Alumnus Thomas Worth wrote this poem in 2012 as part of a personal Advent tradition. This time of year naturally invites us to reminisce on memories of seasons past. In his poem, Thomas recalls moments of encountering Emmanuel as a child.
This Advent reflection was originally published in the 2010 Community of the Savior’s annual Advent meditations booklet where Elizabeth Guckenbiehl-Lang attends church.
For many of us, “waiting” has negative connotations. Waiting in line at the grocery store, waiting on hold as we call for a needed service or medical appointment, or waiting for a test result … the list goes on and on. Often, such waiting is accompanied by frustration, irritation, or impatience.
Space to ask questions.
Space to listen to God’s Spirit.
Space to let insights, impressions, and reflections
bump into each other and converge for discovery.
Space for your own spirit to be still, restore, integrate,
and seek elements of faith in the certainty of God’s presence.
In 2014, Esther Gillie first shared this poem with the Northeastern Seminary community. Since then, Esther has successfully completed both her Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degrees at the Seminary. The second entry of our Advent blog series invites us to reflect, along with Esther, on the gentleness experienced throughout our lives.
The poem “ADVENT” was first shared with us in 2014 by Jae Newman, a Northeastern Seminary alumnus and adjunct professor. This poem is the first entry in our advent blog series of poetry and reflections surrounding this the season of anticipation in the Christian liturgical year. Here in the first few days of advent let us collectively still our souls to hear the quiet whispers of our Lord.
(Photo provided by El Camino Del Inmigrante)
(Photo provided by El Camino Del Inmigrante)
(Photo provided by El Camino Del Inmigrante)
Sometime I make snap decisions, and then later go back and question my own intent. Was that prompting truly from God, or just some kind of ego-driven idea? I wasn’t really sure. That’s how it was with El Camino Del Inmigrante. Noel Castellanos threw out this big idea last November at the end of the Christian Community Development Association (CCDA) conference in 2016. He had participated in the El Camino De Santiago in Spain over his sabbatical, and he proposed that CCDA create a pilgrimage of it’s own from the Tijuana border of Mexico to downtown Los Angeles Calif. to highlight the plight of immigrants to the United States, and advocate for immigration reform. I immediately thought, “I want to do that.”
The reasoning is simple … it is directly quoted in the New Testament by Jude (vv.14-15) and themes of the book referenced in 2 Peter 2:1. Also, the first 36 chapters have been considered Scripture in the Ethiopic Coptic Church (a church who ascribes their founder as the Apostle John).
