Advent 2015 Gathering Dark

The darkness has been gathering. This year I've been working outside everyday and I've noticed more than ever changes in season. Over the past few months, nature has been preparing. As the days have grown darker and the nights colder, plants have dropped their seeds and braced for impending danger. The smells of spring, summer and fall are replaced by a strange emptiness. The voices that filled the forest are now silent. As the cold deepens the motivation to simply curl up and sleep is hard to resist. 

In the gathering dark, there is a temptation to despair. The unknown is at the doorstep, and much of nature runs away towards the promise of warmth. Nature has entered survival mode and the hustle and bustle of spring and summer has gone to the fringes of memory. The motivation to be productive, to build, to clean, to produce which came so easily earlier in the year is now gone. Getting out of bed is more of a challenge than ever. Two cups of coffee are needed instead of one. Loneliness, depression, anxiety, self-consciousness are at their height. Where is hope now, when even the birds have ceased to sing? 

In the face of winter's icy grasp comes the fulfillment of a prophecy as old as time. Beginning today, just weeks before the year's darkest day (December 21st) is a month long party celebrating the Light of Life, the Prince of Peace, the God who is with us. So we have hope in the midst of uncertainty. We have a reason to rejoice in the midst of real problems. And I end today's post with that encouragement. 

Comment with a topic or theme relevant to Advent and I'll find time to write about it. It's a glorious time of year to be alive in New England. The contrast of the cold outside with the warmth inside people's hearts both growing at the same time is beautiful to behold. 

Pax Vobiscum, 

Soft Words, Powerful Message

Here's a neat video of a man who we all respect. The part of particular interest to me starts at 7.00 http://www.petzoid.com/mr-rogers-message/ The power of television should never be misunderstood. However, simply being powerful is not a negative by itself. Let's learn from the contrast that Mr Rogers highlights in his speech.

Comment with some tv shows and movies that you think are worth watching for kids. I can think of a couple like Liberty's Kids, Avatar The Last Airbender, Mulan, or Karate Kid.





The Lights in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. 

Time

Time is relative. We all know this. The past flew, the future is an eternity away. Work drags. Vacation sprints. It is only in mathematics that time is constant. The progression of the universe towards it's ultimate end is hardly a regular beat. Somethings cycle seemingly endlessly. Others fade and are lost. Much wisdom of the past is lost forever to the detriment of modern man. The universe goes in a cycle yes but not in a circle as some would have us think. Much that has been will come again but not again in the same. The world flows in spirals sometimes up sometimes down sometimes spreading out or drawing inwards. 

I think a good question to ask ourselves and others. In addition to asking "how are you" it might help us to ask, "how fast is your time going?" What parts of life go quickly and what parts will just never end? Do you remember anything as having taken along time? Or do all memories flash and seem as if they happened in a moment? With some people you wish time would slow down, with others that it would speed up. A best friend you can spend forever with? Maybe you will spend forever with them. What about time with God? Obviously God is always with us and He doesn't seem to mind our company too much. When we spend time with Him though some respond differently then others. Alot of people can't seem to enjoy prayer at all, it's a struggle and a constant fight just to finish without letting thoughts wander or the eyelids fall. The trouble is, alot of us who seem to have such a hard time with prayer will in actuality be spending eternity with God.

Another good question to ask is "what is heaven supposed to be like?" Alot of people are excited about heaven but not excited at all about time with God or with God's people. This seems a little strange to me, but I don't know for other people. I know I have a hard time getting through to God. Once I'm there though I am never dissatisfied. This sorta makes me think that the people who don't like to pray are probably not actually praying at all. They are perhaps knocking on the wrong door, or dialing the wrong number. Getting the connection to God can be hard work. First the person must be intentional. Deciding to silence your feelings and enter into a non sensory conversation is very unconventional and many are told to do it but few are trained how. Practice is essential here. Stop listening to your body, ignore that itch, let the bug crawl across your knee, don't fall asleep. This is phase one. Phase two is organizing your thoughts. A person will find that once they can quiet their body and settle into a position without falling asleep that their thought life becomes very interesting.This is very good, because your mental muscles are finally free to work in a way they aren't when your constantly focused on feelings. However this is still not prayer. everyone like Winnie the Pooh ought to have a thinking spot where they are intentional about thinking. Howver beyond this lies a realm of greater things.Through the buzzing of thought lies God the almighty, God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob willing to interact with you about life.  There He sits, lord of time never impatient, always ready.

I find that in that space time becomes irrelevant. I converse with God mentally. Often mouthing the words with my lips saying the words in my head. Do not talk to God as if he's reading your thoughts. I need to talk to God as a person to a Being. Framing sentences, constructing ideas and implementing proper grammar. Backtracking when I make a mistake and restating what I meant more clearly, not because He doesn't understand but so that I can better understand my own intentions.

Those are some thoughts on prayer and time. I hope that my thoughts will prompt thoughts of your own and maybe a comment or a share....or my favorite, a question.