First Sunday of Advent
Hope
Jesus
said, "There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the
earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves.
People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world,
for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see 'the Son of
Man coming in a cloud' with power and great glory. Now when these things begin
to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is
drawing near."
Then
he told them a parable: "Look at the fig tree and all the trees; as soon
as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is
already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that
the kingdom of God is near. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass
away until all things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my
words will not pass away.
"Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day catch you unexpectedly, like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man."
Luke 21:25-36
Son of Man
MAGRITTE,
René
1964
Private
Collection
The Son of Man is an elusive concept, but one that was central
to Jesus' understanding of his role and identity on earth. Artists throughout
the millennia have offered their visual representations of this god-form. A
20th century interpretation is presented here in a painting by the renowned
artist, René Magritte. He describes his own visual representation this
way:
"At least it hides the face partly. Well, so you have the apparent face, the apple, hiding the visible but hidden, the face of the person. It's something that happens constantly. Everything we see hides another thing, we always want to see what is hidden by what we see. There is an interest in that which is hidden and which the visible does not show us. This interest can take the form of a quite intense feeling, a sort of conflict, one might say, between the visible that is hidden and the visible that is present."[1] In a radio interview with Jean Neyens (1965), cited in Torczyner, Magritte: Ideas and Images, trans. Richard Millen (New York: Harry N. Abrams), p.172.
Hope is being able
to see that there is light
despite all of the
darkness.
~ Desmond Tutu
Hope is the dream
of a waking man.
~ Aristotle
Before
our storm, the elk spread out all over the golf course to rest and eat.
I
counted about 150 extending up and down and across the fairway!
On
another day, a little deer peeked in the window from my patio.
Give
thanks with a grateful heart.
Just
the three of us.
Vicki
Hall
Sue
Wolff
On
Friday, I rang the bell at Walmart.
When
I started at three o’clock, it was 10 degrees.
One
man told me to stop at his gas station across the street for a free hot
chocolate.
When
he left Walmart, he repeated the offer.
It
hit the spot!
Go where your
best prayers take you.
~ Frederick Buechner
November 29, 2015 First Sunday of Advent
Agnus Day, by
James Wetzstein
Agnus Day appears with the permission
of www.agnusday.org
Teach
me your paths.
Psalm
25:1-10
http://worship.calvin.edu/home/Psalm-of-the-Week.html
Jeremiah 33:14-16
Psalm 25:1-10
1 Thessalonians 3:9-13
Luke 21:25-36