Doing Theology, No. 22 December 2007
A bi-monthly theological reflection from the
School of Ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina
A spirit-filled Advent to you
This is the first occasion since I began these reflections in which I have chosen to have a guest author, but I wanted to share with you this meditation from Bob Cook, with his permission ~ Leon Spencer
Two weeks ago Sandy and I received the most devastating phone call of our lives. Our eighteen-month-old grandson Luke was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy – type one. If you are like us, you’ll have never heard of this before. What it means is his body is digressing neurologically and might leave about two years to live. One of the coming symptoms would be respiratory problems. At the present he has pneumonia for the third time. I still have moments of weeping that seem to surface at any given moment, unannounced.
Advent is, in many respects, a season of reflection and anticipation. We recall the mighty acts of God, and we can expect God’s presence in great and small ways. I found God’s presence, in the week we received this news, when I read Thomas Merton’s prayer in his Book of Hours:
My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself,
and the fact that I think I am following your will
does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you.
And I hope that I have that desire in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road,
though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore I will trust you always
though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.
I will not fear for you are ever with me,
and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.
God communicates and guides our lives to the extent that we allow and are willing to see. I have no doubt of God’s abundant love for us – all of us – and when we are community together we are lifted up. I am acutely aware of how very important the community of the church is to all people… and selfishly now to us.
A spirit-filled Advent to you.
Yours faithfully,
Bob Cook
