Read: Luke 17:20-21 Jesus, grilled by the Pharisees on when the kingdom of God would come, answered, “The kingdom of God doesn’t come by counting the days on the calendar. Nor when someone says, ‘Look here!’ or, ‘There it is!’ And why? Because God’s kingdom is already among you.”
There is a wonderful exercise in Rami Shapiro’s book Perennial Wisdom for the Spiritually Independent that has helped me this year in dealing with the death of several people close to me. The exercise has to do with using a piece of rope as a metaphor for God and tying knots on the rope to represent a few of the people we love and care about, both those who have died and those newly born. Yes, even a knot for baby Jesus.
The exercise goes like this. Tie one knot representing yourself, another as you remember each loved one who has died or been born. Now untie the knot representing one of your losses. Knotting and unknotting the rope does not change the presence of the rope. The rope is always there even when the knot is gone. The same is true of God. Through our joys and sorrows, God is always present.
In this season of Advent, let us claim our own knot on that
metaphorical rope, our place in God’s Kingdom. Let us commit ourselves anew to serving others. As we celebrate the joy of Jesus’ birth, we join ourselves to every other person on the ropes of life. May we be ready to listen for God’s call to love, serve, and share with others; disciples together in service to our Lord.
Prayer: Lord, as we remember and grieve loved ones who have left this earthly life and as we rejoice over those new lives that have joined us, grant us your peace. Remind us of your presence through all our joys and sorrows. Teach us to be your servants throughout all our days. In Christ’s name, Amen.[Leslie Green Huffaker, Coronado, CA]
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Society of St. Andrew
Gleaning America's Fields
Feeding America's Hungry
3383 Sweet Hollow Rd.
Big Island, VA 24526
800-333-4597
Church@EndHunger.org
More information about the Society of St. Andrew and its hunger-relief programs - Gleaning Network, Potato & Produce Project, Harvest of Hope and Hunger Relief Advocate Initiative - is available online at EndHunger.org.
Feed your spiritual hunger during the weeks leading up to Christmas with these daily devotions from Society of St. Andrew, offering scripture readings, meditations, and prayers focusing on the coming birth of Jesus, the “Prince of Peace.”
And as you feed your spiritual hunger, we invite you to give generously to feed the physical hunger of nearly 50 million low-income Americans through the gleaning and food distribution ministries of Society of St. Andrew.
Through your faithful giving, as you are fed, so will our hungry brothers and sisters be fed. Every dollar you share will put 50 servings of healthy, nourishing food on their plates this winter.
May God’s light shine brightly through you in this holy season.
From: sosapr@endhunger.org
3383 Sweet Hollow Rd.
Big Island, Virginia 24526
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