I brought with me this morning my well-loved bunny, Lieblich, to offer as an image of shelter. At night, Lieblich and I crawl into bed. We cozy down under the covers and snuggle into comfort, sheltered from whatever is going on around us, we safely drift into a good night’s sleep.
A few weeks ago, I led a retreat for Anglican colleagues on preaching the texts of Advent. For Advent 1 we explored the texts through a practice called florilegia. This is a practice I have talked about before, where, as you read through the texts you write down the words and phrases that speak to you, grab your attention, peak curiosity, draw out an emotion, or bring comfort. You collect the words and phrases, as if you have picked a bouquet of flowers – thus the Latin name florilegia.
As nice as it is to collect
a bouquet of words and phrases – many of which brought comfort, it was through
an additional step that something magical happened. Each person was invited to
take the words and phrases they had gathered from the scripture texts and write
a poem with them. It did take some encouragement from me, to assure everyone
that indeed they could write poetry.
What happened was magic. Working
with the words and phrases, people experienced them weaving together, renewing
interpretations of the texts, awakening imagination, and creating pathways of
hopes and dreams. Sheltering in words and phrases from holy scripture was only
the beginning. Internalizing that shelter came through the creation and
imagination process, with the piece of art (poetry) being a place of home –
meaning a place that holds one in safety, whatever the expression; in creative
offering one is welcome to be themselves and fully belong. It is a place of
shelter where one is free from the outside world, in tune with the home of
self, and in tune with the holy.
Consider for a moment music
that feels like shelter for you. This would be music that was formative, that
takes you to a specific era of your life, music that makes you feel a sense of
belonging; music that speaks to your heart, makes you cry or rejoice or both;
music that can change your mood, satisfy loneliness or longing, or affects you
in some way.
A few eras of music come to
my mind from conversations I have had with people over the years. Big band
music, Elvis, the Beatles, music associated with Woodstock, folk music, disco … and so on … poetry of
those times set to music, where the words and phrases gathered grew out of
protest, or in contrast, to the chaos in the surrounding world. The music
creation and the continued participation of art through singing the lyrics and
playing the scores, invited people of the time to shelter in the words and
music. Once sheltered people’s imaginations expanded and with hope and peace to face the world with all its problems.
Presently Taylor Swift has
been performing, “The Eras Tour.” Thousands of people went to the concerts in
Toronto, thousands more were unable to get tickets. This is true wherever she
goes to do concerts. Her fans are called Swifties, having their own community
and subculture, influencing various industries and popular culture. They are a
creative group, making friendship bracelets cool again, wearing sparkles, and through
the Swifty community raising money and as groups volunteering for all kinds of social
justice projects.
Swifties have found a place
to shelter. Shelter as a place of belonging, being oneself, finding love and
acceptance; hearing joy and sadness – a variety of emotions in the songs- that
reflect on life as they are experiencing it. The fan group and the music speak
in contrast to what is going on in the world. In the music people find shelter –
for a moment- from climate crisis, threat of nuclear war, the collapse of
democracy—once sheltered people’s imaginations expand and with hope and peace
are able to face the world with all its problems.
I believe that role of
church and church community is sheltering people so that their imaginations are
open and free to create. The Holy Spirit is a very present help in times of
trouble however, she is a co-creator. Ever wonder about all the ‘art’ projects,
mural walls, hand painted items, homemade posters, colouring sheets I encourage
you to participate in. I am really inviting you to open your imagination so
that the Holy Spirit can co-create through you. She co-creates within us
through art and music, creating in us shelter that gets passed on in hope, joy,
love, peace, perseverance, … all that is needed to face the suffering and the
troubles of the world.
It is Advent, a season of
the church year, where there is much in the scripture texts, images, and hymns
to be collected as words and phrases of shelter. During services the florilegia
we hear and gather is placed beside and woven into conversation of end
times, catastrophic events, and a world that is far from an expression of God’s
kindom.
The season of Advent – meaning
coming- is an offering in the church year cycle to reflect on Christ’s coming;
as a baby in Bethlehem, as God incarnate to a hurting world, as Christ coming still-
It is a season of readying
our hearts to be home for Christ.
It is a season to find
shelter for our hearts, souls, spirits, as the longest nights draw near, as
chaos abounds outside the walls of the church. We choose to shelter together,
to worship, to focus on preparing for Christ’s coming. Through art, singing,
decorating, baking, gathering, we create. When we create, shelter is
experienced, and home found – and in this creation there is hope and peace to
share.
Just as I take my well-loved
bunny to bed at the end of a day, finding there comfort, safety, and shelter –
so too I find comfort, safety, and shelter in words, phrases, and fellowship in
this home.
At the end of session one of
the retreat, I shared the poem I wrote from the words and phrases of holy text,
and I found shelter in the process of creation; an Advent hope and peace for
days to come. The poem:
Surely
there is a
house
in those
days
one for
Judah, one for Israel
Surely
in these
days
more than a
bunch of broken tents
Earnestly
there is a
promise to live in safety
in that time
Earnestly
restore whatever
is lacking in housing
in this time
Fulfill
all these
things
a house
roofs of
righteousness
heart
Fulfill
all these
things
a house
increase and
abound
hearts to
build homes
Home and
home ♥
Enjoyed your sermon.
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