Words of Light and Hope from Sue Page LLM

Words of Light and Hope for the 4th Sunday in Advent from Sue Page LLM

Celebrating Advent means learning how to wait.…

Not all can wait –

certainly not those who are satisfied, contented,
and feel that they live in the best of all possible worlds!
Those who learn to wait are uneasy about their way of
life, but yet have seen a vision of greatness in the world
of the future and are patiently expecting its fulfillment.
The celebration of Advent is possible only to those who

are troubled in soul,

who know themselves to be poor and imperfect,
and who look forward to something greater to come.
For these, it is enough to wait in humble fear until the

Holy One himself comes down to us,
God in the child in the manger.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Prayer

God of latent life and growing shoots,
We wait for You in an expectant world:
We long for Your wisdom to be at work in our lives
And, with our sisters and brothers,
We yearn for justice to be done on earth

Amen
Christ’s Coming

God did not wait till the world was ready,
Till nations were at peace.

God came when the nations were unsteady,
And prisoners cried for release.

God did not wait for the perfect time.
God came when the need was deep and great.
God dined with sinners in all their grime,
Turned water into wine. God did not wait
Till hearts were pure. In joy God came
To a tarnished world of sin and doubt;
To a world like ours, of anguished shame
God came, and God’s light would not go out.
God came to a world which did not mesh,
To heal its tangles, shield it scorn.
In the mystery of the Word made flesh
The Maker of the stars was born.
We cannot wait till the world is sane
To raise our songs with joyful voice,
For to share our greed, to touch our pain,
God came with Love: Rejoice! Rejoice!

Madeleine Engels

Advent is a time of waiting….

As we wait to celebrate once again the coming of our God

in Jesus
We wait and pray…

In Taize we learn that true Prayer is Waiting……

Prayer is waiting…intending…
…………and above all desiring God.
Prayer is a holding on to God,
until waiting,

waiting we move into the knowledge
that we are being held
by Him

Brother Roger of Taizé