Thought for the week Advent Sunday

Bright Star-Maker God,
travel with us
through Advent,
shine into our
dark corners,
lead us into
ways of justice,
warm us
with joy and wonder,
bring us
to new birth.
Ruth Burgess

John 8:12; 12; 35-36

Jesus said, “I am the world’s Light.

No one who follows me stumbles around in the darkness.

I provide plenty of light to live in.”

“ For a brief time still, the light is among you.

Walk by the light you have, so darkness does not destroy you. If you walk in darkness, you don’t know where you’re going.

As you have the light, believe in the light. Then the light will be within you and shining through your lives.

You’ll be children of light.”

Thought for the week Christ the King

Most references to Jesus as king occur during the Passion story. The symbol of Christ’s kingship is not a crown but a cross. The Son of God became human and died a horrible death on the cross to release his subjects from captivity. The One who is the true king of our world made this ultimate sacrifice out of his deep and abiding love for the world, a world constantly in rebellion against him. Christ’s kingship is not like a king with a jewel-encrusted crown in purple finery on a gold throne wielding an oppressive rod of iron. Rather, he is the crucified God with a crown of thorns hanging half naked on a cross of shame to set us free from our bondage. Jesus’ comes to us not as a great conquering military leader who oppresses and abuses the conquered. Rather, he comes as the Prince of Peace, the One whose reign proclaims peace, justice, liberation, and above all, service. Jesus turns the whole concept of lordship and kingship on its head.

Thought for the Week Remembrance Sunday

The Parable Of The Old Man and The Young

So Abram rose, and clave the wood, and went,
And took the fire with him, and a knife.
And as they sojourned both of them together,
Isaac the first-born spake and said, My Father,
Behold the preparations, fire and iron,
But where the lamb for this burnt-offering?
Then Abram bound the youth
with belts and straps,
And builded parapets and trenches there,
And stretchèd forth the knife to slay his son.
When lo! an Angel called him out of heaven,
Saying, Lay not thy hand upon the lad,
Neither do anything to him, thy son.
Behold! Caught in a thicket by its horns,
A Ram. Offer the Ram of Pride instead.
But the old man would not so, but slew his son,
And half the seed of Europe, one by one.
Wilfred Owen

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: 
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. 
At the going down of the sun and in the morning 
We will remember them.

Thought for the Week All Saints

The forms and individual characters of living and growing things, of inanimate beings, of animals and flowers and all nature, constitute their holiness in the sight of God. Their inscape is their sanctity. It is the imprint of his wisdom and his reality in them. But what about you? What about me? Unlike the animals and the trees, it is not enough to be what our nature intends. It is not enough for us to be individuals. For us, holiness is more than humanity. If we are never anything but people, we will not be saints and we will not be able to offer to God the worship of our imitation, which is sanctity. For me to be a saint means to be myself. Therefore the problem of sanctity and salvation is in fact the problem of finding out who I am and discovering my true self. Trees and animals have no problem. With us it is different. God leaves us free to be whatever we like. Our vocation is not simply to be, but to work together with God in the creation of our own life, our own identity, our own destiny.
Excerpts adapted from New Contemplation by Thomas Merton