time? #Adventbookclub – Day 1

•December 1, 2013 • 9 Comments

Psalm 27 (CEV)

(By David.)

A Prayer of Praise

27 You, Lord, are the light
    that keeps me safe.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

I am not afraid of anyone.
    You protect me,
    and I have no fears.
2 Brutal people may attack
and try to kill me,
    but they will stumble.
Fierce enemies may attack,
    but they will fall.
3 Armies may surround me,
    but I won’t be afraid;
    war may break out,
    but I will trust you.

4 I ask only one thing, Lord:
Let me live in your house
    every day of my life
    to see how wonderful you are
    and to pray in your temple.

5 In times of trouble,
    you will protect me.
You will hide me in your tent
    and keep me safe
    on top of a mighty rock.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
6 You will let me defeat
    all of my enemies.
Then I will celebrate,
    as I enter your tent
    with animal sacrifices
    and songs of praise.

7 Please listen when I pray!
    Have pity. Answer my prayer.
8 My heart tells me to pray.
I am eager to see your face,
9     so don’t hide from me.
I am your servant,
and you have helped me.
    Don’t turn from me in anger.
You alone keep me safe.
    Don’t reject or desert me.
10 Even if my father and mother
should desert me,
    you will take care of me.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

11 Teach me to follow, Lord,
and lead me on the right path
    because of my enemies.
12 Don’t let them do to me
    what they want.
People tell lies about me
    and make terrible threats,
13     but I know I will live
    to see how kind you are.

14 Trust the Lord!
Be brave and strong
    and trust the Lord.

Advent – a light, a path, a waiting…

Maggi speaks of Christmas and Easter not necessarily chiming with our mood.  That is something I can identify with.  The world seems to want to party, for so many that is painful, there is little to party about.  People are missing, people are there that we don’t want to be, there is not enough to go round, someone is not well enough, things have not turned out as we hoped…

There is so much expectation piled onto Christmas Day, for some, all we want to do is mourn.  And yet, it is the celebration of the birth of our Saviour.  And  there are lovely parts too.  A very mixed day.  So in some ways it is difficult to look forward in anticipation, to a day you really aren’t looking forward to at all.

Maggi reminds me,

God’s gifts do not always come according to our timetable or at the moment we think we need them.  Advent and Christmas promise us God’s presence, and yet it seems that sometimes God hides his face and is nowhere to be found (p14)

And perhaps that is the point.  God is there whether I realise it or not.  Whether he’s where I’m looking or not.  He just is there.  Whatever my emotions, my pains, my fears – God is there.  (And I love Auntie Margaret!)

And to the one who’s time is always right

Thank you Lord,
that your timings are not mine
you are not tied by our customs,
but you are with us
when the time is right
and when it isn’t,
when I think you’re hiding
and when I don’t,
when I want to party
and when I want to cry

Thank you
that you remain
the light,
the path,
the thing I am waiting for

This year, several of us are reading Beginnings and Endings by Maggi Dawn and joining together to comment on it.  Do join us at the Adventbookclub Facebook page, follow #adventbookclub on Twitter or comment below.  If you are also reading and blogging on this book, let me know and I will link to your blog.

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