Give a gift of sound...

Today- speak a word of encouragement, play someone a tune from your ipod, pay a sincere compliment, read someone a poem...

At Christmas- instead of giving a yoyo, strum someone a song on your guitar, give a Small Speech of Admiration, compose a story...

For Life- God, may the tune on my lips bring your grace, may the rhythms of my actions reflect your love, let me be a sweet, sweet sound to your ears...

In this wonderful short clip of French film, Amelie, we have a perfect example of the powerful dynamics of sound.
Jesus brings sense to noise, clarity to clatter. As people welcomed to work alongside Jesus we have an amazing privilege to bring illumination and meaning to the world around us.
God -help my noises to make someones day today!

When ever I think of an angel visiting a shepherd or Mary the Hallelujah Chorus is always the sound track - accompanied by a few fireworks whizzing and popping in the background.
Messages from God must have an extravagant sound, surely?
What does God sound like to you…
A whisper...
A train...
A breeze...
A thunderstorm...
A harp...
An entire orchestra...
A bird song

. . . . . . . . . . ?

The sound of God could be anything, but this we know- the message is extravagant. It is a serenade of one word -Jesus; Emmanuel, God with us.

This Sunday we light our first symbolic sparkler and remember the meaning of Advent (the visit of Jesus).
We wait and we marinate in:
The remembrance of Israel’s yearning for the coming Messiah, to save, forgive and restore them.
Our hope for the second coming of Jesus where everything will be restored.
The realisation of our own need for Gods grace, through Jesus.

God, stir in our hearts excitement about the visit of your Son.

Give us patience to wait.

Help us to know you through all of our senses.

"Waiting patiently in expectation is the foundation of the spiritual life." Simon Weil

“Whhhhy are we waaaaiting? We are suffocaaaating!” It’s a little dark, morbid even, when typed but when heard it’s a sing song chant, one I tunelessly squawked in every patience requiring moment of my childhood- do you recognise it?
I have a little ball of impatience tucked away in my tummy even now, that sometimes grows as I wait in queues, in jams, for someone, for something. I don’t yell annoying songs any more but tap my toe, bite my nails, roll my eyes- I huff and I puff.
We are all about this moment, right here, right now, instant gratification- even McDonalds the creator of fast food has an express lane now! And I am sucked in to believing that waiting is wasting.
Well this year, I’m going to choose to wait- a subversive, anarchic response to this culture that begs me to click my fingers and get my needs met.
I’m not going to wait like I wait for my computer to boot up, a passive observer of the flickering lights. I’m going to wait like a back aching pregnant mother- gently but actively getting ready for the burst of new life soon to come.

I wait to try to understand how the old-skool Israelites felt waiting for The Messiah for years. And years. And years. Donkeys years.
I wait to try and remember how I felt when I was first Captivated by Jesus- when I sensed my need for Him like I sensed hunger for food.
I wait to try and re-notice the ginormous, yawning, groaning need for Jesus on earth in the lives of people, the structures of society, the relationships…
I wait to try and re-gather the excitement of working hand in hand with the Jesus, for there is just simply no need to be slogging away on the injustice of earth without Him.

Ripen me God, like a rock hard, sour kiwi fruit sitting in a bowl.

Marinate me God, make my mind tender like a steak in a sweet concoction.

Marinate Me Too

Yep, the Marinade Advent Experiment is happening again this year. We will be exploring the extremes of sound, sight and taste in the lead up to Christmas, beginning on the 1st December.

Join with us on this journey of waiting....

(To get the feel see last years blog here)