Monday, December 3, 2012

Come and Find the Quiet Center

Advent Devotional Commentary
Jesus, Beloved Son
December 3, 2012
Matthew 8:8

Living in the sacred center where I am called as God's child is a call to innocence?  I would rather call it a place of belief, of faith.  This is a world of possibility rather than probability and statistics.  It is a place of wonder and imagination.  It is based on knowing that God is sufficient.  It is understanding that the world is promoting false needs that leads to the insecurities of what if??  It is believing that we can live in the Kingdom of God now rather than waiting until some unknown time.  This will put us into sharp contrast to the world and we will not meet with their approval.

Yet, in the quiet sacred center we truly are who we were created to be.  We are the royal priesthood.  We are joint heirs with Jesus.  We are vessels of the Holy Spirit and in that we are blessed and beloved.  We can be confident in this inheritance.  And in this confidence we can forgive, we can heal, and we can be part of God's new creation.  We need only to return that innocence, the belief of the child.

I immediately thought of the song from The Faith We Sing, Come and Find the Quiet Center.  The lyrics read:
1 Come and find the quiet center
in the crowded life we lead,
find the room for hope to enter,
find the frame where we are freed:
clear the chaos and the clutter,
clear our eyes, that we can see
all the things that really matter,
be at peace, and simply be.
2 Silence is a friend who claims us,
cools the heat and slows the pace,
God it is who speaks and names us,
knows our being, touches base,
making space within our thinking,
lifting shades to show the sun,
raising courage when we're shrinking,
finding scope for faith begun.
3 In the Spirit let us travel,
open to each other's pain,
let our loves and fears unravel,
celebrate the space we gain:
there's a place for deepest dreaming,
there's a time for heart to care,
in the Spirit's lively scheming
there is always room to spare!"
These lyrics do not speak of the cynicism of the world and the inherent insecurity of this world.  Even the tune speaks of peace and security.  Please use it as a prayer to inspire us to that attitude of innocence and imagination.You Tube link to the Song Come and Find the Quiet Center

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