John 1:26-38
26-28 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to the Galilean village of Nazareth to a virgin engaged to be married to a man descended from David. His name was Joseph, and the virgin’s name, Mary. Upon entering, Gabriel greeted her:
“Good morning!You’re beautiful with God’s beauty,Beautiful inside and out!God be with you.”
29-33 She was thoroughly shaken, wondering what was behind a greeting like that. But the angel assured her, “Mary, you have nothing to fear. God has a surprise for you: You will become pregnant and give birth to a son and call his name Jesus.
He will be great, be called ‘Son of the Highest.’The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David;He will rule Jacob’s house forever— no end, ever, to his kingdom.”
34 Mary said to the angel, “But how? I’ve never slept with a man.”
35 The angel answered,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, the power of the Highest hover over you;Therefore, the child you bring to birth will be called Holy, Son of God.”
36-38 “And did you know that your cousin Elizabeth conceived a son, old as she is? Everyone called her barren, and here she is six months pregnant! Nothing, you see, is impossible with God.”
And Mary said, “Yes, I see it all now: I’m the Lord’s maid, ready to serve. Let it be with me just as you say.”
Then the angel left her.
REFLECTIONS:
Thoughts from John: God becomes human. Creator becomes creation. The Cosmic-Life-Force-Vibrating-at-the-Frequency-of-Love leaps into time and space as flesh and blood.
Through a teenage girl. Who was poor. Ridiculed by her community. Rejected by her family.
In an infant. Born in a barn. To be hunted and exiled.
Not to instill fear. But to bring peace. For all of us.
Joy to the World, indeed.
PRACTICE:
Meditation Advent Calendar
December 3: Spend 1 minute reflecting on waiting.
December 4: Spend 2 minutes reflecting on mercy.
December 5: Spend 3 minutes reflecting on justice.
December 6: Spend 4 minutes reflecting on goodness.
December 7: Spend 5 minutes reflecting on love.
December 8: Spend 6 minutes reflecting on forgiveness.
December 9: Spend 7 minutes reflecting on wholeness.
December 10: Spend 8 minutes scrolling on social media.
Send a message of encouragement to one person in your feed.
December 11: Spend 9 minutes focusing on your breath.
December 12: Spend 10 minutes outside in silent awareness.
December 13: Spend 11 minutes in a public setting observing the people around you.
December 14: Spend 12 minutes tending to your yard, your garden, or your plants.
December 15: Spend 13 minutes reflecting on waiting.
December 16: Spend 14 minutes stretching your body.
December 17: Spend 15 minutes in gratitude.
December 18: Spend 16 minutes reflecting on joy.
December 19: Spend 17 minutes re-reading a favorite text.
December 20: Spend 18 minutes reflecting on liberation.
December 21: Spend 19 minutes re-listening to some favorite music.
December 22: Spend 20 minutes in silent awareness.
December 23: Spend 21 minutes outside.
December 24: Spend 22 minutes reflecting on waiting.
December 25: Merry Christmas!
“Liturgy” refers to the habits and practices humans use to form community around shared values and meaning. At Church at the Park, we desire to be a community of practice, becoming people who see the world through the eyes of the marginalized, making meaning through the lens of pain and suffering, and committing ourselves to non-violence in a wounded world. This weekly email is intended to provide pathways of practice for becoming the type of people who embody these values.
Many of our reflections on each week's text come from other sources. If you're interested in reading more of what inspires us, here our our two favorite reflections.
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