Filling Potholes and Moving Mountains

In preparation for Sabbatical, I recently acquired a book of daily prayers inspired by our Celtic Christian ancestors.  The book contains the spiritual disciplines of the Northumbrian Community, a group of contemporary Christians in Northern England and beyond, who, though scattered, commit to shared habits of prayer and hospitality.  Periodically, they reconvene near Lindisfarne, a tiny island that has housed Christian communities since the 7th century when the Irish monk Aidan traveled from Iona and opened a monastery.

Traveling together toward family during the Thanksgiving holidays, Giulianna read aloud to me the reflections of our Northumbrian brothers and sisters on Advent, that period of preparation the Church enters into as we await the birth of Jesus at Christmas.  Our preparations for Christmas can be so easily consumed by event-planning, we typically forget the necessities of spiritual preparation.  As you prepare to welcome the Christ-child, I commend to you the words of the Northumbria community: 

It is said that the door to the stable where the Christ-child has been born is very low – and only those who kneel find access.  Being ready for Christmas should mean that our thoughts are focused not just on letters, cards, and presents, but on repentance, humbling, and interior “housecleaning.”  John the Baptist warned his hearers to prepare a way for the Lord – to make a clear and level pathway.  This involves removing any boulders that stand in the way, and filling in any potholes.  The boulders are those things we have done that we should not have done; the potholes are the things we have failed to do which we obviously should have done.  The more as individuals, family, or congregation, we are focused in this way, the less we will be overwhelmed by the commercialization of Christmas.

I intend to take these words to heart this Advent, removing the boulders of mistakes I have made, and filling in the potholes of good works left undone.  Let’s do this work together, so that together, we will be ready to greet the arrival of our Savior.

Peace,
Peter+

Youth Group Update

The EYC had a great September as we participated in several outreach activities. These included our first trip to Beacon Harbor and the Greenwood Canned Food Drive. When we were not participating in outreach, we were taking time to reflect on “who God has called us to be.”

We are taking time over the next several weeks to ask the question, “who am I?” We have started by looking at our relationships with each other, with our friends, and with our families. We have spent time exploring our “likes” and “dislikes” and our “hopes.” We will continue this exploration of “who am I?” over the next several weeks by exploring our Christian identity.

The EYC will help with the Blessing of the Animals on October 7th. Please bring a pet and enjoy this fun-filled, Spirit-led service. We have heard that we could have pet pigs here to be blessed! After the Pet Blessing, EYC will stay to enjoy a meal and game.

EYC will host a Halloween themed party for Beacon Harbor on October 21. Our September visit meant so much to the residents of Beacon Harbor that we are still hearing from them about it. To say that they are excited about the Halloween Party would be an understatement! The plan is to have cupcakes, candy corn, and punch while we listen and dance Halloween themed music. We will also decorate pumpkins and make paper Halloween masks. This should be a wonderful time as we continue to nurture these relationships.