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| Saturday, December 12, 2009 |
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Your Advent Body
By webmaster @ 7:00 AM :: 387 Views ::
0 Comments :: Nina Frost
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Last week I wrote about the Advent invitation to "make room," and all the challenges and promises in this year-round spiritual practice.
But we do not "make room" just in our ideas, or our schedules. One of the deepest mysteries of the Christmas season is that it celebrates Incarnation… God’s Word becoming flesh. So this is also a season to "make room" for what our own bodies need, what they tell us, how they can help us pray.
This is not my strong suit. I collect quotes with the best of them, very attentive to words and nuance and meaning. But listen hard and lovingly to my body, my own literal incarnation that makes the work of service in the world possible? I tend to pay attention only when something goes wrong. Neck up: Lots of thinking about God. Neck down: Not sure what to do.
The mystery of Incarnation is the theme of the Adult Education class at 1:30 all this month, and it is a rich, provocative series. We are looking at various ways we need to pay attention to this hallmark of Christmas: Incarnation—in liturgy, in community, and yes, in our very own bodies.
So this Sunday I invite you to the 1:30 class, whether in person or on the web at www.marblechurch.org. The class, led by Nance McGee, an expert theologian and process leader, will look at how our bodies naturally partner with prayer, with awareness of God’s spirit in us. How they can be our teachers. It will be a deep yet accessible time.
The language of this season is the language of sheer, physical aliveness. As author and theologian Robert Raines once commented about Christmas:
"God speaks to us in the special sign language of a baby. A baby is birth, beginning potential without guarantee. A baby is helpless but not hopeless. A baby is someone to watch. A baby is the future appearing now."
This week, look for the "future appearing now" that will first show up in your body in the form of a thirst…a desire… a hope… an enthusiasm. Pray for the room to receive that future hope, and the means to continue to birth it. |
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Welcome to MarbleTalks, a weblog published by the ministers and staff of Marble Collegiate Church. If you're unfamiliar with blogs, this short primer will help get you up to speed.
What is a Blog?
MarbleTalks provides a forum for each of our ministers and various staff members to share their thoughts, questions, and experiences with our faith community. Contributors to the blog will use a wide variety of sources for inspiration, and may share those sources when possible. Blogs are built around the active participation of their readers, and will commonly encourage you to take action in your life and the world around you.
Publishing Schedule:
| Sun. |
Dr. Brown |
| Mon. |
Sister Carol Perry |
| Tues. |
Rev. Lewicki |
| Wed. |
Kenneth Dake |
| Thur. |
Dr. Jordan |
| Fri. |
Rev. Pierce |
| Sat. |
Nina Frost |
Reading Our Blog:
New articles will go up every day, and we hope you'll check in regularly. The seven most recent posts are displayed on this main page. Each article contains a short description and a link to read the full text. If you'd like to go back and read previous entries you missed, click on the "Categories" link at the top of the page and then select the author you're interested in. We don't delete old articles, so you'll be able to come back anytime and re-read the ones that speak to you in significant ways.
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