12-11-23

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
December 11, 2023
Context: Yesterday, I talked about carving out more space where we acknowledge and embrace God’s presence. Faith tells us God is everywhere, and though at times we might create an expectation that God will not make an appearance in a certain place or time, Advent is about recognizing how God sneaks into those places and times we least expect. This is a prayer to offer in those places where we least expect to encounter God, including the office, the classroom, when we are doing laundry, stuck in traffic, at a sporting event, or having dinner with that uncle who wants to spend the entire meal telling about his most recent conspiracy theory. Yes, God is found even in those moments for those who are open to the possibility. And if open, then we are available to the one we call the Prince of Peace.

Prayer for the Week: It is easy to notice you in certain places, O God of the Universe and beyond, yet I have too often relegated you to one area of life while assuming you have no plans of appearing in another. Yet if you are the Everlasting God who exists in a moment of time even before it is a moment, then why should I ever convince myself that there are moments without you? Today, wherever I find myself—wherever I have previously convinced myself to be inattentive to your Spirit—provide me with the perceptive vision of faith that is capable of seeing beyond my limited expectations. This I request in the name of the Christ Child, who was born in the most unanticipated birthing center. Amen.