November 28, 2024
November 28, 2024
November 28, 2024
Dear Friends in Christ,
Perhaps it was my perspective, but within a few days of the election’s conclusion, Christmas-themed advertisements began to appear. Of course, we have all grown accustomed to Christmas decorations popping up in some retail stores as early as July or August, but this seemed different, felt different. Setting the outcome aside this political cycle weighed heavily on everyone. Closing that door meant opening another one. Even though retailers are eager to solicit our spending this time, at least for me, the reception was welcoming. The idea of Christmas coming ahead of Advent, whether cultural or religious, brought peace, calm, and nostalgia. It was the perfect balm following a beleaguered summer and fall of uncertainty.
I relish following a liturgical calendar that marks our days and seasons. It helps keep me rooted in the theologically essential parts of life and, therefore, lifts me beyond the everyday routine. The week between Christ the King (the last Sunday of Pentecost, May 19th) and Advent I (December 1st) is a bridge week with a near mid-way pause for Thanksgiving.
Today, we pause to recall the blessings of this year and give thanks. Exhale and inhale. Rest. Slowly breathe in and out. Free your mind and spirit, and be thankful.
“Summing it all up my friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious – the best, not the worst; the beautiful not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.” Philippians 4:8 The Message Bible
The photos below were taken in June of this year in North Macedonia. One is from inside the Church of St. John at Kaneo. It sits on a hill overlooking Lake Ohrid. Lake Ohrid is thought by some to be the oldest lake in Europe, dating back at least 4 million years. At some point in the 14th century, a church was built. The other photo is outside the edifice. Inside, there is a dimness. Through the door there is daylight. God is always calling us beyond our interior life, where prayers germinate to integrate into the light. The beauty of nature reminds us that we are children of God. God has created that which we cannot. And there lies the hope of Advent. We dare prepare to receive again the seemingly impossible – Emmanuel God with us.
Have a blessed Thanksgiving.
Keeping in the Spirit,
Angela+
