Christmas happened and is happening. And it's not automatic. Advent is about the arrival of God in our lives by preparing our hearts for Christmas and consenting to God's presence. You can visit us online at vuechurch.org

SLIDES George read in our gathering:

Image Displayed on Screen

From artist Scott Erickson's book Honest Advent (Chapter 15, Mighty)

Mary is a Model for All of Us

We need to let the word take such root in us. Our task too is to give birth to Christ. It began with Mary, but each of us is asked to make our own contribution to giving flesh to faith in the world.  -Ronald Rolheiser

Tension of Pain + Joy in Childbirth

In childbirth, we see the tension of pain and joy so vividly. There is intense pain that comes in waves and at times you don’t know if you can make it through, but it is the hope of the joy to come that keeps you moving forward. You can’t ignore the pain. Instead, you find that it is the pain that leads you. Rather than fighting against it, you push into the pain, and that is what eventually leads you into the moment of overwhelming joy. Similarly, we don’t have to ignore the pain in our lives. We can choose to push into it. Just as a woman doesn’t give birth alone, it’s important to know that we need other safe people (family, friends, therapists, etc.) around us to support us as we explore our pain. But when we allow the pain to lead us into God’s presence, it is there that we will experience new life and find joy.   -Advent Reflections, Vanessa Stricker