Monday, December 24, 2007

Advent Sharing

This year I’ve taken a different approach to Advent. This is interesting to me because in past years of my life, I haven’t really approached Advent at all. I haven’t been mindful of this event. I never really “got it”. Advent was lost in the turmoil and noise that happens this time of year.

In late November, my friend Julia suggested that we alternate sharings of brief writings in the spirit of waiting, of what we noticing during the waiting. Throughout December, we’ve traded days and written short paragraphs about our “noticing” during this Advent season. Noticing things in the natural world, often relating to light and dark, as the nights get longer. Noticing our feelings of waiting. Sharing about the coming day of Christmas, the birth of Christ. Sharing about Solstice. Writing them down. Reading them to each other over the phone. Daily.

This has been enjoyable, soothing and deepening in the Spirit. As a spiritual practice, these readings and sharings have helped keep my focus away from all the commercial noise that rises to a crescendo around Christmas. And, it has helped my focus on two happenings this time of year: Solstice and Christmas. I don’t see these two as incompatible. The coming of the Light. Waiting expectantly for messages from God. And sharing those messages. The sharing has been very connecting.

4 comments:

gartenfische said...

What a beautiful thing to do. I feel like my Advent was kind of lost this year. I think it helps to have somebody else to help keep you on track.

Hope you had a blessed Christmas!

poodledoc said...

It has felt very good to do this. Next, we are planning to collect the Advent sharings into a "summary" form of some kind. Haven't finalized that yet....

Yes, the Christmas season has been filled with many blessings. Thanks, Garten.

Anonymous said...

Hi Chuck,

When you have collected and summarized these sharings, are you going to distribute them more broadly? If so, I would be interested in reading them.

Thanks,

John

PS. This sounded like a powerful exchange of the Spirit.

Suzy said...

Each year, I start out the "holiday season" determined that I am going to experience it in a more spiritual way, and my efforts (if I mke them at all) always are derailed so quickly, and I find myself, stressed, angry, unfulfilled ... the usual stuff that so many people experience. I almost feel like I need a spiritual guidance group to make it happen the way I envision, to reclaim the season for me.

I'm glad that this was so successful.