This
year at AFC we are journeying through Advent using a painting or photo each
week.
A number of folk have said how much they appreciate the Advent paintings down the side corridor and accompanying leaflet – which is great!
On this second Sunday in Advent the set readings of the day take us out to the Wilderness as we meet John the Baptist.
Liz’s photo was taken in the Negev Desert on a visit to the Holy Land in 2013. She says being there cut her down to size and in that context only the big questions mattered.
We all go through desert phases in our lives – and although we may not feel this when we travel through those wilderness experiences – they can become very fruitful times for us. Times when the big questions mattered and were faced. Times when we gained a deeper perspective on ourselves, life and God.
John the Baptist wasn’t a priest and didn’t serve in the temple. Yet God spoke through this firebrand of a preacher and the wilderness became his pulpit.
Interesting that – meeting God in wilderness.
Although I’d want to unpack this, C.S.Lewis said something similar when he wrote: God seems to whisper to us in our joys but he shouts in our sorrows.
Prayer
Loving and Life giving God
You travel with us through the wilderness just as you came to your ancient people as a pillar of cloud by day and of fire by night.
A number of folk have said how much they appreciate the Advent paintings down the side corridor and accompanying leaflet – which is great!
On this second Sunday in Advent the set readings of the day take us out to the Wilderness as we meet John the Baptist.
Liz’s photo was taken in the Negev Desert on a visit to the Holy Land in 2013. She says being there cut her down to size and in that context only the big questions mattered.
We all go through desert phases in our lives – and although we may not feel this when we travel through those wilderness experiences – they can become very fruitful times for us. Times when the big questions mattered and were faced. Times when we gained a deeper perspective on ourselves, life and God.
John the Baptist wasn’t a priest and didn’t serve in the temple. Yet God spoke through this firebrand of a preacher and the wilderness became his pulpit.
Interesting that – meeting God in wilderness.
Although I’d want to unpack this, C.S.Lewis said something similar when he wrote: God seems to whisper to us in our joys but he shouts in our sorrows.
Prayer
Loving and Life giving God
You travel with us through the wilderness just as you came to your ancient people as a pillar of cloud by day and of fire by night.
Sometimes
you are silent and we are called to trust in your loving purposes.
Sometimes
you speak to us in ways we could never expect and we are called to listen to
you with discernment.
Lead us, we pray, through these days of Advent so that with both that sense of trust and discernment we may greet you in joy or sorrow and know that your presence always brings hope.
Lead us, we pray, through these days of Advent so that with both that sense of trust and discernment we may greet you in joy or sorrow and know that your presence always brings hope.
Through
Jesus Christ our Lord – Emmanuel – God with us.
Amen
Amen
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