Holy wondering while wandering through the threshold is different from the holy wondering before and after. Before the threshold, we wonder what might be ‘over there’ on the other side. We imagine with hope a reality that is markedly different from the place where we are living. After the threshold, we wonder with a new lens at the new surroundings where everything seems fresh and rejuvenated. Holy wondering while in the midst of the transition is a different matter.
In the threshold, we wonder with a desire to know, see, and develop in our faith.
Threshold travel might be disorienting, scary, and full of confusion. Although it is not for the faint of heart, it can be a time of great learning and spiritual growth. When we, with courage and trust in God’s steadfast love, look into the fog and uncertainty of the transition with an attitude of indifference, there is a very real possibility for change. Unexpected change can happen in our own heart of all places. It is real transformation because it doesn’t come as a result of our machinations or manipulations. We do not script such things. We can only open ourselves to the rebirth from above and delight in this diving gift.
Holy wondering in the threshold involves self-reflection and questioning. It consists of paying close attention to what we are feeling as well as what we are thinking. Opening to God’s movement in our lives, we begin to sense God’s presence with a new sensitivity that incorporates all of our being. Holy wondering in the threshold moments invites the questions: What is God creating anew in me? How am I becoming more fully God’s child? In the freedom of being unshackled from the past, how am I being shaped for a different future?
In the chaos and swirling uncertainty of threshold space, God pushes back the waters of captivity with a liberating effect. Imagine. What did our ancestors in the faith, the Jewish people, experience as they walked upon the damp soil? Behind them was the slavery and hardship of Eygpt. Ahead was an unknown wilderness that their eyes had never seen. God held back a wall of water on either side of the threshold passage. Our steps spring with renewed and sudden expectation. Feel the moisture and mud on my tired feet. Hear with my ears the rush of the restrained sea. Senses awake! Hope abounds! Life invigorated! Finally, creation is dawning for me!
Silent Prayer:
Find a comfortable place to sit. Set your phone or watch for fourteen minutes. Close your eyes. Breathe deeply. As thoughts come to your mind – push them aside. Now is not the time. Trust in God to hold your life without needing to control it with our thoughts or actions. At the end of your time – say a simple “thank you” or “Amen.” Tomorrow, we will build on this spiritual practice by adding more time. Consider the time spent in silent prayer as an Advent gift – an opportunity to enter into God’s shalom/peace.
Today’s Silent Prayer Goal – Fourteen minutes
If the challenge of thirteen minutes of silence seems to be just too much, an alternative might be to continue with seven or eight minutes of daily, prayerful silence for the remainder of this Advent season. The length of time spent in silent prayer is not as important as the practice itself so give yourself the permission to do it for as long as works for you.
Scripture:
Lamentations 3:22 - 26
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. "The Lord is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in him." The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul that seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.
Thank you for reading the fourteenth blog of this Advent series. If it was meaningful to you, please feel free to like it below or share it with your friends. You may also leave a comment. Blessings on the journey as we head through this season of Advent together. In Christ, Walt.