Advent 4 2020

I made it!  Here is the 4th and final Advent 2020 post.  These may or may not have been helpful to you, but for me it has been good to put all of the Advent reflections together.  I have done these Advent photo-a-day posts for several years, going back to the days when #alivenow posted the challenges.  Then when they no longer posted them (or I couldn't find them), I began to post them.  It has been a way for me to offer a spiritual practice to those who might enjoy the reflection.  Also, it is a way for me to engage in a spiritual practice that gives me life.

Here are the words for Advent 4: love, holy, mystery, anticipation, renew, birth

December 20. Today's word is love. On this 4th Sunday of Advent we light the candle of love. As you reflect on today's word, what comes to mind? Where do you experience love? How have you seen love lived out this Advent season? Our new "campaign" at St. Elmo is #livinglovehere. As you reflect on today's word, may the love of the Creator be evident to you and may it fill you. You are invited to share your thoughts and reflections on today's word, as well as any photos or drawings you may have. #love #adventphoto #saintelmoumc 

Today's word is love. This is the love mug in my Advent wreath set. There is much about love that comes to mind. God [G-d]/Creator/Great Spirit/YWH is love (1 John 4:8,16). What difference does that make in my life? As someone who seeks to follow the ways of love, it means everything. Loving God and others as I love myself is a life-long transformation of growth and learning. There is grace along the way. In reading Nan Merrill's Psalms for Praying, the word love is found in many of the Psalms. For example, Psalm 46:10--"Be still and know that I am Love." Ah. That opens a space of grace. It was written already in 1John, yet seeing it in unexpected places is a cause for a pause. The truth remains. The love exists. Yet, there is an ongoing opportunity to learn, to grow, and to apply these things. Reflecting on love today, I am grateful for love lived out, modeled well, and shown by many. #loveandacceptancepracticedhere #loveyourneighbor #love #adventphoto #saintelmoumc

December 21. Today's word is holy. Have you experienced holy this Advent season? How so? As you reflect on this word, what comes to mind? How do you express today's word in a photo or drawing? #holy #adventphoto #saintelmoumc 

Today's word is holy. This book came timely today in the day of a winter Solstice and services of Blue Christmas and Longest Night. This is always a holy time for me, to offer space for those who need it, including myself. The Advent season can be busy. We all need time for reflection. A quote from this book‐ what it's about: "honoring our weary hearts in a weary season in a weary world and traveling the road of Advent together as honestly as we can on a quest for encouragement, hope, and strength in the places we are currently living--emotionally, spiritually, and physically." (2) That is holy stuff for me. And lights. Lights somehow draw me into a space of being, of reflection. It's a first for outside lights. If you notice the tree is lacking ornaments, it has been busy for me getting services ready. Ornaments will be on the tree for the Christmas season. For me today, the sacred, the holy, has been this longest day. #holy #adventphoto #saintelmoumc

December 22. Today's word is mystery. How have you experienced mystery this Advent season? What does mystery mean to you? What comes to mind as you reflect on today's word? How do you share these reflections in word and through a photo or drawing? #mystery #adventphoto #saintelmoumc 

Today's word is mystery. Grace is difficult to explain. It is a mystery. The gift of Jesus, the Christ child, is surrounded with mystery. To live into mystery, to not require answers for all things, opens us up to freedom. As we allow ourselves to receive the love given and gifted to us in Jesus, we experience grace. As I reflected on today's word, these are my thoughts. #mystery #adventphoto #saintelmoumc

December 23. Today's word is anticipation. As the end of Advent draws nearer and the celebration of the birth child is upon us, what do you anticipate most? As you reflect on today's word, what comes to mind? How do you share that in a photo or a drawing? #anticipation #adventphoto #saintelmoumc 

Today's word is anticipation. I typically think of ketchup when I reflect on this word and the commercial from back in the day. As I look toward the coming of the Christ child and the celebration, what fills me most is the anticipation of whole lives and whole communities. There is anticipation of the coming of the Christ child and what that means-- for me, for community, for the world. Is it going to be the same ole, same ole or will something change? Can we break through to healthier patterns and truly love one another? As I look into an empty sanctuary week after week in a frustratingly high red zone, my thoughts go to my anticipation of regathering with the flock. May we be changed because of this time apart physically. May we be ready to intentionally be and do that which we are called to be and do. I anticipate awakenings, healings, and sharing life with one another. I still hear Carly Simon singing. #anticipation #adventphoto #saintelmoumc

December 24. Today's word is renew. Have you been able to renew this Advent season? Renew yourself? Renew your spirit? Maybe there has been some renewal, yet there could be more. What area of your life still needs renewal? As you reflect on today's word, what comes to mind? You are invited to share your reflections in a photo or a drawing. #renew #adventphoto #saintelmoumc 

Today's word is renew. Though the past two weeks have been busier than normal, the past several days have begun to fill and renew me. Getting to see the smiles on faces as I delivered stockings, and those online, baking, decorating the tree, seeing snow, and getting some Christmas Eve Cliff time. These are a few of the things that renew me currently. Rest will renew me too. #renew #adventphoto #saintelmoumc

December 25. Today is the end of the Advent season and the beginning of the 12 days of Christmas. Today's word is birth. We have gone through 4 weeks of anticipation, waiting, and reflection for this day. What does the birth of the Christ child mean to/for you? Has anything new been birthed in your life this Advent season? What comes to mind as you reflect on today's word? Share your thoughts and any photo or drawing to accompany them. #birth #adventphoto #saintelmoumc 

Today's word is birth. Birth isn't the beginning, but rather the next step in the journey. There has already been much going on prior to the moment of birth. Each of these nativity scenes remind me of the holiness, awe, and miracle of birth. Whether it is an idea, a project, or a person that is birthed, there is much along the journey that surprises us, that causes us to grow. Bamboo Encounter was an idea that birthed for me. The photo of the little child-- that's Charlie. He has taught me much and brought me joy. The nativity scenes with the Christ child- that child, Jesus, has taught me much too-- how to live and love. I'm still learning. As I celebrate anew this birth, it is my desire for hope, peace, love, and joy to grow deeper. #birth #adventphoto #saintelmoumc

Peace on your journey, 

Rev. Deb

Live Love-- sermon from 9-6-20

On September 6th, we hit the road for NYC to take Charlie to his second year of college.  We watched and participated in Sunday School on the road.  I watched some of the service online, but because I was driving, I forgot to upload the weekly video greeting.  That's okay.  Life happens.  

Below you will find the full service (complete with Holy Communion) from YouTube, the transcript, the SoundCloud audio.  

If time allows in the near future, I may post our whirlwind trip to NY and back too.

Peace, 

Rev. Deb

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Live Love” 

Romans 13:8-14 (CEB)

September 6, 2020 (13^th Sunday after Pentecost)

St. Elmo UMC (FB Live/Communion)

 

Romans 13:8-14 (CEB)

⁸ Don’t be in debt to anyone, except for the obligation to love each other. Whoever loves another person has fulfilled the Law. ⁹ The commandments, Don’t commit adultery, don’t murder, don’t steal, don’t desire what others have, and any other commandments, are all summed up in one word: You must love your neighbor as yourself. ¹⁰ Love doesn’t do anything wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is what fulfills the Law.¹¹ As you do all this, you know what time it is. The hour has already come for you to wake up from your sleep. Now our salvation is nearer than when we first had faith. ¹² The night is almost over, and the day is near. So let’s get rid of the actions that belong to the darkness and put on the weapons of light. ¹³ Let’s behave appropriately as people who live in the day, not in partying and getting drunk, not in sleeping around and obscene behavior, not in fighting and obsession. ¹⁴ Instead, dress yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ, and don’t plan to indulge your selfish desires.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

THIS IS THE WORD OF LIFE FOR GOD’S PEOPLE.

THANKS BE TO GOD.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Last week in Romans 12:9-21, one approach for all of those life instructions was to see them, to live them through the lens of love, from verse 9.  In today’s passage, we find the word “love” four (4) times and we challenge ourselves to “live love”.

The title comes from verse 9—“You must love your neighbor as yourself.”

Since we haven’t gathered in person in a while, you may not have seen the sign out front in a while.  Except for changing it for graduation, it has had this message for a while: “Love your neighbor.  No exceptions.”

It’s a reminder for us to love one another.

When you see a heart in nature, in a cloud, a leaf, a tree, a heart rock, etc., it’s a reminder that we are loved and we are to “live love”.  I’m grateful to Dee Miles for sharing her photography with us last week and this week, and likely in the weeks to come.  This week the hearts in nature spoke to me. May they remind us to love others and remind us that we are loved.

On our website and on our FB pages, we have the #livinglovehere.  It’s also on the sign out front.  We have talked about the new campaign  of living love and some people have already shared how they are seeing love lived out.  If you have stories to share, send them in.

Several weeks ago we started delivering signs from the church, to let people know that they are loved.  It’s a hug, of sorts.  It says this: “Sending love to you!” “You are the salt of the earth…” Matthew 5:13 and in the middle is a heart, our logo, and the name of the church.  If we have missed you for one reason or another or you are new to our faith community and want one, please reach out to us so that we can get you one.

One of the required readings for my spiritual direction program is a book on the psalms by Nan Merrill.  One of the first psalms I went to was Psalm 46 to look up one of my favorite verses Psalm 46:10—“Be still and know that I am God.”  What I found was this: “Be still and know that I am Love.”  Wow.  How beautiful.  How true.  God IS love!  I have shared the hourglass prayer before.  Starting with the first line, take away a little bit until you get to “be” and then pray it back to the beginning.  Breathing in and out with your breath allows it to be a breath prayer too:

Be still and know that I am Love.

Be still and know that I am.

Be still and know.

Be still.

Be.

Be.

Be still.

Be still and know.

Be still and know that I am.

Be still and know that I am Love.

A word from François Fénélon on how to live love: “When we love God, we do not ask what we shall say to Him.  We have no difficulty in conversing with a friend. Our hearts are ever open to Him.  We do not think what we shall say to Him, but we say it without reflection. We cannot be reserved.  Even when we have nothing to say to Him, we are satisfied with being with Him.  Oh, how much better are we sustained by love than by fear!  Fear enslaves, constrains, and troubles us; but love persuades, consoles, animates us; possesses our whole soul, and makes us desire goodness for its own sake.”  (from Selections from the Writings of  François Fénélon)

Did you catch that?  The difference that love makes?  Love persuades, consoles, animates us, possesses our whole soul, and makes us desire goodness for its own sake.  Wow!

I saw one of those “Love Thy Neighbor” t-shirts online this past week.  I’ve seen variations of it prior and seen yard signs too. It was posted on Contemplative Monk. In light of today’s message of “live love”, here is the message on the t-shirt I saw:

 

Love thy neighbor

Thy homeless neighbor

Thy Jewish neighbor

Thy black neighbor

Thy gay neighbor

Thy undocumented neighbor

Thy white neighbor

Thy transgender neighbor

Thy Christian neighbor

Thy HIV+ neighbor

Thy racist neighbor

Thy addicted neighbor

Thy atheist neighbor

Thy imprisoned neighbor

Thy disabled neighbor

Thy Muslim neighbor

Whew! That’s a lot on one shirt!  We could keep going though, couldn’t we?!?! What would you add?  Who else can we love? 

The bottom line in that we are to LIVE LOVE by loving all. Period. 

In order for us to live love well, it is important for us to remember that we are loved and beloved children of God.  As we remember that we are loved, as we love ourselves as we are created, then we are able to love God and others.  We are able to live love.

It isn’t easy.  We will all fail, fall, make mistakes.  We get up, We keep walking the path.  That’s what grace is all about.  Grace comes in when we mess up.  Not “if”.

The important thing is that we take action in the right direction to learn and to live love.  If you’d like a ready made action plan, then I encourage you to check out the 30 days of antiracism sponsored by the General Commission on Religion and Race or GCORR, if you’re familiar with their acronym.  They have a calendar for September with an activity for each day.  Today’s action step is to celebration national read a book day by purchasing an anti racism resource and reading it. https://www.gcorr.org/30-days-of-anti-racism/?fbclid=IwAR1hEg8RGVaxW2oQZYqeHAvD534yRKw4IzwzaHH-a2krcUdihwpxUOb_jzg

The calendar can be found on our FB page.  There are articles on their website about racism, overt and covert, as well as other information and resources.

This is just one way we can take action to live love.

As we receive holy communion today, may we remember how much we are loved and may that love that flows into us, flow freely to others as we live love in our families, our faith community, our workplaces, our communities, our friendships, etc. 

Amen.

------------------------------------------------------------

LINKS:

YouTube Service

Soundcloud Audio