In the Bible, book of Luke, chapter 1, verses 26-38, the angel Gabriel comes to Mary to announce to her that she will conceive by the power of the Holy Spirit, and will bear a son.  The child will be holy – the Son of God.  Let’s explore what that scene might have looked like through various artists who through the ages have depicted that moment…

The angel came to a city called Nazareth to a Virgin named Mary betrothed to a carpenter named Joseph….just a simple normal everyday household.  They are occupied and not at all in tune with what is about to happen. How did the angel get in?   Boy, are they in for a surprise!!

( 15th century, Merode Altarpiece, Robert Campin, Flemish painter)

The Angel appears and says ,”Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!”  Mary realizes this is not normal talk and is greatly troubled…what’s up??

(“The Story of Christmas” by Felix Hoffmann)

Mary is now in total shock.  The angel says,” Don’t be afraid!  You will conceive and bear a son and call him Jesus”.  Mary is in a trance.  It is just more than she can handle!

Mary knows she is a virgin, so…”How can this be?”  The angel says, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you.  This child will be holy”.  The dove, symbol of the Holy Spirit,  is present above Mary in this painting.  Mary is holding her breasts as if she has an awareness something is happening to her body.  Is this the holy moment?

(“Annunciation” by Fra Angelico, 1430 )

The Gospel of Luke proclaims that nothing will be impossible with God. (Verse 37) It seems here that the angel and Mary have dramatically rehearsed their regal response. Notice their hands reaching out, almost touching.  I am reminded of Michaelangelo’s painting in the Sistene Chapel of the finger of God almost touching his creation of man.  Holy Moment!

Mary now says, “I am a servant of the Lord!  Let it be!!”  It’s almost like these two have now made a deal. There is this knowing look between them.  The angel is giving the sign of peace and Mary is giving the “high five”!

(Anonymous, Psalter, Venice, 1270-1280)

“Mary did you know that your Baby Boy has come to make you new? ?..This child that you delivered will soon deliver you?  Mary did you know that your Baby Boy has walked where angels trod?  Mary did you know that your Baby Boy is Lord of all creation? …Did you know the  sleeping child you’re holding is the Great, I Am.”  (lyrics by Mark Lowry)

Mary did you know?

nk

Pondering…

Which painting do you like?

Imagine how young Mary was, her fears, her faith.

( Photos I took in Yellowstone National Park.  Painting was hanging on the wall of a centuries-old church in Dubrovnik, Croatia, artist unknown )

nk

Pondering…

Read the poem again and let a word or phrase speak to you.  Sit with it a bit.  Write something about it as a prayer or reflection.

The Advent Journey is our time of moving toward experiencing once again the birth of Jesus Christ our Savior.  We anticipate, long for, expect, wait, and prepare for the coming of our Savior.  Someone said that the only sin for which we cannot be forgiven is the belief that we do not need a Savior.

 

I love this home in a small beautiful African village which proclaims over the doorpost that “Jesus is my Savior”.

One Christmas a few years ago my grandchildren were helping me arrange the nativity that is portrayed on my mantel every year during Advent.  The figures are special to me because my Aunt Dot made them.  And Baby Jesus is quite special because I found him in Italy.  The figure of Baby Jesus is fragile, so I had prepared the children to carry him gently.  “Don’t drop him!”  Callie, age 4, carefully picked up Baby Jesus, put on my reading glasses, and cradling him in her arms began to sing spontaneously.  I quickly grabbed my phone and captured the moment!

I will never forget how very precious was that moment!  (Click on the arrow to hear Callie sing).  Then, as she proceeded to place Baby Jesus back into the manger, he fell out of her arms onto the tile floor.  His head broke off at the neck!  I reacted quite passionately, of course!  Callie felt so bad.  Fighting back the tears, her little voice trembling, she said, “Grammy, can I go lay down on my bed?” Suddenly I realized…the entire essence of the Christ Child was before us.  He came to be our Savior….giving his life…broken so that we might be saved from our sin!  I felt a peace come over me which I needed and wanted to convey to my grandchildren.  THIS, perhaps, was the forever teaching moment.  I explained that Jesus came to be our Savior.  THIS baby is the Christ Child. He loves you! You are forgiven!

So now each year, I place the nativity on the altar…

And Baby Jesus has his head super glued back on.  Christ the Savior is born!

nk

Pondering…

Hold in your heart for a moment the Baby Jesus, Savior of the world. Feel his forgiveness.

“Good Evening!”…Wait, it’s morning at home and I haven’t slept a wink!  City of Zegreb…hummm…I need to learn to pronounce that correctly…

Six of us sat around a small rectangular table with a crisp white tablecloth set for dining in a lovely hotel.  We were strangers, soon to become friends.  On this night we began together our journey of Croatia.  We had all been traveling long distances, now dog tired.  Yet our droopy eyes were propped open wide with wonder at all the newness around us.  The anticipation of an unknown adventure welled up inside us as we tried to eat our meal.  The pastry chef suddenly stood next to me at the head of the table announcing her prestigious dessert.  She seemed all puffed up like the Pillsbury Dough Boy in her white flour baker’s outfit, hat included. Rightfully so!  The dessert was delicious!

The conversation meandered around until I found myself talking about a trip to Italy I had made with my sister.  “Our Aunt Dot was in the Red Cross during the war.  As a young woman, she was stationed in various towns in Italy.  After she died we found her small Red Cross lapel pin and a silver compact….you know, they used to keep face powder in those.  Engraved on the compact were the names of those towns in Italy.  We decided to travel “in the footsteps of Aunt Dot”.

John sat across from me that evening at the other end of the table.  He leaned in towards me and said, “I had an experience with the Red Cross!”….Oh?…”I was a child in a slave labor camp in Germany.  When I was five years old we traveled on a boat to America.  Everyone on the boat was seasick except for me.”  As he spoke, I pictured this little boy peeking over the side of a wildly rocking boat in the ocean, searching a vast horizon all by himself.  He continued, “When we got to America, the Red Cross were the first to welcome us. They gave me a chocolate donut!”  My mind still wondering about the slave labor camp, I asked “What was your earliest memory of life?”   His reply was…..”the chocolate donut”.

It was a profound moment for me.  Who would have thought a chocolate donut might represent freedom!  At the time of the birth of Christ the weary world was searching the horizon for new life.  The people who walked in darkness then saw a great light!  Freedom came as a gift from God.  Who would have thought it would be a baby in a manger!

(from “The Indescribable Gift” by Richard Exley, illustrated by Phil Boatwright).

nk

Pondering…

What is your earliest memory of life?

In what way do you treasure freedom?

 

 

Advent is a journey.  Through God’s grace,  we are being drawn by God like a magnet toward the manger, and the birth of the Christ Child. The journey is transformational as we are being changed along the way by the power of the Holy Spirit alive in us.  Our job is to step out in faith.  I love Maya Angelou’s description of her grandmother who raised her and whom she called “Mamma”. (from her book “Wouldn’t Take Nothing for My Journey Now”)….

“One of my earliest memories of Mamma is a glimpse of a tall cinnamon-colored woman with a deep, soft voice, standing thousands of feet up in the air on nothing visible.  That incredible vision was a result of what my imagination would do each time Mamma drew herself up to her full six feet, clasped her hands behind her back, looked up into a distant sky, and said, ‘I will step out on the word of God.’…She would look up as if she could will herself into the heavens…it wasn’t difficult for me to have faith.  I grew up knowing that the word of God had power.”

I recently discovered a small bag which my grandchildren had packed during their recent visit to our home.  They had been playing in my study and the bag contained a few treasures from my bookshelf which they had randomly selected for their make-believe journey.

It was very fun for me to unpack the bag and see what it contained.  Clearly the first item was the treasure of Travis, age three…

Then there were a selection of books…

The first book on the tongue is pretty clear.  “More Misery” gives challenging life situations from the perspective a child, good insight for any trip.  The Bible in Spanish is a great choice for traveling in Texas. “Postcards” is a collection of letters from God  based on scriptures in the Bible.  Here is one of the letters…

Wow!  These items inadvertently chosen by small children who could not yet read, spoke volumes! I had to smile.  I wonder what you and I might choose to take on our journey to the manger.  There is a song we might sing along the way…

“I want to walk as a child of the light. I want to follow Jesus…..I want to see the brightness of God, I want to look at Jesus…..I’m looking for the coming of Christ, I want to be with Jesus…”  And the Angels said,  “Come and see!”.

Ah….steppin’ out…..

nk

Pondering…

What would it take for you to “step out” on the journey?

What might you take with you?

 

 

 

I love to explore used book stores.  I truly can spend hours there journeying through pages of discarded treasures.  It is like a double blessing!  I experience the original mind and gifts of the writer and illustrator, but also the shared presence of another who turned these pages, and pondered these words. It is as if we all become one, huddled there together in the thoughts and expressions of another world.

Recently I found a children’s book entitled “One Candle”, or it found me.  The story of treasured hope is written by Eve Bunting and illustrated by K. Wendy Popp.  A grandmother tells the story of her experiences as a child with her sister in a German camp. As Jews, they were captives of hate, separated from their family at ages 12 and 13.  When Hanukkah approached, the girls smuggled from the kitchen a blob of margarine, two matches, and a potato.  With great fear they passed the guards and risked their lives.

Back in their barrack they carved a hole in the potato, filled it with margarine, pulled a thread from their garment for a wick,  and lit a flame.  It became their sign of hope.

“The candle lifted us to the stars!”, the grandmother said as she relayed the story to her grandchildren and re-enacted the carving of the potato.  She will never forget.  Her grandchildren will never forget.

It seems during Advent the lighting of a candle becomes more important and meaningful.  Advent is a place of waiting in hope for HOPE.  The Christ Child is the HOPE of the world.  This Advent song expresses our hope..

nk

Pondering…

What might be the story of hope you would pass along to future generations?

I invite you to find a quiet moment and light a candle of hope.

This past July I did a renewal of vows for a couple in their 80’s who were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary.

At this moment in the middle of exchanging their vows, he excitedly jumps in and asks me, “Can I kiss her now?”  It wasn’t quite time yet, but I had to laugh.  He couldn’t WAIT.  I loved it!  Not only because I am not a very patient person myself, but even more….after all these years, he still couldn’t wait to kiss her!

Advent is a time of waiting.  The engulfing embrace of God is just around the corner, yet it is still the time of waiting.  The waiting is now more intense than ever.  We are actively waiting.  And we are not waiting alone…we are waiting together.  Advent is a communal experience as God is coming to earth to physically embrace the entirety of humanity on one holy night.  We wait and watch together.

Waiting together is important!  There are some persons this Advent who are experiencing pain or sorrow.  They have been waiting too long.  Waiting alone has become too difficult.  You and I must stand beside them, lift up their head to the promised coming, whisper to their heart and hold the faith together.  I am reminded of the song “Glorious Unfolding”…

My friend, if you are hurting tonight, I am waiting with you in this Advent journey of the “Glorious Unfolding”.  We will all run through fields of forever together!

(Artistic quilt of painting and stitching entitled “Wheat Field” by Melissa Burdon of New Zealand).

nk

Pondering…

With whom are you waiting this Advent?

Advent is a time of longing.  The words of the Advent song “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” are the cry of those who long for God to come.  The word “Emmanuel” means “God with us”.  We are lonely for God.  Here is a quote from Sun Gazing…

That’s it!  Could it be that longing is a gift?  Perhaps without the longing we would not realize that we need God, that we belong to God, that our hearts are empty without God. In Romans chapter 8, Paul talks about the eager longing of all creation for the revealing of the children of God.  The Spirit of God joins our spirits to pray for us, with us, in groanings too deep for words.  We long for God to be with us because we belong to God.  Here are some faces of longing…

This is a statue I saw in Croatia.

The following are three quilts I saw at the International Quilt show in Houston, Texas on Nov. 3, 2016.  They are truly amazing!  (Tap on the photos to enlarge on your screen).

Esperanza is a word which means “hope” in Spanish.

And now, here are a few words from the poem “Alone” by Maya Angelou…

Advent is a time of longing, and God is coming.  It’s a promise!

nk

Pondering…

In which of the photos do you see yourself?

Where do you experience a deep longing? …for yourself? …for others? …for the world?

 

I woke up at 3:50 a.m. thinking about this blog.  Thanksgiving is coming and our minds are flooded with thoughts of food and getting together with family and friends for a special meal.  This brought to mind for me some unique food experiences I have had this year in my travels to Croatia.  The first was on the boat…

One evening a local fisherman came on board with his fresh catch of oysters.  Many passengers who love oysters were elated!  I had never tasted oysters before and had no big craving to do so.  However, anticipating the fisherman’s arrival, Darko, our wonderful, enthusiastic, charming tour director put his hand on my shoulder and said, “You will try oysters!”.  Well….sure!

This is a photo of me and my two dear friends at the moment I had just swallowed my first oyster.  They are smiling because they are thinking, “She did it and we don’t have to!”  My smile is fake actually…I am  not certain if the oyster is still slithering down or on its way to slithering back up!

Then there was a visit to the home of a priest….

We all sat around two long tables and were served home cooked smelts. Another first for me!  Ah, Darko must have known as he once again stood behind me with his hands on my shoulders and said, “You will try the smelts!”  The what??  Yikes!  Why ME?  Suddenly they appeared on the table with a whiff of a fishy smell…smelts!  Their eyes were staring at me…

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and bit into a smelt.  Not too bad actually.  The crunchiness of those little bodies being fried in batter was a bit fun.  I just needed a good dip to go with them!

At the conclusion of the meal, which consisted only of smelts, please notice that our table finished our plate and the other table did not!  No thanks to me by the way, but I was proud of us.  (Although some don’t look like they feel too good).

Another evening we went to the home of a Croatian family who had prepared a meal for us.  It was delightful!  I don’t remember much about the food except that it was good.  What I remember was the hospitality and strangers coming together to share a meal, becoming friends.  The children, parents, grandparents were all there with us.  It seemed important to them.

What a beautiful family.  I especially like the photo of the Mom and her daughter.  As I looked closer I noticed on the wall just behind them hangs a picture of Jesus and his disciples at the Last Supper, the Great Thanksgiving.  Oh YES!  Here, subtly yet profoundly present,  is the true meaning of it all.  We are invited to be one at the table of Christ.  It is about love, unity, fellowship, and the joy of being together!  (It is at this point, 4:30 a.m. in my bed, that I actually gave  a thumbs up to God and got up to write the blog)!

I pray yours is a GREAT THANKSGIVING !

nk

P.S.  I will begin a daily Advent blog on Monday November 28 and continue each week day through Christmas.  I invite you to join me here each weekday and please invite any others as well.  Just click “follow” if you would like the blog post to be automatically sent to your email each day.  We will anticipate and celebrate once again and always the coming of the Christ Child.

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Moments with grandchildren are always fun!  This was especially true last week in Atlanta for Halloween..

Sunday morning church with Travis.

Pumpkin Olympics with Callie at her school.

First place family costume contest…Star Wars!

Our super pilots Rae and Darth Vader.

A special moment happened in Church as I sat beside Molly in worship…such a precious time for me. As we sat together I noticed something in the sanctuary at Mt Bethel United Methodist Church.  A dove perched high upon a stand. I had not noticed it before, and had never seen a sculpture of a dove before present in the sanctuary.  It appeared as if it had just flown in through the window and heightened my awareness of the presence of the Holy Spirit for me.

After worship, Molly and I stood outside the sanctuary in a rotunda area  between two doors open to the outside.  I was explaining to her how God exists as one person, yet three in one called the Trinity…Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.   “The Holy Spirit is God present with us now, around us and inside us.  It’s like the wind.  You can’t see it, but you can see its manifestation”, I explained.  “Like those leaves on the tree blowing”, Molly said, pointing to the tree outside the open door.  “Yes!  And we can feel the wind”, I continued.  Just then, a wind blew through the open door and we felt the breeze around us and  between us like an embrace.  “Like that?”, smiles Molly.  “Yes!  Just like that!”  We hugged each other. We both knew.  God was present in that very moment.

Indeed, there was a special wind blowing all weekend.  Thanks God!

nk