Yesterday, we watched worship from other churches where we have a connection. I'm always interested to know what other churches are doing. I had taken a walk with the pastor who was supply pastor at our local Lutheran church yesterday, and I wanted to know how her sermon would turn out, especially since her ideas about the fig tree inspired me to look at the Gospel passage with fresh eyes.
Her approach was different than mine, which was no surprise, but we both saw the leaves on the fig tree as a sign of hope, not a harbinger of doom (or a harbinger of autumn and winter being right around the corner).
Our Florida church observed World AIDS day, which seemed appropriate for Advent. I thought about how I neglected to mention it, but I'm at a very different church in Bristol, Tennessee. I could have made it fit with my sermon, though--drat for lost opportunities.
Our Florida church has an Advent liturgy that I've never seen anywhere else, and can't find now. I'm almost sure it came from the Iona community in Scotland originally. We close worship each Sunday in Advent with a prayer that says, "We are waiting, Jesus. We are waiting in Pembroke Pines."
Through the years, we've added various cities. At first, it was just the cities surrounding the church where members live: "We are waiting in Pembroke Pines and Hollywood, in Dania Beach and Ft. Lauderdale." Now, as we livestream and record, the church has added all the cities/states where former members have moved.
Yesterday, I felt a sublime happiness to hear, "We are waiting, Jesus, in North Carolina." How wonderful to know that although we are gone, we are not forgotten. It's what the best liturgies do--sew the past to the present, while looking to the future.
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