A Soul Freeing Walk
Little puppy, what are you chasing on the trail
that floats in the cold waters across the lake?
What is it you see that I cannot
or am not allowed to view?
Ears flopping back in the breeze created by running
you do not scale back to greet the friendly
lasso-apso or care to get out
of the way for the guy on the bike.
O Annie, are you chasing the woodland fairies.
that have ventured out of the cool, damp woods.
to dance on the glimmering water
and frolic with glowing sunbeams?
Or are you in a race against time this autumn day?
Surely the record-breaking warm days
won’t last much longer and today is
a perfectly lovely afternoon.
O Creator, how sweet my soul feels when free
from the worries of the everyday.
My hope is in my Redeemer and
my heart hears how to love and live.
John the Baptist’s Message: Luke 3:3-6
Common English Bible
33 John went throughout the region of the Jordan River, calling for people to be baptized to show that they were changing their hearts and lives and wanted God to forgive their sins. 4 This is just as it was written in the scroll of the words of Isaiah the prophet,
A voice crying out in the wilderness:
“Prepare the way for the Lord;
make his paths straight.
5 Every valley will be filled,
and every mountain and hill will be leveled.
The crooked will be made straight
and the rough places made smooth.
6 All humanity will see God’s salvation.” [d]
Just Keep Breathing
In this Season of Advent, Saint John the Baptist is one of the characters we consider. He cries out to us to open a space in our lives so that God’s salvation will be known.
Perhaps that is what many of us do when immersed in nature on warm days. We enjoy the beauty that God provides and leave worries behind, increasing the spaciousness in our hearts.
There are appropriate times we do our best to tackle the problems of the community and reduce oppression. Then there is a time to change the world in other ways with appreciation of creation and trusting the Holy Protector and Healer to fulfill the promises of Advent.
Although I used to be a worrier and overcome with anxiety, I’ve learned that when anxiety rises like yeast in fresh dough, it’s time to get outside, or sit and breathe and release my worries to God. You might try this simple breath prayer:
Inhale the breath of God. Exhale the peace of Christ.
Keeping our minds and hearts on Christ, healing occurs, and we prepare the way of the Christ Child in our own way.
O Come O Come Emmanuel
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
and ransom captive Israel,
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear.
Chorus:
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel,
shall come to thee o Israel!
O come, Thou Wisdom, from on high,
and order all things far and nigh;
to us the path of knowledge show,
and teach us in her ways to go.
We hold you in the Light and Love of Christ,
Marta
Rev. Marta Wheeler