Colourful Dreamer

Today we continue our journey through Advent, the theme for this week is peace.   Hope (last week’s theme) and peace go together. In today’s readings we are offered some amazing images of hope and peace, especially in Isaiah; images of both predator and prey lying together in peace. Given the events of this year this seems so distant. And yet we are called to be a people who live out of this hope despite the evidence. In the reading from Matthew we are given the image of being re-rooted. Advent is a time to ask ourselves what pots we are currently rooted in and how they help or hinder our life in God. It offers us a time to open ourselves to the possibility of being re-rooted into God’s peace, hope love and joy (the themes for Advent). During this week I invite you to take time at the end of each day to give thanks for ways God brought peace and hope into your day,   and to reflect on the roots that might help you to live peace.

This can be listened to here Gate Pa – Year A, First Sunday in Advent 2016 Readings: Psalm                          Psalm: 122                                                                 First Reading:                        Isaiah 2:1-5                                       Second Reading:                    Romans 13:11-14                            Gospel:                                    Matthew 24:36-44    What I want to say: The first Sunday in Advent is about Hope. This Sunday we bless our Nativity sets as symbols of hope. We will hear the story of St. Francis and the first nativity crib at Greccio, and then wonder about hope. What I want to happen: Share stories of their nativities and what they represent to them. The Sermon      1.      Introduction: (ppt) Now a days we take for granted the re-enactment of the first Christmas we smoosh together the stories of the gospels children get act out what happened common place but fir

This week marks the beginning of Advent. “ "Advent" means "arrival." And so the Season of Advent is a time of preparation and anticipation for the arrival of Jesus. But not just preparation and anticipation for celebrating the birth of Jesus on Christmas Day. We are also reminded in this Season of Advent to get ready for the arrival of Jesus on that day when our prayer - "Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven" - is finally realized. We are awaiting the arrival of December 25 to celebrate the past - the birth of Jesus - and also the arrival of a future that has already been prepared for us, and is on its way, but whose date no one knows.” [1] Today we begin with the theme of hope and ask ourselves where we see God at work bringing hope into our world and our community. More than that, we are invited to join in that work of hope making. How do we embody the hope of God in our community? [1] David Ewart < http://www.holytextures.com