Friday, November 28, 2008

Welcome! Come in and slow down.

Happy holidays! However you got here, i'm so glad you made it. My hope for this blog is that it might be a simple way to reflect on this season of Advent- that is, the days of waiting, anticipating Christmas. More specifically- the Coming of Jesus, Emmanuel, God-Finally-With-Us.

I always have this funny internal struggle with the month of December; I want (and need) to slow down and reflect, but there's just so much to do (and buy)! It ends up being the busiest month of the year, much to my dismay. Certainly the intent of Advent has been diluted over the years. I've found poetry to be a great "tool" in slowing down and looking at things a little differently. Sort of like a prayer, sort of like a song, it really can open up windows for us, if we let it. That's what I hope can happen here. Feel free to comment or discuss if you'd like, or come and go and stay invisible. I look forward to sharing a poem for each day of Advent (Nov 20-Dec 25). They're from different authors, on different continents in different centuries, and I think they all have something to say to us this season. Grace to you in the waiting....

10 comments:

Jules said...

The advent is a new concept to me, even though I've been a Christian half of my life. I didn't grow up in a Christian family, so I never quite had a meaningful Christmas. I longed for it too. Anyway, thanks for starting this.

Phillip Andrew said...

Thanks so much for this. I think this is a great way for others (I know at least myself) to get a chance to sit down and look upon the advent season for what it truly is. I am truly grateful!
~a fellow chilian

TheAgnosticChristian said...

Glad to see poetry being a conduit for Christ. I earlier tonight wrote on my arm in pen the Chinese characters with the meaning of, "A person of little social standing; a person of small moral worth." or, "boy." I fearfully and hesitantly alway want to be smaller.
Looking forward to seeing what you got to share.

lisa said...

Thank you for doing this! I'm very much looking forward to reading a poetry reflection everyday.

Just to let you and your readers know, there is an awesome website called Advent Conspiracy (www.adventconspiracy.org) and it has some wonderful ideas for ways to get away from consumerism and materialism and busy-ness during Advent and instead focusing on Jesus and serving. I found it totally inspiring.

Charlie Lowell said...

Sounds great, Lisa. Will check it out!

Loren Eaton said...

A professor once told me that the density of poetry precludes us from understanding everything about it on a first read. I think he was right. What a great way to downshift for Christmas.

Crystal said...

This blog idea is awesome and just what I've been looking for. I wish the church would celebrate Advent in more meaningful ways, and for several years now I've been looking for new ways to make it a more integral part of my personal life. Thanks for making that possible this year! I also love poetry, and I'm very excited to read what you find.

Mark said...

Thanks, Charlie. I look forward to renewing my appreciation of the real meaning of this season. Thanks for leltting God's Spirit use you to re-direct my priorities, and, hopefully, renew my faith.

Blue Eyed Ennis said...

I don't know how I missed this absolute gem of a blog last year when I was hunting for Advent poetry.
But I sure am delighted that I found you this year.
I have put a link to your blog on my own - see below and if you fancy a peak you can see some of my own favourites from Advent 2010 on my sidebar.
It will be a big challenge for me to find new Advent poems for 2011 that I like but I was so grateful to discover your blog today.!!
Thank you and Blessings

My blog link is here

http://blueeyedennis-siempre.blogspot.com/2011/11/advent-poems-2011-part-one.html

Gwen Williamson Mathews said...

I just discovered your blog when I was looking for some Advent poetry to use as prompts for a writing group I facilitate at my church. This is such a marvelous compilation of poems and I intend to use it for my own Advent practice and share the poems daily with the group. Thank you for having taken the time to do this. What a gift!