Year A, Advent One

Theme: Raw and Ready

Quotes

A sage traveling all day is never far from the supplies in his cart, and however spectacular the views he remains calm and composed.
Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching

Invitation to Gather

Before our eyes opened to this day
naught but darkness lay beneath
the lashes, closed, that sheltered us within the night
and let us rest and dream within our slumber.
But morning calls us out,
opens our eyes
to all our hearts can bear
and brings us here.
May we find light in one another’s eyes
and beauty in this company of characters,
gathered to celebrate another day,
another opportunity for hope. 

Revised Common Lectionary Readings

Isaiah 2:1-5

Romans 13:11-14

Psalm 122 Reconsidered
The reconsideration places the world of the psalm in current time. The purpose is to create a dissonance, to drive home to those reading and listening how impossible the expectations are and to remind us that waiting for the promises of a better, perfect future are without merit now. There is work that must be done.

I am made glad by this journeying and the arrival this hour marks.
Our feet stand within the gates of Tomorrow,
a city bound firmly together by the dreams of its inhabitants.
To it we all go up, the people of this vast and beautiful world, 
for there, the culminations of our efforts, 
thrones of judgment, await us. 
May we see prosperity there!
May peace be within the walls of Tomorrow,
and may prosperity and security be there for all.
To my friends, family, and neighbors I say, “Peace be within you.
And for the sake of the city of Tomorrow, I will seek your good.”

Matthew 26:36-44

For complete texts, please see Vanderbilt Lectionary Resources: Revised Common Lectionary Texts
For commentary on original texts, please see Chris Haslam’s Commentary on the Revised Common Lectionary Texts

Alternate Readings

Words to Introduce the Reading(s)

Into silence, comes the spoken word: abrupt; unexpected; temporary. May we hear these words and feel them absorb into our beings that we might not lose them, but incorporate them into our lives, our dreams, our futures.

For the information of the Reader

C. JoyBell C. is the author of poetry, literature, and inspirational books, including The Sun is Snowing, which delve into the philosophy of mind, esoterism, and topics that explore the nature of human relationship and individuality. She is the most quoted author on the popular Goodreads website.

Reading

There are two things we should always be 1. raw and 2. ready. When you are raw, you are always ready and when you are ready you usually realize that you are raw. Waiting for perfection is not an answer; one cannot say “I will be ready when I am perfect” because then you will never be ready. Rather one must say “I am raw and I am ready just like this right now, how and who I am.”

C. JoyBell C. 

For the information of the Reader

Gaston Bachelard, 1884 – 1962, was a French philosopher who made contributions in the fields of poetics and the philosophy of science. His work influenced both Michel Foucault and Louis Althusser.

Reading

A creature that hides and “withdraws into its shell,” is preparing a “way out.” This is true of the entire scale of metaphors, from the resurrection of a man in his grave, to the sudden outburst of one who has long been silent. If we remain at the heart of the image under consideration, we have the impression that, by staying in the motionlessness of its shell, the creature is preparing temporal explosions, not to say whirlwinds, of being.

Gaston Bachelard, The Poetics of Space

Response to the Reading

Leader: Offered as gift into a moment
All: May we embrace the truths that lie within

Focused Moment

Imagine only one way out
and that way cramped and dimly lit,
the place beyond 
a story not yet written,
its ending scraped across 
as many dreams as nightmares.
Would you try to stay inside forever,
avoid the unknown,
talk yourself into believing
that here now
and everything that is
will hold you ‘til forever?
Would you draw out the inevitable,
take each moment slowly, slow,
suck in your breath
as much to squeeze you through the narrow portal 
as in anticipation 
of the que sera sera
that lies beyond?

Or would you string the way with twinkling lights,
tape crepe paper bows along the portal
their bright colours melting into everything and all over,
revel in the surfaces worn smooth
through whorls of evolution,
turn your every effort into wonder
as you press yourself beyond what is …
to your own amazement?

Image: Volute Shell 1, Volute Shell 2 

All images gretta vosper unless otherwise credited.

Hymn

O Come, Light’s Dawning

Tune: Veni Emmanuel
Popular Hymn: O Come, O Come Emmanuel

O come, light’s dawning, burn within my soul,
the tinder of my heart. you can make whole.
O come, ignite my passion to see
the truth of who I am, who I can be.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
To fear I bid farewell
that light may come within my heart to dwell.

O come, light’s beauty, come amongst and cheer
our spirits by your radiant presence here.
O come, ignite our passion to see
that we can live in peace and harmony,
Rejoice! Rejoice!
To anger bid farewell
that light may come within our hearts do dwell.

O come, light’s wisdom, be our certain guide
as arrogance and greed we set aside.
O come, ignite our passion to see 
the beauty born in all humanity.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
To privilege bid farewell
that light may come within our hearts to dwell.

O come, light’s piercing truth, come and reveal
all that our planet needs from us to heal.
O come, ignite our passion to see
the splendour in Earth’s vast diversity.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
To darkness bid farewell
that light may come within our hearts to dwell. 

© 2012 gretta vosper

Thoughts and Additional Resources on the Week’s Theme

Perspective(s) Notes:

The term “Perspective(s) came about as a way to move from the word “sermon” to something that was more representative of what is shared at West Hill. I offer a perspective on something on Sunday morning. That perspective goes out of the room with those who heard it and is shaped by their own perspectives as they share it. To remind those present of their responsibility in that regard, the title “Perspective(s)” was born.

Direction: Where are you taking this week’s message? 

What’s relevant in your community right now? 
Before you start, take time to reflect on what is happening inside and outside your community locally, regionally, nationally, internationally

What are the ideas that emerge from the readings, music, and videos? 

How did they evolve into importance or centrality for you? 

What can the people with you this week do with these ideas in their lives?  

As citizens?

Who are the other people for whom these ideas might be significant? 

Video 

(please always check to ensure links are still live; if not, find something else or omit and please send me a note so that I can try to fix it.)
Evolution of Whales: Watch and consider what situations might have emerged that created the necessary conditions for each evolutionary development to take place. Consider the same for the evolution of aquatic animals into land animals.

Further Reading

Wearable Technology Tattoos

Words of Commitment

We live within the matrix of life, a matrix which has emerged, one moment at a time. As we, history’s greatest creative force, contemplate our place in life’s story, may we offer our considerations, our energies, and our resources to the work of preparedness, being both raw and ready in our response. I invite you to present your donations (offerings) for the ongoing work of the congregation.

Commissioning

You go out into an ever-evolving matrix, life clamoring for presence in all its myriad, evolutionary expressions. Go into that mix boldly, finding within yourselves the raw resources you need to create beauty, share truths, and work together for the sake of the ever-changing planet we call home. 

Images

Volute 1, photo by gretta vosper

Volute 2, photo by gretta vosper

…..

Bonus Material

Perspective(s) outline as shared by gretta vosper at West Hill United

The theme is explored setting up the image of Raw as being open to impact of what is happening around us and Ready as having our eyes open, which means that we can SEE instead of turning away; only when we really see what is coming/happening, can we truly be ready. The consideration is drawn toward the well-being of the planet and our ability to introduce elements that affect evolution and the planet’s sustainable future. 

Set up the image of leaving for a trip somewhere using personal anecdotes to describe your preparations: 

• best to have a list
• what to do before leaving: turn on the dishwasher; turn down the heat (may provide opportunity for humorous anecdotes – like the time I forgot to turn on the dishwasher and returned home to a top rack knitted together with the bottom rack by thousands of strands of mould!)
• what to take with you: passports, medications, toothbrush, special sleeping pillows (again, personal anecdotes to engage the audience.)
• clothing – what to wear; how your choices differ based on where you’re going, what you’re doing, whom you will be with ….
• what happens if you don’t have time to do this planning? Recount a personal experience of travelling with and without what you needed

Preparing: Explore each of the following to develop the concept of what is it we need to do to ready ourselves:

• a new day
• a trip
• a different season
• the future
• a different life

Life is not planned. Not on the micro – as in what is happening tomorrow – or on the macro – as in the evolution of the world’s species.

Evolution got us here, but it is unreflective and unplanned. 

Evolution is more like the way we packed for the trip when we have no time to plan: everything and anything emerges and has to thrive within its environment or die off. 

• St. Augustine aquarium, founded to provide marine scenes for Hollywood its original selection of marine animals put predators and prey in the same large tank with now obvious, and deadly results. Of course, they weren’t obvious at the time because so little was known about marine animals. If they were all out there together, they must just get along, right? 
• Introduction of species that compromise the homeostasis of current ecosystems: Emerald Ash Borer; Eastern flowering dogwood fungus; Australian pines; etc.
• Evolution doesn’t set out a plan for the biological development of a species or even its preservation

What’s a species to do?

• Vulnerabilities
• Extinctions
• Disappearance of habitats 

Hiding in our shells – only useful if we are preparing while we’re hiding so we need to be Raw and Ready

• Raw – Open to impact of what is happening around us
• Ready – Eyes open means that we can SEE instead of turning away; only when we really see what is coming/happening, can we be truly ready

WE can imagine our future – the thought experiment, the scientific hypothesis –

• IFFT: if this, then that? Rational exploration of what might come next

WE can imagine our evolution: wearable tats, for example. Develop your thoughts on each of the following or invite input from congregation to do so.

• As a species, how are we RAW? How are we READY?
• As a country, how are we RAW? How are we READY?
• As a congregation, how are we RAW? How are we READY?
• As individuals, how are we RAW? How are we READY?