ADVENT Week 3

Week 3 (December 16 - Third Sunday of Advent – December 22)

An Advent Reflection:

Last week we reflected on the waiting we do in advent, but also the waiting we experience here at the Mustard Seed as we wait for the kingdom of God to come here on earth. But in other ways, we also see that not only are we waiting for the coming King, we also have some beautiful opportunities to witness that the kingdom has also already arrived. In a world marked by violence, starvation, over consumption, and poverty, how can we still become a community of joy? Matthew 3:2 says, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." So we are waiting for the kingdom to come in fullness and glory here on earth, but we are also bearing witness to the many ways the kingdom is showing itself here joyfully on earth every day. This is where we draw our joy and also our hope from; seeing the face of Jesus in our community. In the people who come through our doors for dinner, in the faces of our staff as they comfort one another during a difficult shift, in the hands of our volunteers as they prepare meals and serve our community each night, in the acts of kindness and generosity that we see even amongst our community members. Beautiful acts of love and generosity, the Holy Spirit at work through us each day.

Follow the link for a short clip from Pastor Rudy Rasmus about his view on Advent. It’s called: A Resurrected Christmas and I think you’ll like it.

http://vimeo.com/32450067

An Advent Invitation: (an idea for getting active during the advent season)

Gift giving is a big part of the holiday season. I was discussing Christmas with a friend of mine the other day and she was telling me about how every Christmas she spends hours preparing to get her family the perfect gifts. She takes great joy from watching her family open carefully chosen and wrapped gifts on Christmas day. It is in a sense, a gift to her to be able to see the joy in her family as they open their present from her. She lamented to me the fact that each year one member of her family would not accept a gift from her. She would take extra care to find something she thought they would like, but they would never accept the gift saying, “oh no, I couldn’t, I don’t have any need right now.” Each year she would make a second trip to the store to return the unaccepted gift. “It makes me feel terrible. It’s like she is too good for the gift I have to offer her.” There was so much hurt in her voice as she described the feeling of her gift rejection!

One thing I’ve learned through working at the Mustard Seed is of the beauty of gift giving. The other day one of our community members came up to me and said, “How are you? You look tired! Can I get you a cold drink?” At first I was a little taken aback, I was tired. I had been working all day and it was now well into the evening. I accepted his offer, expecting him to return with a mug of cold water from the kitchen, but he returned with a can of juice he had purchased from the pop machine in our building. I was shocked. Emptied by humility. Filled with gratitude. In a job where we are constantly trying to meet the needs of people who go without, this man had seen a need (perhaps one that I didn’t even recognize in myself), and filled that need with a dollar and tremendous generosity. It was solidarity in action, the kingdom coming to earth, while I was working to make sure his needs were met, he was doing the same for me. It was Christian community at its finest, each of us bringing our gifts and talents and potential together to create community as the hands and feet of Christ.

This Advent Season, I want to invite you to see gift giving in a new light. There is something special about being able to give someone a gift, and perhaps there is something special about receiving a gift too. In a way, when we receive a gift with graciousness and gratitude, we are returning a gift of joy to the person who showing the spirit of giving to us.

May we be conscious of both the gifts we give, but also the not-so-obvious one’s we receive too! Perhaps this is one way we can see Christ in our neighbor this season.

Want to get active in gift giving? We have plenty of opportunities: http://www.theseed.ca/christmas.html

Have you had an advent reflection of your own to share? Write a blog for us and submit it to: JenniferFast@theseed.ca to be posted on our blog.

Prayers for Advent:

This week, please pray for the people in our city who will go without this holiday season.

For those who have no family to share the holidays with.

For the strength of our staff, and all inner city workers, that we would have patience and compassion always.

For all Christians, that each day we would have the eyes to see the signs that the Kingdom of God is at hand, and that our joy and hope from the resurrected Christ would spread His kingdom through fascination instead of fear.

A Prayer Excerpt from Common Book of Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals:

Fourth Century poet Ephrem the Syrian wrote, “The word of God is a tree of life that offers us blessed fruit from each of its branches. It is like that rock that was struck open in the wilderness, from which all were offered spiritual drink. Be glad then that you are overwhelmed, and do not be saddened because he has overcome you. A thirsty person is happy when drinking, and not depressed, because the spring is inexhaustible. You can satisfy your thirst without exhausting the spring; then when you thirst again, you can drink from it once more.”

God of abundance, help us live today trusting that there will be enough for tomorrow. Your sources have no end. Teach us to share our resources, believing that the more we give, the more you will provide for all.

Sign up for our advent email list (paulacornell@theseed.ca) or follow our twitter feed (@mustardseedyeg) and our blog to receive a weekly Advent reflection focused on Justice, Poverty, and the reason for the season; Christ.

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