I’ll be honest, I’m not feeling up to much this Advent. There are devotional and traditions out there that look so lovely, but my spirit is weary. The world out there is heavy and so is my heart. But I do feel called to the waiting. I want to want the hope that Christmas brings. I want to long for the incarnation that becomes redemption alive and walking this earth in human form. I want to desire to know more deeply mercy that makes the dust and dirt of our world sacred ground.
So I did some thinking this weekend about how I could work Advent into my existing rhythms and routines. My morning routine consists of a short time to meditate and journal and then time to work on writing projects. Lately, I have been thinking a lot about the liberation I feel when I indulge my spiritual imagination, thinking about familiar spiritual themes and stories in new ways. I came up with a plan. I will apply my spiritual imagination to the narratives of Advent and meditate on them in the quiet of my mornings. Maybe there will be candlelight. Maybe I will want to journal thoughts. But most importantly, I will spend time thinking on things that lead me to wonder and hope and anticipation of the Good News to come.
I thought I’d share what I’ll be pondering and practicing in case you too could use some direction for this Advent season. I will be thinking on how the characters and themes of Advent show up in our world today and what we can do to seek justice and mercy in our own lives for the people around us.
I’d love for you to come play and meditate with me! How you do it? Well, you can pull out your Bible and read the familiar nativity narratives if you like, or you can just sit still and remember. Then you apply new thought and fresh questions to the familiar stories. Maybe you’ll want to journal your responses or maybe you’ll just want to carry the questions with you through your day and unpack your thoughts over time. Candles, mindful breathing, and artistic images are all things that center me when I am trying to calm my mind into a more meditative state. Soft music in the background can help too.
Here are the questions I’ll posing to myself during the first week of Advent. I’ll send along a new set each week for you.
Thinking on Mary, a young virgin who finds herself saying “yes” to a pregnancy. Mary becomes one of the most vulnerable in her community when she offers her “yes” to God. She opens herself to judgment, social isolation, and even violence. Who are the “vulnerable virgins” around you—the people who are outcast in your community for not following the standard path? The perceived sinners who bear the judgment of a Church or a school or a neighborhood? The individuals isolated and marginalized because of their choices? What can you do to offer safety to these vulnerable ones? How can you become a safe space physically, emotionally, spiritually?
Thinking on being overshadowed by the Holy Spirit. Mary conceives the Christ Child by an “overshadowing” of the Holy Spirit. What does the concept look like for you? Where are you living under the shadow of the Spirit? What areas of your life might you make an offering to the Spirit, inviting Spirit to stretch itself over you and cover you in its creative presence? What new thing might you conceive under the Spirit’s direction? What does it feel like to be filled with anticipation by the Spirit? What new thing are you waiting to develop in this season.
Thinking on Joseph. When Joseph hears of Mary’s pregnancy, he makes plans to quietly walk away, trying to mitigate her humiliation as much as possible. But he is visited by an angel in a dream and told not to. Joseph accepts the charge to become a protector and provider of Mary in her vulnerability. Where are you being called to step up when your instinct might be to back away? How are you being called to go against the grain and side with the vulnerable and marginalized? Call upon the presence of the angels to guide and instruct you toward mercy in this season. Where are they tugging you to go, who are they telling you to draw near to?
I hope you find these ponderings useful for your Advent meditations. I’d love to hear some of your thoughts in the comments.