A
series of religious activities reveal a devout young couple doing precisely
what their law prescribed: circumcision, naming, purification, presentation,
offering.Enjoying the beauty of
their tradition, they are interrupted by a strange old man wanting to hold
their baby.Any mother would tighten
her grip.
The
Shepherds were where you expect to find them: in the fields watching sheep
sleep.Without warning or
invitation, an angel appears – enough to unnerve the cockiest of shepherds -
followed by a crowd of heavenly beings.They were chosen to receive the clearest message of cosmic importance to
date: Today, Bethlehem, Child born, Savior. No interpretation necessary.
Thin Places come through the encouragement of a soul friend.
Mary and Elizabeth make an odd pair. Connected only by blood and now impending motherhood, they were otherwise worlds apart. Elizabeth was a priest’s wife, well-known
for her piety. Yet, she had long bore the cultural “curse” of
childlessness. Mary was on the opposite end of life’s journey—
looking ahead and not behind. She was a small town girl, betrothed to
a man well chosen by her parents and awaiting the sacred space of
marriage and children. Then an angel interrupts her plans.
We are lucky enough to to be able to share Urban Skye Project's "Advent Guide" with you all, our readers. I am very excited about this because it is a beautiful series on the theme of "Thin Places," a Celtic idea about the nearness of God. We will post from their guide each week this month. Enjoy!
