From the Dean
Dear Friends in Christ,
There’s a standing joke among the cathedral staff regarding my hope for a “quiet Advent”. Every year I ask my colleagues to be careful not to schedule too many meetings or events during the four weeks preceding Christmas so that we all – staff and congregation – might attend to the spirit of the season, waiting and watching for Jesus.
When I bring this up now, after three previous attempts, my friends just smile and roll their eyes. They suspect that this year will probably look a lot like the past; it will almost surely be chockfull of planning and doing, a four week sprint to Christmas Eve. I’m sure they’re right (and I deeply appreciate the effort they put into making the season full and joyful) but I’m not quite ready to abandon hope.
The trick, I think, to enjoying a quiet Advent has everything to do with perspective. Few of us can go on a four-week retreat but all of us can find time every day to consciously rest with Christ. It might last just a minute or two but those few moments can make all the difference in the tenor of our day. Then, as darkness falls, we should take time to ponder a few questions: How did I see Jesus in my world today? How was he revealed? Through which encounters, which conversations, which people? How did someone else see Jesus in their world today because of me?
Wait and watch; that’s the call – not always an easy thing to do for those flying through life with blinders on. If it’s helpful to you, I hope you’ll find a way to do things just a bit differently this year – a one degree shift in perspective and behavior is significant when it extends from here to heaven.
We wish you a most blessed Advent season.
God’s peace,
Scott +
