an advent confession

i have thought more about advent this year than ever before.  for all kinds of reasons, my heart has been turned toward this season in a way that has surprised me. i don’t know if i can really describe it properly in this moment, but i think the bottom line is i have felt more twinges of hope then normal.  i’ve felt more vulnerable that usual, more aware than usual.

i have no idea where you are this advent season; i know people are all over the map this time of year. the busy-ness of the season combined with all kinds of other faith and life issues sometimes make this a tricky time.  a few days ago i read the beautiful piece below from the denver book of prayer: faith in paradox.  this was a project my friends from urban skye, a creative arts community in denver put together.   the 12 months of the year are written by 12 faith communities/missional ministries in denver and include morning/afternoon/evening prayers, an icon, saint, and a devotion for each day.   the refuge kicked off november with the paradox, broken & whole, and december’s paradox is desecration & incarnation by a lovely liturgical faith community here called ecclesia.

i have been meditating on this advent confession for the december 12th entry for the past few days.  there’s so much beauty and truth and challenge in it, i thought i’d share it here.

An Advent Confession ::

I have to admit the ease I have in taking apart those things that chafe me:
the reduction of Christianity to a bullet point morality
a Christian culture that feels like its trying too hard
the abuse of words like grace, community, honesty.
Its easy to stand outside the Church and talk about how busted it is.
But that takes no imagination.

It takes no imagination to be cynical
to be drunk on doubt
to think I’m right because I’m so convinced that the other thing is wrong
It takes no imagination to be a big fish in a small pond
or a lone piper in a silent field.
And yet…

And yet
to deny the soul her imagination is to ignore the stirring of life in the gut.
its to deny the breath of a living GOD.

Remind me again – and yet again – of the tension and beauty in new life,
in birthing something miraculous into the dirty and ugly.

Forgive me my efforts to create a Christ and a Church in my own image.
Forgive me my lack of dreaming, of imagination.
Forgive me the arrogance of sophistication

Awaken in me a new mercy, a fresh peace, and an imaginative humanity.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Have mercy on me.

amen.  i’d love to hear what this stirs up in you.

merry christmas!  i won’t write again until after the holiday so wishing each of you peace, hope, imagination…love, kathy