Awaiting the return

For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.
1 Thessalonians 5:2

The wakeful part of my soul listens. Although I am mostly asleep, a part of my consciousness is waiting. Waiting for the sounds of a door opening, footsteps on the stairs, the homecoming of our daughters. They are young adults now, and they return to this place which is not the home in which they grew up.  Nevertheless, in their returning they make it more assuredly home for all of us.

And because they are young and on their own and it is a long drive, they will arrive in the middle of the night.

I remember a morning years ago when I was walking them to school and they ditched me, in all good humor, ready and yearning to walk on their own. I knew it was time. And I also felt unprepared, as if a thief came in the night and snuck their childhood out the door while I was sleeping. And at the same time, I anticipated with joy the women they would be come.

Advent is the season of waiting, of expectancy, of paradox: we look simultaneously for the vulnerable baby in the manger as well as the triumphant Christ who will gather all of broken creation into strong arms of love and make all whole.

I hear the footsteps, the soft familiar voices, and slip into a deep sleep, knowing the house will be even more full when I awake.

Advent is Coming!

Once again, I will be offering my Advent Meditations, beginning Monday, December 2, 2019.

For those of you who don't know my news, I accepted a new call this spring and on May 1, 2019 became the rector of St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Phillipsburg, NJ. As my friend Suzanne Guthrie says, when you move into a new space, you have to learn to pray in a new way. Thus, I expect that my meditations will have a new flavor this Advent.

If you would like to receive my meditations directly, you can subscribe to a daily email.

I also had a book of my meditations published by Church Publishing, so if you would like hard copy or eBook, there is still time to order one!

I look forward to being on the journey with you!