A Pastoral letter for Advent

The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. (John 1:14)

I hate going out at night in the winter.  But sometimes – when I’m out on a cold winter night and feel the beauty of soft snowflakes upon my cheeks, I marvel at a presence more than mine in that moment.

I visit someone dying in hospital and I sense her courage and her strength in the midst of great frailty.

I turn on the news and see a photo of a child killed in Gaza; parents weeping over the little body amongst the rubble. In between the horror and the sadness of it all I sense the presence of the suffering Christ with that family in their immense trauma.

I get up early to sit in silence; my intention – to turn my inward gaze to the God of mystery. I open one eye only to find my little dog Leo sitting gazing at me – wondering when I will move and feed him breakfast. And I am humbled by the interconnectedness of everything.

While God came to dwell among us long ago in the person of Jesus Christ, we are – in this moment – right now - in need of a deeper awareness of the hopeful presence of Christ – whether our lives are dull and lifeless; happy and fulfilling; or somewhere in between. 

There are signs of God’s coming, signs of God’s continued presence, everywhere in our lives.

As we gather together this Advent in the Sanctuary – watching perhaps from home – and sing the songs of Advent yearning, we turn out hearts to the God who is always in need of a better dwelling place than a cattle trough.  And we beg for our own transformation.

My prayer for us all this Advent is for a freshening of our vision so that we can recognize God’s dwelling within us and among us. 

Deep peace my friends.

Michelle+