(Stock Images. Image description: A up close image of a lit purple votive candle. The flame is the predominant focus.)
Note: Poems for Advent (Revised Common Lectionary – Year A).
Dressed
He will not dress in fine linens
Or in a well-tailored suit
His shoes shall not be made of costly goods
He will not put on airs
Or impress you with
His self-talk at parties
But he will come
Dressed
He will wear common clothes
He will look like your neighbour
He will come
Yet the son of God
Fully
He will wear
Righteousness
And truth
You will know him
He will come as one like you
But he will not be as you are
He is
And always will be
Holy
The holy one
Prepared
Are you ready?
This has nothing to do
with shopping
or cooking
or laundry
or driving
or decorating
or salting the walk
or finding that sock ….
or anyone else
but you…
This is about YOU
Not your Friend…
not your neighbour….
You
Your heart
Your mind
Your life
This is about
Your readiness….
Your openness
Your heart open to Jesus
They came confessing
Knowing their sin
To the river
To the herald of his approach
They came repenting
Will you come confessing?
Will you come to be made ready for his coming?
Everything but this can wait.
Come….
Be made ready…
Listen to the prophet-herald..
To the spirit of God..
He is coming near..
As in the days of Noah
See where his feet pass
The path of life
Walk wherever he leads
Up the narrow way
Listen intently to
His words
Learn and listen
As it was in the days of Noah
So shall it be
At his returning
Now as then
Denial
Now as then
Sin
Now as then
Denying defiantly
The reality
Yet
His words will
Come to be
The water came
The virgin gave birth
So too Christ in glory will descend
He came to Bethlehem
Just as it was foretold
The flood came
Just as it was foretold
You trust that
But not this?
Oh listen
Oh trust
Oh stubborn-hearted
Turn away from your wayward
Pride
And walk in the way of life
I’m returning
Just as I said
Light
(Assurance of Pardon)
Oh helped
Oh freed
Oh healed
Oh loosed
Oh upheld
Oh confronted by the Holy
Oh restored
Oh eyes open
Oh hearts pure
Oh people made whole
Oh joy
Oh confessed
Oh repentant
Oh forgiven
Rejoice!
For you have seen it
Received it
Speak of it often
For God’s Light
has risen upon you!
Lambing season
As the Night watch
Declares the morning
As the torch is held high
As the midnight marks the
change
To the morning-break
So here
Is the appearing
Of the sacrifice-son
The priest-king
Who looks rather like a lamb
In its own manger
Bound and laid
Behold him
Light the Lamp 