Real Joy

 

Helen writes:

 How are you today? You reply “I’m fine” if you are of the older generation, or “I’m good” if you are under thirty.  How are you, how am I in the spiritual sense during this time of Advent? Busyness or tiredness still manages to crowd out times when I meant to be quiet, and all around the news seems so depressing.

If you can find a time to be quiet, it is possible to experience a great feeling of peace especially if you can manage to find a relevant Bible verse, or a lovely advent reading.  Real joy is a special gift from God, and I sometimes experience this when seeing natural beauty, or when listening to music.  My whole being almost burst with joy when I watched the Aurora Borealis up in Norway. I thank God for this beautiful world and for composers and musicians who give such joy.

Ann Gerondelis is an artist who has developed a practice of drawing while praying.  She says, “Like drawing water from a well, I work to draw out certain qualities of the world to engage with them more fully.”  She has written and painted a book of Daily Prayers for Advent and this is one of her prayers. 

O God of power, come.

Come in a material way – in matter and body.

Come, as our Hebrew brothers and sisters would say,

as Ruach, a tempest.

Sweep over our waters,

our land,

our hands.

our hearts.

Both body and soul.

Twist us, turn is with your gale-force presence.

Transform our humanity.

Transform creation.

In the name of peace,

in the name of love,

in the name of justice,

may your kingdom come.

Even here.

Even now. Amen 

© Ann Gerondelis/ Wildgoose publications 2016