The following Advent Candle reading is from The Christmas Love Feast worship service at Ginter Park Presbyterian Church in Richmond, VA. The reading uses words from. Rev. Drs. Wilda Gafney and Howard Thurman as well as the Iona Community.
"We are waiting. We are waiting in the dark. We are waiting in the holy darkness. We are waiting in the womb of God. Between this advent and the next, we wait. (Gafney)
In the stillness of the quiet, if we listen, we can hear the whisper of the heart giving strength to weakness, courage to fear, hope to despair. (Thurman)
God of the waiting ones, the watching ones, the slow and suffering ones, the angels in heaven, the child.
As we light these candles, we pray that you will give us your blessing, your good word for our souls. May we rest and rise in the kindness of your company." (The Iona Community)
Advent is a season of hope, joy, love, and peace. This season invites and encourages us to be patient, to sit in discomfort or silence, and to prepare for the Christ child. As a child, Advent was the time of year when Lucy would teach me how to make my own Advent wreath and when the whole sanctuary turned purple and green (purple for the liturgical time and green for the greenery and Christmas tree). In recent years, Advent was a time of anticipation, hope, and anxiousness as the pandemic changed my plans, and yours probably too, almost daily. This year, Advent has been marked by final papers, a final exam, contracting COVID-19, and missing many events for which I was excited. Yet even in a season of illness, sadness, and stress, God has been calling me and reminding me to wait --- to be patient, to listen closely, to rest well, and to embrace the darkness.
Dr. Lemma, a Hebrew scholar and wonderful teacher and colleague of mine, shares with his students that "fogginess is the dawn of clarity." Fogginess comes in all shapes and forms; we face unique challenges and have varied circumstances. For some of us, the Advent season is difficult as we grieve the loss of loved ones and worry about what the new year will bring. For others of us, the Advent season is a reminder of the gifts we have been given and it pushes us to find peace and ways to spread that peace. For some, the Advent season is the challenge to be patient, to wait, to contemplate, and to meditate. However you are feeling this Advent season, I hope that you are able to find glimmers of joy, moments of peace, people to love and who love you, and time to hope. We are in this waiting time together and as Dr. Lemma reminded me often, "fogginess is the dawn of clarity." This Advent season might be foggy but my prayer is for clarity for each of you as we approach Christmas.
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Peace be with each of you this holiday season. Finals ended last week, my Winter Break to-do list is long, and I have taken a nap and watched a Christmas movie almost daily since Break began! I am working on scholarship applications for SY23-24, starting to review Presbytery forms about becoming a Candidate, and am going to create a Bible Content Exam study schedule to begin in the Spring. I am excited for our family vacation out West but am sad to miss seeing my St. Andrew family this Christmas. Thank you for your continued prayers, support, and encouragement.
Warmly,
Caitlin
