Dear Friends,
These tender days of Advent are a gift to me. I watch the local birds peck at their feeders, the Canadian geese stop by the lake on their way south, and a brief snowfall cleans things up, just enough, to enjoy a peaceful presence. Quiet and wonder are here, and at the same time my heart is full of anticipation for a special family Christmas in our home state of Washington. My last Christmas there, I carried our 3 month old son. This year, he carries his 1 year old daughter.
Another gift in my world is the community choir, Accidental Harmony. Led by a beloved musician and teacher, we rehearsed 9 weeks and performed one night with piano, flute, guitar, brass quintet and jingle bells sharing the joyful sound. My heart melted when the harmonies hit their perfect combination and we created magic. We sang of angels giving glory to the newborn king, of “this time of year when the world falls in love,” even the simple beauty of a snowy day. These individual links are from other choirs that helped us learn our parts…please, take some time to listen and enjoy.
Toward the end of the concert, we sang a lovely piece, “We Toast the Days” by Linda Kachelmeier, that offers an image of hope.
“While the night is long and the bitter cold has come, we lengthen our embrace
to sustain us as we mourn our regrets and the fear of days unknown.
With assurance of the courage we will find and the hope that leads us on,
We toast the days…..”
More and more, I am learning the depth of hope that we are called to, especially in these times. Hope that is not in the future, but right here in the present. We bring hope with us into conversation and into quiet, a resource and a strength honed through life experience and the sacred path of our humanity. Our access to hope might change, as we change, but the fundamental quality of hope does not. As Cynthia Bourgeault teaches us. “Hope fills us with the strength to stay present, to abide in the flow of Mercy no matter what outer storms assail us.” Dear friends, I join you in that place where we walk through this holy season of Advent. Together, let us stay present, to abide in the flow of Mercy, to sing our songs in harmony and hope.
With love, Lisa