https://youtu.be/Lxyh-FIeQWo Dolly Parton, In the Sweet Bye and Bye
Watching and waiting has permeated this week. We got news last Thursday evening that Andrew’s father was coming to the end of his struggle and Reg died in the early hours of Tuesday morning. It has been hard to watch our family narrative switch focus as Reg left us to ‘go home’ as we could not be with him in a way that many of us have in the past have been used to. We had to watch and pray from afar as Nana, was dressed in full PPE to say goodbye to her husband of 67 years. Praying for a gentle goodnight was my prayer as Reg struggled to let go and it appears he did have a gentle goodnight as he died in his sleep.
It is not lost on me that Mary (Nana) is a name connected to waiting, watching. Mary the mother of Jesus accepted her role with love and no question and Nana, our Mary has done the same. Testament to a life lived in love for her man and her family. It was not easy for her and my other prayer this week is that Mary finds peace and acceptance and reconciliation for her lost soul mate and father to their children.
The Magnificat, the song of Mary is an incredible piece of writing. Luke has encapsulated the absolute letting go of ones own wishes and the total acceptance of God into her life. It echoes what has happened and what is to come perhaps I can see the beatitudes in these words too? It is magnificent in that each day it is part of evensong along with the letting go in the words of the Nunc Dimitis. The start of the work and the ending of work and our final wish to let go and go in peace with our Lord...
Mary's Song of Praise: The Magnificat
"... And Mary said,
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”
Luke 1: 46-55
https://youtu.be/Vsb6skx5iCQ Mary’s Song (Our King of Peace)
...and the words of the Nunc
“Lord, now you are dismissing your servant in peace,
according to your word;
for my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.”
Luke 2:29-32
https://youtu.be/8vtHBGOz_Ns - (used as the closing titles for Tinker, Tailor, Soldier Spy way back when) It was used at my Mum's funeral as well as Dad's.
I have been using Pray as You Go app this week and the daily examen, when it is hard to pray I have found these apps especially helpful and I marvel at the gifts that come my way from these unexpected treasures. I know these are God’s gifts of comfort, joy, surprise and relief as I feel He is very much watching and waiting alongside each of us. None more so than when we find ourselves in sorrow filled positions and encounters; along our own journey of watching and waiting with Him.
One such joy was the finding of The Porter’s Gate worship project and the absolute joyous collective of songs and worship, in ways that are not within my usual pattern. What has struck me about this is in one of the interviews it was said, roughly along these lines; that every week when we worship we have four good meals i.e. four good songs to sing from the same style of worship and although those meals are wonderful, it is not always good for us to have the same thing all of the time. If you remember last week my enthusiasm for finding Advent songs in a different style reawakened a renewed sense of expectation in listening to the old in new ways. We are asked to always be present with Jesus as He is with us, and I feel that a shake up of our usual pattern opens doors in some closed areas of our hearts and the Light creeps in and that light begins to warm us at our very core.
https://youtu.be/DwEk3_VKR18 Wake up Jesus
https://youtu.be/pm5VQAxdMrc Little things with great love
Unexpected joys as the light holds us and keeps us warm.
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