One of the Lectionary readings this week is Luke, Chapter 1 verses 39 to 45 . It is the story of Mary, who is pregnant at the time of the passage, going to visit her cousin, Elizabeth, who is expecting a baby as well.
Mary greets her cousin and these are the words of Elizabeth.
Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!"
Shari wrote to us about her Advent experience of embracing joy in all things as she waits for Christmas and Nate wrote about the joy of anticipation - as a child waiting for Lego's and as a young man walking through the days of Advent.
It is so easy to focus on the prize - the big event - and forget about the journey. Elizabeth's baby leapt for joy at the sound of the voice of the mother of the soon to be born Saviour. Even in the womb, he leapt for joy. There is that word again.
We all know the joy that our wee ones get from reading the same familiar stories over and over - Good night Moon, Pat the Bunny, Madeline, or favorite Dr. Seuss rhymes. The same joy can be ours if we take time to invite it into our day.
I collect Nativity sets and take great joy in unwrapping them and placing them all around the house. It is my way of re-living the journey from Advent to Christmas. This year I have decided that each night from now until Christmas I will unwrap one nativity set and put it out and then I will reread the Christmas story. Some nights I will read it in the Gospel of Luke; some nights I will sit down and read one of the many children's versions that I keep in a basket for my wee ones. Every single night I will treat myself to the same joy that we so readily treat our younguns to; the joy of reading the familiar, a beloved story.
We are told that Elizabeth experienced joy just hearing the voice of Mary, mother of Jesus. Imagine how much joy is to be had by reading the words of the so very familiar Christmas story over and over while we wait expectantly for the baby to be laid in the manger!
How are you allowing the joy of Advent to touch your days? Please write and share with us.
Beverly Kipp Health Ministry Coordinator
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