LC† Making Room for Mystery in Advent

Saturday, December 24 - Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T06:47:00.000-05:00

"Is there a God?"

by Håkon Kjøllmoen / Arctic Norway
(click on image to enlarge)

A Greeting
Arise, shine; for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
Then you shall see and be radiant;
your heart shall thrill and rejoice.
(Isaiah 60:1,5)

A Reading
In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
(Genesis 1:1-5)

Meditative verses
All things came into being through him,
and without him not one thing came into being.
What has come into being in him was life,
and the life was the light of all people.
The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness did not overcome it.
(John 1:3-5)

Music
O Magnum Mysterium by Morten Lauridsen on Grooveshark

A Second Reading
But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace, good will toward men!’
(Luke 2:10-14)

A Sending Contemplation
Surely Christmas Eve can kindle in us again
something like a love of sacred theology, so that,
seized and compelled by the wonder of
the cradle of the Song of God, we are moved to consider again,
reverently, the mysteries of God.
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer, A Testament to Freedom

A blessed and wondrous Christmas to all.

†

LC† Making Room for Mystery in Advent is a project of
Lutherans Connect / Lutheran Campus Ministry Toronto.
Visit us at lutheransconnect.com Join our Facebook page. Follow us @LuTConnect.

Friday, December 23

2011-12-23T06:03:00.000-05:00

"Twilight, Waverly Beach, Fort Erie"
by Philip Coman / Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada
(click on image to enlarge)

A Greeting
Because your steadfast love is better than life,
my lips will praise you.
(Psalm 63:3)

A Reading
O send out your light and your truth;
let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill
and to your dwelling. Then I will go to the altar of God,
to God my exceeding joy; and I will praise you with the harp,
O God, my God.
(Psalm 43:3-4)

Music

"A worship song with original text written by Mary Harvan
and original music by Scott Knarr, performed by the choir Inshallah
under the direction of Debbie Lou Ludolph." - youtube posting
(Inshallah choir is based in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada)

Sending Contemplation
Dear Lord, make me understand that Your graces
are a free gift, not the result of
my trying, or my goodness.
- Catherine de Hueck Doherty

†

LC† Making Room for Mystery in Advent is a project of
Lutherans Connect / Lutheran Campus Ministry Toronto.
Visit us at lutheransconnect.com Join our Facebook page. Follow us @LuTConnect.

Thursday, December 22

2011-12-22T05:58:00.011-05:00

"'Sun setting in exclusive burning way'
by Naveen Sharma / Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
(click on image to enlarge)

A Greeting
Sing to God, sing praises to his name;
lift up a song to him who rides upon the clouds—
his name is the Lord— be exultant before him.
(Psalm 68:4)

A Meditative Verse
I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart;
I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.
(Psalm 9:1)

A Reflection
God came to us because he wanted to join us on the road,
to listen to our story, and to help us to realize that we are not
walking in circles but moving towards the house of peace and joy.
This is the great mystery of Christmas that continues to give us comfort and consollation:
we are not alone on our journey.
The God of love who gave us life sent us his only Son to be with us at all times
and in all places, so that we never have to feel lost in our struggles
but always can trust that he walks with us...
Christmas is the renewed invitation not to be afraid and let him -
whose love is greater than our own hearts and minds can comprehend -
be our companion.
- Henri Nouwen, Gracias!, A Latin American Journal
excerpted in Advent and Christmas Wisdom from Henri J.M. Nouwen

Music
People Look East by Hereford Cathedral Choir (Holiday) on Grooveshark

A Prayer for the Day
The fruit of silence is prayer.
The fruit of prayer is faith.
The fruit of faith is love.
The fruit of love is service.
The fruit of service is peace.
- Mother Teresa

†

LC† Making Room for Mystery in Advent is a project of
Lutherans Connect / Lutheran Campus Ministry Toronto.
Visit us at lutheransconnect.com Join our Facebook page. Follow us @LuTConnect.

Wednesday, December 21 - Longest Night

2011-12-21T04:59:00.007-05:00

"Late Sunset with Moon in the Desert"
by Merki Gábor / El Wahat El Dakhla, Al-Wadi El Gedeed, Egypt
(click on image to enlarge)

A Meditation for the Longest Night
(a tradition in many countries on the winter solstice,
'Longest Night' gatherings offer spiritual companionship to
those who live with sadness in this season)

A Cry
My soul is bereft of peace;
I have forgotten what happiness is.
My eyes will flow without ceasing,
without respite,
until the Lord from heaven
looks down and sees.
(Lamentations 3:17, 49-50)

A Reading
They set out from Succoth, and camped at Etham, on the edge of the wilderness.
The Lord went in front of them in a pillar of cloud by day, to lead them along the way,
and in a pillar of fire by night, to give them light, so that they might travel by day and by night.
Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night
left its place in front of the people.
(Exodus 13:20-22)

A Reflection
Desert times can be times of wandering, directionless survival,
or even despair, times when you seem to be going round in circles and
getting nowhere.
Open up your own desert spaces in prayer, and ask the Lord to show you how
to recognize your own pillars of cloud and fire in the confusion.
- Margaret Silf, The Inner Compass

Meditative Verses
If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light around me become night’,
even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is as bright as the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
(Psalm 139:11-12)

Music

Verses for the Day (and Night)
Even as I waited for your goodness, so for your kindness I hope.
By your forgiveness, you relieve my pains, and in my troubles you comfort me,
for I depend on your compassion. Blessed are you, O Lord,
for you have done these things and you have put into the mouth
of your servant hymns of praise, and a prayer of supplication....
And I retain strength.
- the Thanksgiving Scroll (Hodayot) of The Dead Sea Scrolls
(1QHa XIX:34-38 tr. Stegemann/Schuller/Newsom)

†

LC† Making Room for Mystery in Advent is a project of
Lutherans Connect / Lutheran Campus Ministry Toronto.
Visit us at lutheransconnect.com Join our Facebook page. Follow us @LuTConnect.

Tuesday, December 20

2011-12-20T06:22:00.001-05:00

"Gloaming and Baobob Tree"
by 'ssSUH' / Toliara, Madagascar
(click on image to enlarge)

A greeting
You show me the path of life.
In your presence there is fullness of joy;
in your right hand are pleasures for evermore.
(Psalm 16:11)

A meditative verse
‘The word is near you,
on your lips and in your heart’
(that is, the word of faith that we proclaim)
(Romans 10:8)

A Poem
Without any rhyme
without any reason
my heart lifts to light
in this bleak season

Believer and wanderer
caught by salvation
stumbler and blunderer
into Creation

In this cold blight
where marrow is frozen
it is God’s time
my heart has chosen

In paradox and story
parable and laughter
find I the glory
here in hereafter
- "The Glory" by Madeleine L'Engle

Music

(this performance of The King Shall Come When Morning Dawns
is the full setting of the composition, as arranged by the composer, Michael Linton.
As a result it is longer than usual - almost 10 minutes)

A Verse for the Day
I give you a new commandment,
that you love one another.
Just as I have loved you,
you also should love one another.
(John 13:34)

†

LC† Making Room for Mystery in Advent is a project of
Lutherans Connect / Lutheran Campus Ministry Toronto.
Visit us at lutheransconnect.com Join our Facebook page. Follow us @LuTConnect.

Monday, December 19

2011-12-19T06:39:00.000-05:00

"Untitled"
by Inostranec / Hadramaut, Socotra Island, Yemen
(click on image to enlarge)

A Greeting
It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
to declare your steadfast love in the morning,
and your faithfulness by night
(Psalm 92:1-2)

A Reading
A voice cries out: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain. Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all people shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.’
(Isaiah 40:3-5)

A Reflection
"There is a light. No matter how dark it might become,
there is a radiance that will not be denied, cannot be ignored.
Prepare yourself for the coming of this luminous Presence.
Get ready for the end of gloom."
- from the advent devotional "Following the Star"
prepared by Passport, Inc., an American ecumenical ministry to
youth and young adults

Moments of silence might be followed by music

There's A Voice In The Wilderness Crying by Schola Cantorum Of St. Peter's In The Loop on Grooveshark

A Verse for the Day
By day the Lord commands his steadfast love,
and at night his song is with me,
a prayer to the God of my life.
(Psalm 42:8)

†

LC† Making Room for Mystery in Advent is a project of
Lutherans Connect / Lutheran Campus Ministry Toronto.
Visit us at lutheransconnect.com Join our Facebook page. Follow us @LuTConnect.

Sunday, December 18

2011-12-18T06:20:00.005-05:00

"Knole Park"
by David Armitage / Sevenoaks, Kent, UK

(click on image to enlarge)

A Greeting
Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us,
even as we hope in you.
(Psalm 33:22)

Meditative Verses
Prove me, O Lord, and try me;
test my heart and mind.
For your steadfast love is before my eyes,
and I walk in faithfulness to you.
(Psalm 26:2-3)

A Poem
Dawn points, and another day
Prepares for heat and silence. Out at sea the dawn wind
Wrinkles and slides. I am here
Or there, or elsewhere. In my beginning.
- T.S. Eliot, No. 2 East Coker" of The Four Quartets

Music
Lo, how a Rose ere blooming by Cambridge Singers on Grooveshark

A Sending Prayer
Lord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought me in safety to this new day:
Preserve me with your mighty power, that I may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity;
and in all I do direct me to the fulling of your purpose;
through Jesus Christ my Lord.
Amen.

†

LC† Making Room for Mystery in Advent is a project of
Lutherans Connect / Lutheran Campus Ministry Toronto.
Visit us at lutheransconnect.com Join our Facebook page. Follow us @LuTConnect.

Saturday, December 17

2011-12-17T05:19:00.003-05:00

"Northern Lights"
by oddurions / Western Fjords, Iceland
(click on image to enlarge)

A Greeting
Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously;
let this be known in all the earth.
(Isaiah 12:5)

A Reading
I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God
the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need
of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God is its light,
and its lamp is the Lamb.
(Revelation 21:22-23)

Meditative Verses
By the tender mercy of our God,
the dawn from on high will break upon us,
to give light to those who sit in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.’
(Luke 1:78-79)

Moments of silence might be followed by music

A Reflection (and Explanation of Music)
"Mótettukór Hallgrímskirkju and the Hallgrímskirkja boy choir sing an old Icelandic hymn, Nóttin var sú ágæt ein (It was a good night), which tells the Christmas story. The hymn was first printed in the hymnbook of 1612. It is by Rev'd Einar Sigurðsson from Heydalir (1538-1626) who was the main poet in this hymnbook. The verses were 28, composed as a vikivaki, an old song/danse tradition. It was probably meant to be sung and/or acted around the creche in the church. It has been in the Icelandic hymnbook since 1945 when the new melody was added by an Icelandic composer, Sigvaldi Kaldalóns. Eight verses are in the hymnbook. It is sung every Christmas. The text is simple and beautiful. Each verse adds the refrain: "With song I rock your cradle". From the story it develops reflection, including this (my favorite) verse: "I do not make you a bed from stone or tree, but gladly I give thee my heart as your cradle. Be now here my dearest. With song I rock your cradle."
- Rev'd Steinunn A. Björnsdottir, Ecumenical Secretary,
The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Iceland.

Verse for the Day
Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet;
righteousness and peace will kiss each other.
(Psalm 85:10)

†

LC† Making Room for Mystery in Advent is a project of
Lutherans Connect / Lutheran Campus Ministry Toronto.
Visit us at lutheransconnect.com Join our Facebook page. Follow us @LuTConnect.

Friday, December 16

2011-12-16T06:12:00.001-05:00

"Lake Nakuru (Kenya)"
by Laura Sayalero / Nakuru, Rift Valley, Kenya
(click on image to enlarge)

A Greeting
Let the words of my mouth
and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable to you,
O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
(Psalm 19:14)

A Meditative Verse
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.
I do not give to you as the world gives.
Do not let your hearts be troubled,
and do not let them be afraid.
(John 14:27)

A Reading
Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song,
his praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel be glad in its Maker;
let the children of Zion rejoice in their King.
Let them praise his name with dancing,
making melody to him with tambourine and lyre
(Psalm 149:1-3)

Moments of silence might be followed by music

("The 'Arundel Voices of Zimbabwe' Choir are from
the Arundel School in Harare, Zimbabwe.")

The Lord's Prayer in Swahili
(as sung by the Arundel Choir)
Baba yetu uliye mbinguni,
Jina lako litukuzwe,
Ufalme wako uje,
Mapenzi yako yatimizwe,
hapa duniani kama huko mbinguni.
Utupe leo riziki yetu.
Utusamehe makosa yetu,
kama sisi nasi tuwasamehevyo wadeni wetu.
Na usitutie majaribuni,
lakini utuokoe na yule mwovu.
[Kwa kuwa ufalme ni wako, na nguvu, na utukufu, hata milele.]
Amina.
- with thanks to Deborah McCracken-Nangereke

†

LC† Making Room for Mystery in Advent is a project of
Lutherans Connect / Lutheran Campus Ministry Toronto.
Visit us at lutheransconnect.com Join our Facebook page. Follow us @LuTConnect.

Thursday, December 15

2011-12-15T05:37:00.016-05:00

"Forest Shadows"
by Larry Workman / Amanda Park, Washington, USA
(click on image to enlarge)

A Greeting
Let everything that breathes praise the Lord! Hallelujah!
(Psalm 150:6)

A Reading
For the mountains may depart
and the hills be removed,
but my steadfast love shall not depart from you,
and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,
says the Lord, who has compassion on you.
(Isaiah 54:10)

Meditative Verses
To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit
for the common good.
Strive for the greater gifts.
And I will show you a still more excellent way.
(1 Corinthians 12:7, 31)

Reflection
Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything that is beautiful,
for beauty is God's handwriting -- a wayside sacrament.
Welcome it in every fair face, in every fair sky,
in every flower, and thank God for it
as a cup of blessing.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Music
What Child Is This by Mark O'Connor on Grooveshark

Sending Contemplation
The greatest challenge of the day is:
how to bring about a revolution of the heart.
- Dorothy Day

†

LC† Making Room for Mystery in Advent is a project of
Lutherans Connect / Lutheran Campus Ministry Toronto.
Visit us at lutheransconnect.com Join our Facebook page. Follow us @LuTConnect.

Wednesday, December 14

2011-12-14T06:33:00.000-05:00

"Mystic River"
by goguta / Vâlcea, Romania
(click on image to enlarge)

A Greeting
Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,
God shines forth.
(Psalm 50:2)

A Meditative Verse
For with you is the fountain of life;
in your light we see light.
(Psalm 36:9)

A Reflection
A psalm implies serenity of Soul; it is the author of peace, which calms bewildering and seething thoughts. For, it softens the wrath of the soul, and what is unbridled it chastens. A psalm forms friendships, unites those separated, conciliates those at enmity. Who, indeed, can still consider as an enemy him with whom he has uttered the same prayer to God?"
- Saint Basil the Great

Moments of silence might be followed by music

"On Christmas Eve [in Romania], groups of children or men go to the
other village houses and sing traditional carols named colinde."
- explanation given by claudiu florea, who posted this to youtube

A Sending Contemplation
Before Thy birth, O Lord, the angelic hosts
looked with trembling on this mystery
and were struck with wonder.
- the Festal Menaion of the Orthodox Church

†

LC† Making Room for Mystery in Advent is a project of
Lutherans Connect / Lutheran Campus Ministry Toronto.
Visit us at lutheransconnect.com Join our Facebook page. Follow us @LuTConnect.

Tuesday, December 13

2011-12-13T07:08:00.000-05:00

"Lijang River, near Yangshuo, China"
by Placebo / Guilin, Guangxi, China
(click on image to enlarge)

A Greeting
Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth;
break forth, O mountains, into singing!
For the Lord has comforted his people,
and will have compassion on his suffering ones.
(Isaiah 49:13)

A Medtiative Verse
Keep me as the apple of your eye;
hide me in the shadow of your wings.
(Psalm 17:8)

A Reading
For God alone my soul waits in silence,
for my hope is from him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
On God rests my deliverance and my honour;
my mighty rock, my refuge is in God.
Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your heart before him.
(Psalm 62:5-8)

Music
Dona Nobis Pacem (Give Us Peace) by Yo-Yo Ma on Grooveshark

A Sending Contemplation
Heaven is my father and Earth is my mother,
and I am a little child placed between them.
- Julia Ching

†

LC† Making Room for Mystery in Advent is a project of
Lutherans Connect / Lutheran Campus Ministry Toronto.
Visit us at lutheransconnect.com Join our Facebook page. Follow us @LuTConnect.

Monday, December 12

2011-12-12T06:42:00.003-05:00

"Full Moon at Moeraki"
by Dave Curtis / South Island, Canterbury, New Zealand
(click on image to enlarge)

An Invitation to Prayer
I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
and in his word I hope;
my soul waits for the Lord
more than those who watch for the morning,
more than those who watch for the morning.
Psalm 130:5-6

A Meditation
I want to begin this day with thankfulness,
and continue it with eagerness.
I shall be busy; let me set about things in the spirit of service
to you and to my fellows,
that Jesus knew in the carpenter's shop in Nazareth.
I am glad that he drew no line between work sacred and secular.
Take the skill that resides in my hands, and use it today;
Take the experience that life has given me, and use it;
Keep my eyes open, and my imagination alert,
that I may see how things look to others,
especially the unwell, the worried, the overworked.
For your love's sake.
- Rita Snowden
New Zealand Methodist deaconess and author

Music

- posted on Liturgy, a worship and blog site of
Rev. Bosco Peters in Christchurch, New Zealand
On the Prayer Reflections page, Rev. Peters discusses
the origins of the following Advent Collect:

Advent Collect
Almighty God,
give us grace to cast off the works of darkness
and put on the armour of light,
now in the time of this mortal life,
in which your Son Jesus Christ came to us in great humility;
so that when he shall come again in his glorious majesty
we may rise to the life immortal;
through him who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit
one God now and for ever.
Amen.

The Blessing
The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face to shine upon you,
and be gracious to you;
the Lord lift up his countenance upon you,
and give you peace.
Numbers 6:24-27

†

LC† Making Room for Mystery in Advent is a project of
Lutherans Connect / Lutheran Campus Ministry Toronto.
Visit us at lutheransconnect.com Join our Facebook page. Follow us @LuTConnect.

Sunday, December 11

2011-12-11T05:37:00.006-05:00

"...frozen day..."
by Albrecht H. / Hude (Oldenburg), Lower Saxony, Germany
(click on image to enlarge)

A Greeting
This is the day that the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
(Psalm 118:24)

A Prayer
From you the clouds issue and the air soars,
the rock have their humors
and the waters bring forth their streams
and the earth sweats out green things growing.
And always you teach the learned,
those made happy by the inspiration of Wisdom.
So let there be praise to you
who are the sound of all praise
and the joy of life,
who are hope and powerful honor,
granting the gifts of light.
- Hildegard of Bingen

A Meditative Phrase
You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;
you are my God, I will extol you.
(Psalm 118:28)

Music
Air by Bach on Grooveshark

A Benediction
O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures for ever.
(Psalm 118:29)
(Psalm 118 was the favourite psalm of Martin Luther)

†

LC† Making Room for Mystery in Advent is a project of
Lutherans Connect / Lutheran Campus Ministry Toronto.
Visit us at lutheransconnect.com Join our Facebook page. Follow us @LuTConnect.

Saturday, December 10

2011-12-10T03:01:00.001-05:00

"Sunset in Pattaya"
by Olya Udovenko / Bang Lamung, Con Buri, Thailand
(click on image to enlarge)

An Invitation to Prayer
I will sing a new song to you, O God;
upon a ten-stringed harp I will play to you.
(Psalm 144:5, 9)

A Meditation
You break in
When defences are down
With an Angel's shout
Or the quietest sound
You break in
You break in
And we change
And all things change
When you break in.
- from a poem by John Birch,
Methodist Lay Preacher (Wales)
(read the whole poem here)

A Song
I Wonder as I Wander by Jewel on Grooveshark

A Blessing
'Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace,
according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel.'
(Luke 2:29-32)

†

LC† Making Room for Mystery in Advent is a project of
Lutherans Connect / Lutheran Campus Ministry Toronto.
Visit us at lutheransconnect.com Join our Facebook page. Follow us @LuTConnect.

Friday, December 9

2011-12-09T05:25:00.001-05:00

"Rolling Green Hills"
by aycee / Apollo Bay, Victoria, Australia
(click on image to enlarge)

An Invitation to Prayer
The Lord is in his holy temple;
let all the earth keep silence before him.
(Habakkuk 2:20)

A Reading
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters;
he restores my soul.
He leads me in right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
I fear no evil;
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff—
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
my whole life long.
(Psalm 23)

A meditation
All powerful God,
Look in your love upon us, your pilgrim people,
As we struggle towards you.
Be our food for the journey,
Our wine for rejoicing,
Our light in the darkness,
And our welcome at the journey's end.
- from a poem by Sheila Cassidy
(Australian author of Prayer for Pilgrims)

A Song
How Can I Keep From Singing? by Enya on Grooveshark

A Blessing
The earth has yielded its increase;
God, our God, has blessed us.
May God continue to bless us;
let all the ends of the earth revere him.
(Psalm 67:6-7)

†

LC† Making Room for Mystery in Advent is a project of
Lutherans Connect / Lutheran Campus Ministry Toronto.
Visit us at lutheransconnect.com Join our Facebook page. Follow us @LuTConnect.

Thursday, December 8

2011-12-08T05:25:00.007-05:00

"Las Puntas"
by Pablo López Ramos / Frontera, El Hierro, Canary Islands, Spain
(click to enlarge image)

A Greeting
O come, let us sing to the Lord;
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
(Psalm 95:1)

A Reading
For he commanded and raised the stormy wind,
which lifted up the waves of the sea.
They mounted up to heaven, they went down to the depths;
their courage melted away in their calamity;
they reeled and staggered like drunkards,
and were at their wits’ end.
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he brought them out from their distress;
he made the storm be still,
and the waves of the sea were hushed.
Then they were glad because they had quiet,
and he brought them to their desired haven.
Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
for his wonderful works to humankind.
(Psalm 107:25-31)

Meditative Music

Suite bergamasque by Debussy on Grooveshark

A Prayer
O Lord, make me an instrument of Thy Peace!
Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon.
Where there is discord, harmony.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light.
Where there is sorrow, joy.
Oh Divine Master, grant that I may not
so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.

- Saint Francis of Assisi

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LC† Making Room for Mystery in Advent is a project of
Lutherans Connect / Lutheran Campus Ministry Toronto.
Visit us at lutheransconnect.com Join our Facebook page. Follow us @LuTConnect.

Wednesday, December 7

2011-12-07T06:20:00.003-05:00

"Unstable autumn, fall the leaves… and it is not the wind!"
by Corrado Tripicchio / Fagnano Castello, Calabria, Italy
(click on image to enlarge)

A Greeting
For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust,
O Lord, from my youth.
(Psalm 71:5)

A Meditative Verse

Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
(Psalm 37:4)

A Poem
Lord, purge our eyes to see
Within the seed a tree,
Within the glowing egg a bird,
Within the shroud a butterfly,
Till, taught by such we see
Beyond all creatures, Thee
And hearken to Thy tender word
And hear its "Fear not: it is I"
- Christina Rossetti

Salve Regina in F minor by Giovanni Battista Pergolesi on Grooveshark

A blessing
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing,
so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
(Romans 15:13)

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LC† Making Room for Mystery in Advent is a project of
Lutherans Connect / Lutheran Campus Ministry Toronto.
Visit us at lutheransconnect.com Join our Facebook page. Follow us @LuTConnect.

Tuesday, December 6

2011-12-06T06:42:00.004-05:00

"Lac St-Charles"
by Yvan Genest / Lac-Saint-Charles, Québec, Canada
(click on image to to enlarge)

A Greeting
Be strong, and let your heart take courage,
all you who wait for the Lord.
(Psalm 31:24)

A Meditative Verse
When the cares of my heart are many,
your consolations cheer my soul.
(Psalm 94:19)

A Reflection
Advent is a season of hope. It is a season which looks
forward in hope to a future... a future which says that God is a God of love
even when we see hatred, God is a God of life even when we see death and
destruction, that God is a God of peace even when we see war and terrorism,
that God is a God of justice even when injustice seems rampant.
Christian community is the place where we keep the flame of hope
alive among us and take it seriously so that it can grow and become
stronger in us.
The Rt. Rev. Philip Poole, York-Credit Valley (Anglican)
(homily)

A Moment of Silent Witness with Others

A Conversation
Interviewer: We know that all religions use candles.
And tonight I see fourteen, two times your magic number seven,
glowing in every corner of your studio.

Petit: They are a kind of meditation for me. A thought
which is at the same time a lesson. The flame flickers and sparkles.
Gaston Petit: The Kimono and the Cross,
Interview with an artist in Japan, ed. by Linda Ghan
(Gaston Petit is a Québecois Dominican priest and visual artist)

Moments of Silence might be followed by music

Travellin' On For Jesus by Kate & Anna McGarrigle on Grooveshark

Lutherans Connect /
Lutheran Campus Ministry Toronto expresses an Advent hope
this day for a campus life free of violence for everyone.

†

LC† Making Room for Mystery in Advent is a project of
Lutherans Connect / Lutheran Campus Ministry Toronto.
Visit us at lutheransconnect.com Join our Facebook page. Follow us @LuTConnect.

Monday, December 5

2011-12-05T07:06:00.003-05:00

Morning light in the Rub al Khali
by René Baldinger / Al Janubiyah, Oman
(click on image to enlarge)

A Greeting
It is you who light my lamp;
the Lord, my God, lights up my darkness.
(Psalm 18:28)

A Meditative Verse
I am about to do a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert.
(Isaiah 43:19)

Moments of silence might be followed by music
O come, o come Emmanuel by Instrumental on Grooveshark

A Coptic Blessing
We rejoice forever, indeed, and also hope.
Rejoice, O you vine, that is ripe and blossoming.
My heart is glad, for this my tongue is joyful.
The dew, the rain, and the joy are due to your name.

†

LC† Making Room for Mystery in Advent is a project of
Lutherans Connect / Lutheran Campus Ministry Toronto.
Visit us at lutheransconnect.com Join our Facebook page. Follow us @LuTConnect.

Sunday, December 4 - Advent 2

2011-12-04T06:34:00.002-05:00

"The Comeragh Mountains look 'sea'"
by 'qifeloyi' / Lyranearla, County Waterford, Ireland
(click on image to enlarge)

A greeting
Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
I will praise the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God all my life long.

(Psalm 146:1-2)

A Meditative Verse
For your steadfast love is as high as the heavens;
your faithfulness extends to the clouds.
(Psalm 57:10)

A Reflection
If we have eyes to see, however, aroused by the light of Christ,
we awake to an astonishing grace. God does not wait
for us to make the first move. Even as we sleep,
the Spirit works in our lives to arouse us from our slumber.
Countless acts of mercy, love and grace surround us
day in and day out... But most importantly, God wakes us up
by coming to us in the person of Jesus Christ. Like the
first light of dawn, the beams of this marvellous Light
dance around us. The light breaks into the darkness of our sleep
and awakens us to a new reality in our lives.
- Paul Wesley Chilcote, Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus:
Advent and Christmas with Charles Wesley

Advent Prayer
Lord,
in these Advent days,
you cry over,
landmine victims,
military deaths,
the sounds of mourning,
the flight of communities,
the shattering of lives.
So come to us
and overturn our tired ideas,
our violence,
our narrow judgements,
our human disconnections,
until your wisdom
invades
our understanding.
- Peter Millar, from Light of the World:
Daily Readings for Advent, Wild Goose Publications
- found on The Iona Community

Moments of silence might be followed by music

A Breton Carol by The Chieftains on Grooveshark

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LC† Making Room for Mystery in Advent is a project of
Lutherans Connect / Lutheran Campus Ministry Toronto.
Visit us at lutheransconnect.com Join our Facebook page. Follow us @LuTConnect.

Saturday, December 3

2011-12-03T06:42:00.003-05:00

"Acqí esta 'El Chorro del Indio'"
by Miguel Angel Salaman / San Cristobal, Tachira, Venezuela
(click on image to enlarge)

A Greeting
Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy
before the Lord; for he is coming
(Psalm 96:12-13)

A Reading
May he live while the sun endures,
and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.
May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass,
like showers that water the earth.
In his days may righteousness flourish
and peace abound, until the moon is no more.
May he have dominion from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
(Psalm 72: 5-8)

A Meditative Verse
If we hope for what we do not see,
we wait for it with patience.
(Romans 8:25)

Moments of Silence might be followed by music
Three Spanish Carols: El nino querido (The Beloved Child) by The King's Singers/Charles Fullbrook on Grooveshark

A Poem
The Savior must have been
A docile Gentleman —
To come so far so cold a Day
For little Fellowmen —

The Road to Bethlehem
Since He and I were Boys
Was leveled, but for that 'twould be
A rugged billion Miles —
- Emily Dickinson

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LC† Making Room for Mystery in Advent is a project of
Lutherans Connect / Lutheran Campus Ministry Toronto.
Visit us at lutheransconnect.com Join our Facebook page. Follow us @LuTConnect.

Friday, December 2

2011-12-02T06:42:00.000-05:00

"Lake Toba evening"
by Ian Stehbens / Lake Toba, North Sumatra, Indonesia
(click on image to enlarge)

A Greeting
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name.

(Psalm 103:1)

A Meditative Phrase
Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.

(Psalm 119:105)

A Reflection
In the season of Advent we dwell on what it means to bear the “wait” of the Word. What does preparation look like? How do we encourage one another to wait faithfully? How do we receive God’s comfort when it may not seem like enough for our present circumstances? What or whom are we tempted to mistake for the Light because we are so desperate to be restored from an illness so few of us even recognize we have?
...Our posture of waiting is defined by whether we truly believe we are waiting for something that will not disappoint or mislead us. Any authentic practice of rejoicing always and giving thanks in all things, as Paul instructs the Thessalonian church (1 Thessalonians 5:16, 18), must be built on the belief that the One who is to come wants what is best for us.

- from an article by Enuma Okora in the online edition of
Sojourners magazine, December, 2011
Enuma Okora is the author of Reluctant Pilgrim and
co-author of Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals.

Moments of Silence might be followed by music.
The Angel Gabriel by The Celtic Ensemble on Grooveshark

†

LC† Making Room for Mystery in Advent is a project of
Lutherans Connect / Lutheran Campus Ministry Toronto.
Visit us at lutheransconnect.com Join our Facebook page. Follow us @LuTConnect.

Thursday, December 1

2011-12-01T00:16:00.005-05:00

"Winter 2010 on the Baltic"
by Oleg Ivanov / Baltiysk, Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia
(click on image to enlarge)

A Poem
Being walkers with the dawn and morning,
Walkers with the sun and morning,
We are not afraid of night,
Nor days of gloom,
Nor darkness --
Being walkers with the sun and morning.
- Langston Hughes

The Reading

I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus,
for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind—
just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you — so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift
as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ.
(1 Corinthians 1:4-7)

The Reflection

Most people know how it feels to be lost in the wilderness. The landscape is bleak, and it is impossible to find your bearings. You are cut off from all that sustains life and hope. There is no food, no water, and no gentle touch or voice to assure you that you are not alone.
During this Advent season we are particularly aware of the many wilderness places in our lives: the aching isolation of shame; children without parents; too few medicines and over-stretched medical facilities; the fear of difficult death; the agony of losing those you love too soon.
It is precisely in the wilderness places of our lives that God makes God’s home with us. God comes to us to prepare the way, claiming us for life, and leading us into community and justice.

- Rev. Mark S. Hanson, Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
and President of The Lutheran World Federation.
- taken from the 2010 World AIDS Day Advent calendar published by the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance.
Their 2011 calendar launches today. You can find it and download it here.

A Hymn
Night of Silence / Silent Night by San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus on Grooveshark

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LC† Making Room for Mystery in Advent is a project of
Lutherans Connect / Lutheran Campus Ministry Toronto.
Visit us at lutheransconnect.com Join our Facebook page. Follow us @LuTConnect.

Wednesday November 30

2011-11-30T00:32:00.006-05:00

"Mt. Jade Ranges"
by Enson / Heping District, Taichung City, Taiwan
(click on image to enlarge)

The Request for Presence
Gladden the soul of your servant,
for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
(Psalm 86:4)

The Small Verse
Sing to him, sing praises to him;
tell of all his wonderful works.
So he brought his people out with joy,
his chosen ones with singing.
(Psalm 105:2, 43)

The Reflection
The fact that the world is other than it might be does not alter
the truth that Christ is present in it and that His plan has been neither frustrated nor changed:
indeed, all will be done according to His will. Our Advent is the celebration of this hope.
What is uncertain is not the "coming" of Christ but our own reception of Him,
our own response to Him, our own readiness and capacity to "go forth to meet Him".
- Thomas Merton, Seasons of Celebration

Moments of Silence might be followed by music

†

LC† Making Room for Mystery in Advent is a project of
Lutherans Connect / Lutheran Campus Ministry Toronto.
Visit us at lutheransconnect.com Join our Facebook page. Follow us @LuTConnect.

Tuesday, November 29

2011-11-29T00:45:00.006-05:00

"Pacaya Samiria Atardecer in El Dorado"
by Mylene D'Auriol / Pacaya-Samiria Natural Reserve, Loreto, Peru

(click on image to enlarge)

The Call to Prayer
Come, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord,
who stand by night in the house of the Lord!
Lift up your hands to the holy place,
and bless the Lord.
May the Lord, maker of heaven and earth,
bless you from Zion.

Psalm 134

Moments of Silence might be followed with music.
Traditional Peruvian Melody by Lifescapes on Grooveshark

Meditation
"The need to keep awake translates into listening to the clamor for liberation,
supporting and empowering our people's deepest hopes.
Waiting for the Lord does not bring us out of history;
It involves us with it since we are hoping
for the God who has come and is in our midst
Such a hope is ambitious, but it is worthwhile."

–Gustavo Gutierrez

Found on The Official Blog of the American Baptist Seminary of the West

The Reflection
Advent and Christmas fall in the midst of
ever-darkening skies, the time of year when our days grow brief and our nights long.
In the silences of our night, each and every night, you are invited to listen
for the Coming One in our Midst. Gather into the blessed darkness of
night your every care, concern, and hope for God’s beloved world.
- Jennifer W. Davidson, Assistant Professor of Worship and
Director of the Chapel, American Baptist Seminary of the West

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LC† Making Room for Mystery in Advent is a project of
Lutherans Connect / Lutheran Campus Ministry Toronto.
Visit us at lutheransconnect.com Join our Facebook page. Follow us @LuTConnect.

Monday, November 28

2011-11-28T05:37:00.000-05:00

"Tsitsikamma Coast 2"
by Graham Hobbs / Nature's Valley, Western Cape, South Africa
(click on image to enlarge)

The Call to Prayer
The Lord is king! Let the earth rejoice;
let the many coastlands be glad!
Psalm 97:1

Preparing for Silence
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable to you,
O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
Psalm 19:14

The Reflection

"Advent beckons to another reality, to the simplicity of the infant who will grow up to be the Light of the world. Advent calls us out of our nocturnal niches, reminds us and reaffirms that we are made of the very stuff that lights up our night sky. We are star-stuff and, according to Genesis, we are God- stuff. The Incarnation, whatever else it may have come to symbolize, means precisely that."

- Vicky Garvey, Canon for Lifelong Christian formation,
Episcopal Diocese of Chicago
Read her whole reflection in this lovely Advent resource:
Words Matter

The Blessing
There Shall Be Showers of Blessing by African Children's Choir on Grooveshark

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LC† Making Room for Mystery in Advent is a project of
Lutherans Connect / Lutheran Campus Ministry Toronto.
Visit us at lutheransconnect.com Join our Facebook page. Follow us @LuTConnect.

Sunday, November 27 - Advent 1

2011-11-27T03:18:00.001-05:00

"Last rays of sun at the Varangerfjord taken near Nesseby church"
by Frank Martin Ingilae / Nesseby, Finnmark, Norway
(click on image to enlarge)

The Small Verse
It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
to declare your steadfast love in the morning,
and your faithfulness by night.
Psalm 92:1-2

Moments of silence might be followed by music.
Sonata in G minor for Flute, Harp & Cello by Bach on Grooveshark

The Blessing
May the blessing of light be on you - light without and light within.
May the blessed sunlight shine on you like a great peat fire,
so that stranger and friend may come and warm himself at it.
And may light shine out of the two eyes of you,
like a candle set in the window of a house,
bidding the wanderer come in out of the storm.
And may the blessing of the rain be on you,
may it beat upon your Spirit and wash it fair and clean,
and leave there a shining pool where the blue of Heaven shines,
and sometimes a star.
And may the blessing of the earth be on you,
soft under your feet as you pass along the roads,
soft under you as you lie out on it, tired at the end of day;
and may it rest easy over you when, at last, you lie out under it.
May it rest so lightly over you that your soul may be out from under it quickly;
up and off and on its way to God.
And now may the Lord bless you, and bless you kindly. Amen.
- Scottish blessing taken from:
Faith and Worship - Prayers and Resources (Celtic Blessings and Prayers)

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LC† Making Room for Mystery in Advent is a project of
Lutherans Connect / Lutheran Campus Ministry Toronto.
Visit us at lutheransconnect.com. Join our Facebook page. Follow us @LuTConnect.