Here, on the second day of this brand new Advent season, we welcome a beautiful poem sent from Margaret Somerville.
Rev. Dr. Margaret Somerville is a pastor in the Presbyterian Church (USA), a Quaker educator, and Interfaith leader. She is the director of Alignment: Interfaith Contemplative Practices, which brings together leaders of different traditions in an alternative worship experience. She describes her interfaith work through Alignment as “ways to bridge the gap between faith traditions in order for people to share moments of connection through their different contemplative practices.”
Margaret’s most recent book ‘When prayer doesn’t work’ (which comes highly recommended by Chris) invites us to rediscover prayer as a way of living, not a formula to get right. With wisdom drawn from her Celtic Christian roots, lifelong pilgrimage to the Isle of Iona, and deep engagement with Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim and Jewish traditions, she reimagines prayer as presence in the ordinary. A moment of beauty caught whilst washing dishes, perhaps.
In her poem, Margaret reminds us of the connection and interwoven spirituality of this season, which revolves not just around the traditions of celebrating the birth of the Christ child, but also even more ancient attempt to make sense of the soltice turnings – the coming and going to the light.
We also are on a journey towards the shortest day, the time when light seems furthest and most precious.
