O Come, O Come, Emmanuel...

And ransom captive Israel. This ancient hymn haunts me. I cannot remember a time when these ancient words have not been inscribed upon my heart.   The minor key of the music evokes for me a sense of both anticipation and deep longing. It draws me into the paradox of this season: a time when we are both expectant and yet aware of all that still holds us apart from God and one another.

As you begin another Advent, for what do you mourn? To what are you held captive? From what do you desire release? Just as Israel cried out to God in their exile, so the season of Advent invites us to cry out to God from our places of exile.

As I live into my fifties, I mourn for those places and times when I have failed to fully honor my creativity.   I desire release from captivity to a past that is not sustainable.   I yearn for an ever-deepening relationship with God in Christ.

For me, Advent is a season of yearning. There is a fierce hunger in me to come alive in Christ. I am thankful that I grew up in a family that honored hungers as a good thing, not something to be trampled down. Jan Richardson speaks of our hungers as maps:

There is a geography to our desires... our yearnings possess longitude and latitude... If we follow their lines, they can help us find the way.

She goes on to say that when we "pursue God's longing for our life, it never serves only ourselves." As Fred Buechner reminds us: "The place where God calls you is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet."

What does your deep hunger want to teach you about yourself this Advent? About your relationship with God? And others? About what is possible? The paradox of longing is that our God-given longings not only provide a source of healing for our wounds, release from those places of captivity in our lives, but become the means by which we come fully alive in Christ. And, the glory of God is a human being fully alive! (Irenaeus).

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!

Advent blessings,

Holy Habit: A Prayer for You and Those You Love

Take some time to ponder the words of O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. Dare to name that for which you mourn. Name that from which you desires release. Name that to which you find yourself held captive. Then pray-really pray-the words of the prayer below. Receive the gift of this wonderful prayer which is God's intent for you and the community of which you are a part:

I pray that out of God's glorious riches,

God may strengthen me with power through the Spirit in my inner being, so that Christ may dwell in my heart through faith.  

And I pray that being rooted and established in love,

I may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge- that I may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.   

Now to the One who is able to do immeasurably more than all I ask or imagine according to God's power that is at work within me, to God be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen

(Ephesians 3:15-21)  

Exegetical Notes:

This passage reveals three gifts that come to us as we are strengthened by the Spirit on the inside. The first is found in verse 17a: "That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith." The word "dwell" comes from the Greek word katoikeo, which itself comes from two smaller words: kata meaning "down" and oikos meaning "house" or "home." The prayer is that Christ might be "down home" in our hearts. What are some practices that create a space for the love of Christ to dwell "deep down" in your heart?

The second great result of being strengthened by the Spirit in the inner being is that we will have a growing comprehension of the love of Christ. The Greek word translated "grasp" has the idea of grasping and holding on to something. It reflects a growing personal experience of love of Jesus Christ. Paul is saying, "I pray that you may grow in your daily experience of the love of Jesus." He even says, "I pray that you will come to know (in a personal way) this love that surpasses knowledge."

And the third gift is "that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:19b). This is the whole goal of the Christian life. The word for "filled" has the idea of being dominated by something. When you are filled with God, then God himself will dominate your life. It involves our total transformation by virtue of the presence of God in our lives.

Formational Prayer Seminar...How we Can Change!

The Formational Prayer Seminar may appear to be a hefty title, but indeed it is four days of life changing experiences, learning to walk with Jesus and seek and obtain the glory, guidance, and reassurance of the Holy Spirit. In our first seminar, the very necessary process of forgiveness and putting wounds in perspective takes place with self-forgiveness, healing of old wounds, and short and long term hurts begin with one's self and extends to others. It is the beginning of a process and a journey!

Guided, led, and taught by Dr. Terry Wardle of Ashland Theological Seminary, who has a no holds barred, reveal all attitude about his own and shared experiences, we were guided to begin our own search and realities in a program of learning, combined with daily, meaningful worship. There could never be a kinder, more empathetic way through the hand of God!

Attending the second seminar proved to be an even stronger, more involved, self-reflective journey, led by Dr. Wardle, but further enriched by other leaders in their fields of expertise in different learning sessions. We were enriched in our journey, as we walked with Jesus daily, were led by the Holy Spirit, encouraged in daily study, daily prayer, and the use of many recommended resources. A further gift was the connections made with others making the journey, and coming from many different fields of work and areas of the country. We have been encouraged to "tell our story," and to "continue the journey." For those of us in this Presbytery with our theme of "Journeying with Jesus," these experiences are life changing helping us to make changes in our own lives to better help and encourage others to change theirs and continue the walk to enhance our own lives, other lives and the world. I believe for me, these seminars have been not only a large blessing, but a permanent life change in my personal and religious life, providing great direction and joy!

Kathy Adams,   

Ruling Elder Commissioner,  

East Hills Presbyterian Church, Mansfield, Ohio.

Formational Prayer Seminar 

January 16-19, 2013. Registration begins at 8 a.m. 

Wednesday and seminar concludes at 4 p.m. Saturday.

Link to Formational Prayer Seminar at Ashland Seminary

**Please note the $100 discount when registering as an MVP leader for Formational Prayer Seminar.