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dreamprayact

~ Reflections of a preacher, poet, and contemplative activist

dreamprayact

Tag Archives: Bethlehem

The Buoyancy of Prayerful Action

12 Monday Dec 2016

Posted by mark lloyd richardson in Reflections

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Bethlehem, Birth Narrative, Birth of Jesus, Christmas, Do not fear, Emmanuel, God with us, Gospel of Luke, Gospel of Matthew, grace, Jesus, Joseph, Mary, Nazareth of Galilee, The Holy Family, truth

mary-joseph-jesus

Camille, David, and Azael as Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus, in the Children’s Christmas Pageant at First UMC Santa Barbara, December 2016 (Photo credit: Dallis Day Richardson)

An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said,
“Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife,
for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus,
for he will save his people from their sins.” ~ Matthew 1:20-21

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God
to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin
engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David.
The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said,
“Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” … “Do not be afraid,
Mary, for you have found favor with God.” ~ Luke 1:26-28, 30

Fear must be released if we are to take the journey to Bethlehem.
Fear obstructs the dream of God for a world healed of divisions.
Fear confines us in boxes of propriety and principle.
Fear prevents us from daring to live fully for God.
Fear holds us back.

Joseph,
had he listened to his inner voice of moral rectitude,
rather than listening to the Spirit stir in his faith-filled dreaming,
might have chosen the lesser path,
the outwardly respectable path,
the easier, more bearable path.

Mary,
had she listened to her inner voice of level-headed reason,
rather than listening to the angel’s announcement of God’s favor,
might have chosen the uncomplicated path,
the less perplexing, more normal path,
the expected path for a young woman of her day.

Instead these two faithful servants,
through the buoyancy of prayerful action,
put aside their fears
and embraced the possibility that God was doing something new!

From their beautifully inspired trust in God’s goodness
the holy child was born
and God’s salvation story took on human flesh,
so that we might see the fullness of grace and truth!

This Christmas
let us cast aside the fear of difference and change
and embrace the self-giving love of Emmanuel –
God who is with all of us the world over,
whatever our nationality, race, religion or creed.

God is with us!
Do not be afraid!

Words (c) 2016 Mark Lloyd Richardson

An Advent Prayer for All God’s Children

27 Sunday Nov 2016

Posted by mark lloyd richardson in Prayers, Worship Liturgy

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Advent season, Bethlehem, birth of Christ, earth stewardship, hope, human dignity, incarnation, light of Christ, prayer, suffering, Word made flesh

children-photo-by-susan-barrett-price-creative-commons

Photo by Susan Barrett Price on Flickr Creative Commons

God of all the seasons of life,
here we are in Advent –
a season of expectant watching and waiting –
and we are aware of the grand struggles
playing out on this earth …
… struggles for human dignity
… for freedom from oppression
… for sustainable living
… for responsible stewardship of this precious earth.

Holy and mighty God,
you speak of a day when we will know
that Christ is near, even at the door.
You warn us to keep awake
and not succumb to the sleepiness
of casual accumulation and comfort.
There is so much need around us
our eyes and hearts cannot contain it.
So many of the world’s children
whom you love
suffering
through no fault of their own.

In this holy season,
while the world dances transfixed
before the dazzling lights of commerce,
we are invited
to sit in wonder beneath a brilliant nighttime star,
to seek the true light that shines in the darkness,
to follow where the child of Bethlehem leads,
to listen anew to the Word made flesh.

Draw us up short, Lord,
from any pretensions of piety we may have,
and surprise us again by the miracle of hope,
that this child who is to be born
may remind us of all the world’s children
who carry within them your image
your life
your love
your light!
Amen.

(c) 2011 Mark Lloyd Richardson

The Light of Epiphany

05 Tuesday Jan 2016

Posted by mark lloyd richardson in Reflections, Sermon portions

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Bethlehem, Epiphany, Gospel of Matthew, light of Christ, magi, spiritual gifts, spiritual journey, spiritual practices

Three Kings on AltarMatthew’s story about the magi who set out in search of a child king is the story of a spiritual journey. These were scientists – astronomers whose scholarship involved studying the desert night skies for signs of significant events. Their discoveries of what was beyond the earth in the heavens opened their minds to consider the meaning of a particularly bright and bold star one night and summoned them to take up their journey to Bethlehem.

From Matthew’s point of view, the magi were authentic spiritual seekers. A more accurate picture of their physical journey would be of a large caravan including more than three magi, as well as servants, animals, and supplies, traveling for weeks if not months. Their spiritual journey, on the other hand, was a journey toward the light of God’s presence.

These astrologers from a foreign land are the first to acknowledge Jesus as God’s anointed king, the first to see the light of God shining through this newborn child. Their journey to Bethlehem shows that it is God’s intention to welcome everyone into the joy of God’s eternal home.

In a sense, the journey of the magi points us toward the conclusion of Matthew’s gospel where the final command of the risen Jesus is to carry the gospel to all the nations, and to include all people in the baptismal blessings of God’s new covenant. Just as the light from the star shone on the place where the Christ child was born, so Matthew calls us in our discipleship to a kind of shining. “You are the light of the world,” Jesus says. “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven” (5:14, 16).

Epiphany reminds us of the light of Christ that shines for all people. We participate in shining this light. At the same time, the story of the magi cautions us not to think that we have all the light we need within our religious tradition. There is a universal human quest for reunion with the author of our lives that finds expression in other religions, cultures, and nations. We need one another in this vastly spread-out human family to practice humility in acknowledging that we are more alike than different when it comes to searching for the light of God’s presence.

So the task of the church is not to protect certain practices or beliefs or traditions. The task of the church is not survival in the midst of huge cultural shifts and increasing secularism. The task of the church is to show hospitality to all who seek God’s light. The task of the church is to reflect the radiance of the Christ child in the world. The task of the church is to live in the light and be a beacon for all who are on their own journey toward spiritual wholeness.

Our lives are meant to radiate the light of Christ in the world as we reach out to new people with the grace and peace of the Gospel message. As we grow in our own faith, we invite others to the life of faith. We humbly acknowledge that we are on a journey as well, that we don’t have all the answers, and that we simply seek to know God more deeply through prayer, worship, and the community of faith.

This Epiphany, may we be as determined as the magi in following the signs that lead to Christ. May we bring our gifts – the gifts of our love, our lives, our humility, our friendship, and our seeking – faithfully sharing them with those we meet along the way. May we give testimony to the light that shines in our midst, the light of God’s love in Christ Jesus, the Word made flesh.

Words (c) 2016 Mark Lloyd Richardson

Prayer for the World’s Children

14 Saturday Dec 2013

Posted by mark lloyd richardson in Prayers, Worship Liturgy

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

3rd Sunday of Advent, Advent, Bethlehem, children, Christmas story, grace and truth, humanity, incarnation, Jesus, Mary, Mary's Song, peace, prayers for victims of violence, sacred worth, the poor

God who lifts up the lowly and humbles the lofty,
God who bends down to be with us in our humanity,
we pray in the name of the Child of Bethlehem
for all of the children of this vast and beautiful world.

We pray for immigrant children, street children,
neglected and abused children, at-risk children,
and children in good, stable, loving homes.

We pray for safe environments where children can be children,
with the freedom to explore their common identity
without the shadows of fear and danger hanging over them.

We pray for the safety and security of people living in places
where deep divisions exist and turmoil has taken hold.

We admit to feelings of despair and anxious thoughts
as we consider the violence on our own city streets.

We confess to a sense of helplessness and uncertainty
as we question how things will ever change for the better.

In the midst of our prayers and concerns this holy season
we come to listen anew to the wondrous story
of how you become known to us in fragile flesh,
how you enter into the very places we most fear and bring peace,
how your goodness overcomes evil and your life overcomes death.

Jesus, born in a stable under the boot of imperial rule,
lives a life in the fullness of divine grace and truth
that challenges the oppressive violence of his time.

Jesus, born to a young girl living below the poverty line,
lives a life of radical trust, deep compassion and abundant mercy.

In this holy season may we also begin to trust you more fully.

May we also resist the violent ways of the world and seek paths of peace.

May we also challenge the systems that marginalize the poor and vulnerable.

May we do more than offer charity and hand-outs.

Rather let us stretch our limited consciousness
and begin to believe in the sacred worth of each person we meet.

Let us, like Mary, seek the favor of God.

May our souls also magnify the Lord and rejoice in God our Savior.

May we do our best to walk in the way of Jesus,
who is our life and our hope, now and always.

Words (c) 2013 Mark Lloyd Richardson

Wonder

24 Monday Dec 2012

Posted by mark lloyd richardson in Poems

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

angels, Bethlehem, Christmas, David, faith, grace, life, miracle, shepherds, wonder

tropical_moon_blog

Wonder

In distant fields
shepherds
keep silent watch over their flocks.
In long ago skies
angels
come down to earth on bended wings.
In far away Bethlehem
a son of David
is born in a humble stable.

Some days
faith feels strangely distant,
tradition needs a good dusting off,
genealogies sink unnoticed into the past.
Some days
we honestly wonder
if we have misplaced our sense of wonder.

Then a star tumbles across the night sky,
a full moon leaps upon the stage,
a deer strides gracefully across our path,
a pelican performs a perfect dive,
a child laughs,
a friend cries,
a grandparent passes through the veil,
and we set our eyes upon the miracle that is life.
In the midst of this miracle
we are astonished again by grace,
we are captured anew by wonder.

profile_blog

 

Words (c) 2006 Mark Lloyd Richardson
Photos (c) 2012 Dallis Day Richardson

Will you welcome the little one?

20 Thursday Dec 2012

Posted by mark lloyd richardson in Poems, Reflections

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

Bethlehem, children, Christmas, compassion, Jesus, peace, suffering, violence

"Bethlehem at night," Flickr photo by Nancie Sill taken on January 17, 2011. Used by permission.

“Bethlehem at night,” Photo by Nancie Sill taken January 17, 2011. Used by permission.

Life is a sacred gift, and all the world’s children deserve to grow up in safety and security surrounded by love. Sadly, far too many children fall victim to the violence of poverty, food insecurity, war, civil unrest, human trafficking, sexual predation, gun violence, and more. Yet these are all our children. The human family is one family in spite of all the forces at work to tear it apart. As Christians reflect upon a child who came into this world to bring peace, we must ask ourselves if we are ready to welcome all the vulnerable ones of this world into our consciousness. For it is only in opening our hearts to the suffering of the little ones that we prepare our hearts to receive the gift of this holy child we await at Christmas.

Will You Welcome the Little One?

Bethlehem…city of David…
will you welcome the little one?

Give me reason to believe
you will protect the holy child –
the holy in all children – from harm.

Amid all the bad news –
economic woes
political corruption
a planet willfully plundered
wars and rumors of wars –
take care to use your humanity
fragile as it is
to ease the world’s pain.

O Bethlehem, open your eyes
to the holy one born among us.

Make room in your hearts
for this one who comes
as compassionate healer
justice teacher
abundant life giver
prince of peace.

Brother, Sister, Friend,
will you welcome the little one
sent from God?

Words (c) 2008 Mark Lloyd Richardson

Beginnings

18 Tuesday Dec 2012

Posted by mark lloyd richardson in Poems

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Bethlehem, birth, Christmas, creation, Jesus' birth, peace, reconciliation, spiritual life, Ultimate Mystery

windblown_blogAs we approach Christmas, I share this Christmas poem I wrote a few years ago with you. It speaks of the timeless mystery of God’s presence in creation in which we live our lives.

Beginnings

From the beginning, eternity’s song
danced on garden breezes,
singing God’s delight.
From the beginning, earth’s bounty
blossomed in forests and fields,
declaring God’s glory.
From the beginning, life’s spirit
beat within each human heart,
creating God’s life within us.

Here is the story of our birth.
Everyone is born of God and in God.
Everyone is born through God and for God.
God is in our beginnings.
God will be in all of our endings.

On a still night in Bethlehem
a cry pierced the starry sky,
a life began,
a child was given,
a mystery began to unfold.
All who have need of a new beginning
find it here in this child of peace–
this one who comes bearing
God’s reconciling love to the world.

Words (c) 2006 Mark Lloyd Richardson
Photo (c) 2012 Dallis Day Richardson

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