Author: winncollier

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Disruption {Second Monday of Advent}

I’ve never worn camel’s hair, but I’m betting it’s scratchy. And I love fresh honey (a friend gave us a jar yesterday that they’d harvested Saturday – amazing), but I care none for the locusts. This John the Baptist fellow was a fierce man. He doesn’t land in many of the holiday tunes or animations, but he gets plenty of play in the Advent readings.

John the Baptist basically repeats one message: Hold on to your hats. God’s coming.

It wasn’t actually the words that got the people riled up. Everybody throws God-language around, especially pastor-types like me. But this wild prophet held the words with fire. He had a haunt in his eye that told you this was serious business. John went into the wilderness, and I wonder if he was trying to escape, if maybe he was weary from the violent collision of hope and hope unheeded. He went into the wilderness, but the crowds only followed. Some think it was the spectacle that drew the throng, but I think it was the fire. I’ll go a long way to hear someone say a word they truly believe, a word that burns.

In the end, though, John simply gave away what he’d been given. Nothing more, nothing less. And with that simple act, he threw a monkey wrench in everybody’s visions, confused all the best laid plans. Rather than calling him John the Baptizer, I think we should call him John the Disruptor.

Advent isn’t a docile season, not so long as the locust-eating prophet is your man.

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Here are two shots from yesterday’s #adventpicaday posts. Welcome the disruption.

Arrival / travis watson
More Light Will Be Revealed Soon / sabrina fields

 

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First Saturday of Advent

Lamplight / crmonetti
Juxtaposition / kt_writes (kristin)

We’re seeing some wonderful pictures. I’d love to credit you by name – and more than that, I’d like to know your name, to know you. Perhaps in the future we can add our names to the title, if our name is not obvious in our profile.

You can follow along via instagram or twitter by searching #adventpicaday. Here’s why we’re doing this.

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First Tuesday of Advent

Perhaps we’ll make it two pictures a day. There are so many good ones, I’m just having to close my eyes and stick my hand in the pile and see what I grab.

Here’s the context for what we’re doing. If you want to share with us what you’re seeing and how you’re watching (or just want to follow along and receive other’s gift), use #adventpicaday on instagram or twitter.

Waiting Together / kristen gohean
Waiting, Waiting / liz rand
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Watch for Light {Advent}

I face east. Toward the crest of Carter’s Mountain. Jefferson walked those lines. A vineyard sits atop these hills. Today, the trees stand stalwart against the winter; they have shed their fur but are courageous. All is bare. But all is hopeful. Light is coming.
My hands soak the warmth of steaming mug. My breath forms mist in rhythm. This waiting, this watching — a ritual of expectation for the glow to climb over the ridge.
This moment is familiar to many of you. This moment when our hearts are attuned, our eyes restful and hopeful. Light is coming.
This moment is Advent.
In Advent, we watch for Light. We pay attention to rhythm and sound and cadence. Our hearts look for signals. Our hearts lean forward. Light is coming.
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I want to watch for Light this Advent; and, to borrow from John Lennon, I’ll get by with a little help from my friends. I want to keep my eyes open. I want to see what I see. And, just as much, I’d like to see what you see.
I’ve got an idea, and I wonder if some of you would like to join me. Each day of Advent, I’m going to be looking for an image that makes me wonder, makes me ponder, an image that nudges me toward hope or joy or light. I’m looking for an image that reminds me that God comes to us in all the strangeness and commonness of the people and space right around us. And if/when I find that image, I’m going to snap it with my phone’s camera and then share it.

If you’d like to join in, here’s what I imagine:

> a picture posted, each day that you happen upon one
> post it on instagram and twitter (God knows twitter needs some light)
> add #adventpicaday to your post so we can follow along
> perhaps add a title too
> if you want to share a picture but refuse instagram, send me a link where you have your shot. We won’t all be able to follow what you’re doing, but I’d love to see it and perhaps share it on the blog along the way

Each day of advent, I’ll snag one of the pictures and post it here, so we can all have a moment to see what you see, a running commentary on what we’re noticing, the ways we’re leaning toward Advent and Light. If this practice is simply more noise to you, then please ignore it. But for some of us, maybe this will help us face east.

Advent began yesterday, and a few friends jumped on in. For a good taste, we’ll start with 5. Future days, we’ll share one a day:

Reaching for Warmth / elaine davis
Sunset on the Horseshoe / rick stilwell
Line of Light / jason boyett
Light / jeromie rand
Forward Lines / winn collier

 

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