Today, we dive back into the archives for a piece by Ben Norton, within the collection, “Espresso Scriptures,” a Proost collection from 2009. In the words of Ben, “rip out a page and grab yourself an espresso and pause for a moment.”
We’ve paired it with a piece entitled, “A Christmas Confession,” from “Hold This Space Pocket Liturgies,” a Proost collection from 2008. Let these words, and the beautiful depiction of the infant Jesus, “The Boy Who Saved The World,” by Jaclyn Stuart, wash over you.
While they were there, the time came for the baby
to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She
wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger,
because there was no room for them in the inn. (Luke 2:6-7)
"There was no room for them in the inn". This was not
because Joseph was late - it was meant to be this way.
There was just no room for this baby, and how true is
this story still today! The world still misses the point of
God coming to us. It misses the point that we can have
peace that outlasts everything.
May our lives, this Christmas time, be mangers that give
somewhere for Christ to be found.
- Ben Norton, Espresso Scriptures (Proost 2009)
A Christmas Confession, by Cheryl Lawrie
We can scarcely believe it, God,
this story of your birth in the world.
We rationalise and reason,
we read the headlines and we doubt,
and still, we hope, desperately,
that it just might be true.
If we have lost faith in the promise of change,
unwrap our doubt to make a space for love.
If we only know despair over your church,
unwrap our grief to make a space for joy.
If we’ve been angry with your people,
unwrap our resentment to make a space for peace.
If we’ve looked back on the past nostalgically
unwrap our sentimentality to make a space for life.
If we’re looking forward cynically,
unwrap our scepticism to make a space for hope.
God, if we have lost the faith to believe that you are
making your world and your church new,
unwrap our darkness to make a space for light.
Amen.
- Cheryl Lawrie, "A Christmas Confession," Hold this Space Pocket Liturgies (Proost 2008)
