I was at church working in my office when my cell phone rang. I answered it and a recorded voice said, “we have been trying to reach you regarding your car warranty.” I hung up. Usually I look at the number before answering and I know this number well because they call at least every other day. A couple hours later my phone rang again. I looked at the number and saw the same area code, 763. I answered the phone and said, in kind of a loud voice, “take me off your calling list!” Then I hung up.
A few minutes later my phone rang AGAIN with the same area code but I looked closer and it was a different number. I decided to answer this time and it was my friend Diane. She said, “the weirdest thing just happened, I thought I called your number but I got this voice yelling ‘Take me off your calling list!’” Oh boy! Thank goodness I inherited my Mother’s great sense of humor and we had a good, long laugh about it!
In my conversation with Diane we both lamented the fact that in a few days it will be December 1st. Even though our days are full and often seem long, the weeks and months and years can seem to fly by. As we turn the calendar to December, we in the Christian Church begin the season of Advent, the season of waiting and watching and anticipation. The Advent season invites us to slow down and breath, as the culture around us seduces us to get lost in the hustle and bustle of the secular events and experiences.
During Advent, we are invited to soak in silence whenever we have the opportunity, whenever we become aware that we need it. So this year, when our schedules feel unmanageable, our tasks seem overwhelming and the noise of the season invades the silence, perhaps we can create some space for simplicity, quiet and presence offered and received. Perhaps we can slow down and look for the God moments in the simplicity of each day, and practice gratitude for all that is and will be as we prepare to celebrate once again Emmanuel God-with-us.
I close with a poem by Tina Datsko de Sánchez who serves as Poet in Residence at the First Congregational Church of Long Beach.
In this hectic season help us to remember,
even the simplest actions count.
Let us pause and take a breath
to feel the miracle
of air filling and emptying within,
as though God is breathing into us.
Let our eyes really see.
How does sunlight glow on tree leaves?
How do stars glimmer in the night sky?
Help us pay attention.
What does an apple really taste like?
Let us walk outdoors and feel the air moving,
see clouds shifting or shimmering at sunset.
Help us shake hands or embrace
and feel the warmth of another human being.
Let us look a person in the eyes and
discover the sparkle of a fellow soul.
May we give and receive kindness,
for that is where God lives.
Blessings,
Pastor Cindy