God is in the slums, in the cardboard boxes where the poor
play house. God is in the silence of a mother who has infected her child with a
virus that will end both their lives. God is in the cries heard under the
rubble of war. God is in the debris of wasted opportunity and lives, and God is
with us if we are with them. ~ Isaac, a Mennonite Pastor
You will have to excuse me if I have posted this song, God With Us, by Todd Agnew before. It is one of my favorites, so I watch for videos that use its lyrics. Plus, many artists have used scenes from The Nativity so I get confused on what I have shared where. : )
A wordle expresses this Biblical truth, God With Us.
So, as a pastor, as a seeker....I hold both. The despair and the pain along with the truth as found in scripture, Immanuel, God with us.
In his Advent sermon, Pastor Isaac uses two edgy quotes of a monk by the name of Sebastian Moore that give me thoughts to consider as I struggle with the tension of what I see and the truth I read.
The second challenge of Moore's:Christ is present to us insofar as we are present to one another. It’s a call to receive God’s love from one another, and to be present, to make Christ’s love available—to wait, and watch, and hope that Christ will come in and through us.
(sigh...) Discovering Immanuel, God with Me, in the messiness, the pain, the discomfort of life....look forward to the point when the whole mystery of God will be known in the clasp of your brother [or sister’s] hand. But when we feel those hands, as we pass the peace, we must also remember that the One we worship has holes in his hands. Yes, Christ has come to us, but he is also standing with holes in his hands, awaiting our discovery.
I am certain I have journaled (verses just "thinking" it) that I believe we, the Church, tend to sugar coat, to romanticize, the Christmas story. My prayer has been that during this season of waiting, Advent, I might look deeper into this familiar story with all its familiar characters and discover Immanuel in a new way.
Many Blessings ~ Sandi
Thank you for your comments. I haven't had time to read blogs this week much...I love to ponder over yours...so I haven't read many this week...but you are such and inspiration! I will be praying for you this coming week!
ReplyDeleteI love Isaac's quote. While reading this post I was reminded of a movie I recently watched, that has become my favorite movie. I believe it may be one of the best every produced. Tree of Life. It's amazing, and I want to watch it again and again. I recommend it. If you do watch it, I hope you'll share your thoughts about it. It has many layers, and is essentially about the three characters' (the mother, the father, and a brother)relationship with God. Throughout their lives, but especially during a time of great crisis and sorrow. Happy day to you Sandi. and thanks for another uplifting post about the mystery and wealth of God's grace.
ReplyDeleteFinding a deeper meaning to this holiday is something we can all learn from. Happy Holidays Sandi. :)
ReplyDeleteI think we do the people in our pews a disservice when we sugar coat Christmas. True some people have lovely lices, but many people struggle in all kinds of ways, and if we fail to bring the struggle of life into the incarnation, then we fail those who come looking for meaning in their lives,
ReplyDeleteHaven't heard from you in awhile... hope all is well and that 2012 has started filled with wonder and grace... blessings ~ tanna
ReplyDeletejust thinking of you this morning and wondering where you have been? your readers are missing you! prayers for you on this morning. blessings. Pam
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