1st Advent
Luke 21:25-36
And there will be signs in
sun and moon and stars; and upon the earth, the nations will be constricted
with anxiety and doubt with the advent of these spiritual revelations, as
before a roaring sea and waves. And men will lose their inner strength of soul
out of fear and foreboding of what is coming over the living earth: for the
dynamic powers of heaven will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man
coming in a cloud, in the sphere of life, with dynamic power and great radiant
glory.
And when these things
begin to happen, stand upright and lift up [raise] your soul to the spirit, for
your deliverance draws near.
And he gave them a
comparison, saying, ‘Observe [behold] the fig tree and all the trees when they
burst into leaf. Seeing this, you know yourselves that summer is near. So also
when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near.
Amen, the truth I say to
you: this present age of Man’s being shall not pass away until all has
happened.
Heaven and earth will pass
away, but my words will never pass away.
Guard yourselves lest the
perceptive power of your hearts be smothered by
1st Advent
November 29, 2015
Luke 21:25-36
Living things are always
changing. The plants change form from seed to shoot to leaves, from leaves to
blossom and fruit and seed. The living light of the sun is in constantly
changing flux. These changes affect our experience.
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| Roland Tiller |
Every year at this time,
Christ slowly descends once again toward the opportunity for an intimate
connection with humankind. Because He is Life itself, His approach stimulates
change, change in the cosmos, change in our souls. One natural reaction to
great change is anxiety.
The gospel encourages us
to recognize in advance that our anxiety is caused in fact by the approach of
Christ, the giver of Life, the refresher of our life’s true meaning. He is the
giver of transformative change. We are encouraged not to just smother our
unease with excess of food and drink. Rather we are encouraged to practice a
state of vigilant, strengthening prayer.
Christ is seeking an
encounter with our wakeful spirits, to take place during the days and nights of
Christmas. We may pray that
…we
be strengthened from the founts of will that bear us toward freedom;
that we be illumined from the founts of wisdom
that warm the inmost heart;
