Seed

Ezekiel was a prophet. In his writing we are told of a promise. Sown like “seed”. The people had no doubt of its fulfilment, but it was yet to come.

Ezekiel 17:22 tells us that God will take shoot from the top of a ceder tree will be broken off and planted. In time it will grow to become the largest of trees. It will be fruitful, and birds of every kind will find shelter in its branches.

This image was understood to describe the unlikely emergence of the kingdom of God, perhaps initially unrecognised, but in time a promise of shelter and peace for all peoples. The scripture finished with this certainty, “I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it”. And in Christ Jesus, He did.’

I’m sure we can all think of times when imaginary stories, myths, legends, novels or films have suddenly awoken our minds to important truths. The imagination allows us to grasp the whole, the meaning, the wider sense of something that familiarity and reason obscure.

This picture, of sprig, becoming the largest of trees, with shelter for all, is the work of Gods imagination within Ezekiel. It seeded hope and prayer for something yet to come, that will be eternal. Through it, and other images, they hoped for a saviour, for a kingdom.

Isaiah described it like this. Chapter 9: 6

For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.

And He will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

And of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end.

Such expansive, hopeful thought, from prayerful imagination. Such an important aspect of Advent. This child to be born, not just a child, but saviour, rescuer, protector, eternal.

Prayer

Find 5 minutes of quiet. Allow your imagination to shape dreams and hopes of what Jesus can do in your family and lives. Imagine, and pray.

East

In this second week, we remember the seeds of promise that came, long before the birth of Christ. This birth, this gift, was clearly Gods intention from long, long before that first Christmas. And it was for all people.

Our advent celebrations are often very “western”. Life is still preoccupied with busy work, school and social diaries. Christmas shopping dominates and chocolates enjoyed each morning with the opening of “another window”!

All very western.

Recently I came across this clip on Instagram. The music is eastern. It has depth and power. It is brooding. It could well be played over the earliest of scripture, “Darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit hovered over the waters”. Birth, creation, was yet to come.

It feels “eastern”, and it reminds me that part of the Advent story, came from the east. Matthew 2:1-2. After Jesus was born, during the time of Herod, Magi came from the east”. We are told they had been following his star.

The sense of promise, also came, outside the community of Israel.

I wonder how long these Magi had been travelling. Possibly months! How long had they been searching for signs, talking around campfires, hoping. How deeply was this sense of hope, entrenched into their communities. Over thousands of years, generations had searched.

The Magi would have started their journey, long before Mary and Joseph started theirs. It reminds us of this. That the promise of God, stretches back to the beginning of time, and to all points on the compass. Jesus is a worldwide gift. Salvation is for all. For God so loved the world, that He gave His son.

Prayer

Listen to the music again

Lord, thank you. That your love extends to all your creation.

Imagine everyone that you will meet with today. Pray for them. Offer thanks, that Gods love extends to them also.

Feast

In early church tradition, a feast is often preceded by a fast. The 40 day “fast” of Lent is our most obvious example.

With this in mind, the early church developed a tradition of praying seven great prayers known as the O Antiphons. Each prayer called on Christ to come, but only addressed Him according to titles found in the Old Testament.

They refrained from using the term Christ or Lord, as a kind of fast. By doing so they momentarily placed themselves BC. In that place of darkness and waiting. They reimagined what they most needed, BC. A gift of wisdom, a saviour, a light, a root, a flame. Looking though the OT, all these things were promised in the coming Christ, and used as titles to describe His gift. O Wisdom, O Root, O Light , each, for example, found in Isaiah, reminded them of the “need”, of their lives, and what they eventually found in Christ Jesus. On Christmas day, the fast was broken. Christ Jesus, whose name they whispered, sang or proclaimed on Christmas day, as if for the first time. Then they would pray, O Emmanuel. Emanuel, come Lord Jesus. Fill this heart, with wisdom, light, root and flame.

What a feast that would be.

Prayer

Be still. Cast your mind back to an earlier life. Before Christ. Remember who we were and what we needed. Mostly we needed a saviour. But also, wisdom, security, understanding.

Offer thanks, for the life and gift of these things, that His presence brings.

Make today a day of fast! Pray, but refrain from using the name of Jesus. Jesus, Lord, Saviour, God, all become silent in our thoughts. Allow your deepest need, to shape your address to God.

Dark.

We begin this advent season, with a well-known scripture.

Isaiah 9:2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light.

Our problem is that there is, at least in cities, less and less darkness. We live amid brightly lit shop windows, trees already decorated and twinkling, numerous school productions and social gatherings. They are all very lovely and beautiful. But sometimes, to truly appreciate light, we need to see it from a place of darkness.

Of course, light comes in many forms. Electric bulb, candle, even a congestion of information that we describe as enlightenment. We often have too much of our own manufactured light. And that sometimes obscures our view.

How can we, in this Advent season, focus on that great light that is coming, when our lives are so well lit.

Value darkness. Use it. Find a place where, just for a moment, we stand outside the light. The Isaiah verse reminds us that from that place, the light that we see from afar, is then described as “great”.

Remember life BC in your life. This is Advent. To stand in the Old Testament, as BC people. Using our imagination, momentarily remembering what life was like, before we knew Christ, before the great light brightened our hearts. As we imagine ourselves once again in that place of wanting and waiting, we look for His coming. We look for the great light, that lightens all things.

Prayer

(Take a moment to breath. Be still. Allow the Holy Spirit to come and find pace with your breath)

The child waiting to be born, demands a response. For God so loved the world, that He sent His son, to bring light to our darkness.

You Lord are our Lamp. You brighten our darkness. Your Word is a lamp to our feet. You bring light to our path, our lives.

We are thankful. Once again, we pray, “come, saviour of the world. Bring your light. Lighten our darkness”.

Amen.