advent I

light

 "O send out your light and your truth;
let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy hill

and to your dwelling.

Then I will go to the altar of God,

to God my exceeding joy..."

Psalm 43:3-4

READINGS

ISAIAH 2:1-5

"Litanies hum in my ears; my tongue flaps in my mouth, Ailinon, alleluia!  I cannot cause light; the most I can do is try to put myself in the path of its beam."--Annie Dillard

"You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light."--Psalm 18:28

"Cruelty is a mystery and a waste of pain.  But if we describe a world to compass these things, a world that is a long, brute game, then we bump up against another mystery: the inrush of power and light."--Annie Dillard

"You will come home to see yourselves as you are...children of light."--David Rosenberg

"Would any seed take root if it had

not believed

His promise when God said,

'Dears I will rain.  I will help you.

I will turn you into warmth and 

effulgence.

I will be the mother I am

and let you draw from my body

and rise, and

rise.'"

--Thomas Aquinas (tr. D. Ladinsky)

"You saw fire, and light came

You expected blood; wine is being 

poured.

Don't run from your tremendous 

good fortune.

Be silent and don't try to add up

what's been given.

An unaccountable grace has

come to you."

--Rumi

PSALM 122

"Dear God, please reveal to us

your sublime 

beauty

that is everywhere, everywhere,

everywhere,

so that we will never again

feel frightened.

My divine love, my love,

please let us touch 

your face."

--Francis of Assisi (tr. David Ladinsky)
 

ROMANS 13:4-11

"Get up, stop sleeping--the days of life are short."--Mirabai

"how should tasting touching hearing seeing

breathing any--lifted from the no

of all nothing--human merely being

doubt unimaginable You?

(now the ears of my ears awake and 

now the eyes of my eyes are opened)."

--e.e. cummings

MATTHEW 24:37-44

"Anxious to see you, our souls become your glory, our eyes become your fire."--Teresa of Avila

"Beauty and grace are performed whether or not we will or sense them.  The least we can try to do is be there."--Annie Dillard

"By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."--Luke 1:78-79

what's going on here

we're our best when we're sharing a part of ourselves while united in a common vision

this is a place for collaborating, composing, compiling, constructing and deconstructing, jotting down, sharing, remembering, etc.

the readings for the upcoming week will be posted in advance along with anything else that might seem like fitting inspiration/supplementation/happy random thought that will fit in with the theme for the week

read at the beginning of the week and be inspired by it/reflective about it the rest of the week

feel free to post comments that add to our little snippets of supplementary quotes, song lyrics, pictures and the like

partial, half-articulated, half-remembered thoughts are welcome

odds and ends are welcome

post here or bring it on Sunday (or both)

please share

we need you