And the world cannot be discovered by a journey of miles,
no matter how long,
but only by a spiritual journey,
a journey of one inch,
very arduous and humbling and joyful,
by which we arrive at the ground at our feet,
and learn to be at home.

Wendell Berry, Collected Poems

Georges de la Tour, The Newborn

Click here for introduction to this Advent series; Weaving tunes, composing symphonies: The Sacred Story incorporates our own sacred stories.

Some ideas for a daily Advent reflection to use with children

Click on this link to download and print out a Jesse tree. We have collected readings for the stories from various children's bibles, symbols to cut out and colour in and ideas for prayers and questions. Click here and print out. Below are links to the same stories from the CEV bible.

Sunday 23rd: Joseph Matthew 1 Saw/hammer
Monday 24th: Mary Luke 1,2 Manager

New Testament/Christmas narrative continues: Luke 2: 1-20

Meditation

The Word became a human being and lived here with us (John 1:14, CEV). Home is an evocative word. That God has a home, that he has made it on earth and within human beings is a striking thought. Prompted by love and without regret is another. The advent continues to strike at a particularly twisted and stubborn root, that of essential separation from God, of our remoteness from each other. One writer put it succinctly as somewhere, somehow we began to live as we were seprate, alone and in danger. Once afraid we constructed a self out of that fear and have been steadfastly defending it ever since*. The incarnation is that lullaby which urges us to make our home in Him as He makes His home in us.

Pax

All that matters is to be at one with the living God
To be a creature in the house of the God of Life.

Like a cat asleep on a chair
at peace, in peace
and at one with the master of the house, with the mistress
at home, at home in the house of the living,
sleeping on the hearth, and yawning before the fire.

Sleeping on the hearth of the living world,
yawning at home before the fire of life
feeling the presence of the living God
like a great reassurance
a deep calm in the heart
a presence
as of a master sitting at the board
in his own and greater being,
in the house of life.

D.H. Lawrence

Question

Is my story one of suspicion and of holding my own Messiah at arms length? The story includes Jesus coming to us a baby. Might this be to allay our fears and doubts?

Prayer

In towns and villages
In tower blocks and terraces
Christ is waiting to be born

In palaces and shanty-towns
In high streets and back-streets
Christ is waiting to be born

In the vastness of the universe
In the intimacy of our hearts
Christ is waiting to be born

Come, Lord Jesus
Come into our homes
Come into our lives
Come and stay

Ruth Burgess, from the book Candles and Conifers