Silence, Stillness, and Centering before God (2 minutes) Scripture Reading – Luke 1:28-38 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary…You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants for ever; his kingdom will never end.’ ‘How will this be,’ Mary asked the angel, ‘since I am a virgin?’ The angel answered, ‘The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God….For no word from God will ever fail.’ ‘I am the Lord’s servant,’ Mary answered. ‘May your word to me be fulfilled.’ Devotional The story is told of a little river that said, “I can become a big river” It worked hard, but there was a big rock. The river said, “I’m going to push around this rock” and it got itself around the rock. Soon the river faced a big wall, and the river kept pushing this wall. Eventually, the river made a canyon and carved a way through. Then there was an enormous forest. The river said, “I’ll go ahead anyway and just force these trees down.” and the river did. The river stood on the edge of an enormous desert. The river said, “I’m going to go through the desert.” But the hot sand began to soak up the whole river…until it was only a small mud pool. Then the river heard a voice from above: “Just surrender. Let me life you up.Let me take over.” The river said, “Here I am.” The sun then lifted up the river and made it into a huge cloud. He carried the river right over the desert and let the cloud rain down and make the fields far away fruitful and rich. (Nouwen, A Spirituality of Living) Question to Consider Notice how the Triune God works- so simply, so quietly, so patiently. A world goes on, apparently oblivious to the new creation that has begun. How might God be birthing something new in and through you this Advent? Prayer Father, I ask you for the grace of courage to be completely available and responsive to you as Mary is in this text. Grant me the power to stop striving and to rest in You. In Jesus’ name, Amen. Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)
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