Walking through Advent
6th December 2019
Today we walked through the Chapel, stopping first of all to think about the hopes of Mary, Joseph and Israel – and then about God’s hopes for us.
I am Mary, still to be married, young, full of dreams of husband and family, home-building, contentment – that’s my hope. But now, how can this be, that I should be the handmaid of the Lord? ‘Let it be to me according to your word.’
I am Joseph, worked hard all my life, dreamed of a son to follow me in the trade, a family business. But with this news of a child not my own, I feel troubled, ashamed, uncertain. Should I put her away, start again, or swallow my pride? I feel like Job: ‘Where then is my hope? Who will see my hope?’
We are Israel, we have hoped for so long, dreamed of a coming saviour, promised by the prophets of old. We have lost our way, broken our covenant, lost our land and our freedom. We heard the prophet Isaiah promise: ‘Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel.’ Could God be with us?
What does God hope for? For our healing? For our love? For our returning? Listen to Jeremiah:
For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you. When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart, I will let you find me, says the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.
After these readings, we spent some time reflecting on our own hopes before God.
What do you hope for? What are your dreams?
Do you feel as though you have ‘a future with hope’?
Or do you feel betrayed, disappointed, hope-less? Have your hopes been dashed?
You might like to make time to hold this in openness before God.
In the Chapel we took a red bauble as a symbol of our heart’s longing – for ourselves or for someone else, and hung it on our Christmas tree. You might like to find you own way of expressing your longing before God.
Then we took a gold bauble and held it, letting it symbolize for us our hope. In the quietness you might like to hold in your heart where you – or someone you know – may feel hopeful, excited, alive. You might find some way to express this too.
Here are some prayers you could use…
We bring to God all that feels hopeless in us, our disappointments, our regrets; and hold them in the light of God’s assurance, for us and for all creation…
No one who hopes in you will ever be put to shame.
We bring to God all that is hopeful in us, our dreams and aspirations; and hold them in the light of God’s hopes for us and all creation…
No one who hopes in you will ever be put to shame.
Hope of the world, as you called Mary to share your hopes and dreams, may we respond with her: let it be with me according to your word.
Hope of the hopeless, as you called Joseph beyond his disappointment, may we respond with him: let it be with me according to your word.
Hope of all the nations, as you look in sorrow at what we have become, may we all respond: let it be with me according to your word.
God of our deepest longing,
all our hopes are met in you.
You hear our heart’s cry,
you know our deepest need.
Meet us in this place,
speak to us through the silence,
touch us with your healing love,
that we may share your hopes for the whole creation,
in and through Jesus, the child who is to come. Amen.