Thursday 21 December 2023

Today is Thursday the 21st of December in the third week of Advent.

One Hope Project sings, ‘Angels We Have Heard On High’.

Angels we have heard on high,
singing sweetly through the night,
and the mountains in reply
echoing their brave delight
Gloria in excelsis Deo,
gloria in excelsis Deo
Shepherds, why this jubilee?
Why these songs of happy cheer?
What great brightness did you see?
What glad tidings did you hear?
Come to Bethlehem and see
him whose birth the angels sing
Come, adore on bended knee
Christ the Lord, the newborn King.

Today’s reading is from the Song of Songs.

Song of Songs 2: 8-14

The voice of my beloved!
 Look, he comes,
leaping upon the mountains,
 bounding over the hills.
My beloved is like a gazelle
 or a young stag.
Look, there he stands
 behind our wall,
gazing in at the windows,
 looking through the lattice.
My beloved speaks and says to me:
‘Arise, my love, my fair one,
 and come away;
for now the winter is past,
 the rain is over and gone.
The flowers appear on the earth;
 the time of singing has come,
and the voice of the turtle-dove
 is heard in our land.
The fig tree puts forth its figs,
 and the vines are in blossom;
 they give forth fragrance.
Arise, my love, my fair one,
 and come away.
O my dove, in the clefts of the rock,
 in the covert of the cliff,
let me see your face,
 let me hear your voice;
for your voice is sweet,
 and your face is lovely.

Most of us have a variety of images of God. What are some of yours? . . .

Each image suggests something about our relationship with God: Father, Mother, Friend, Shepherd . . .

I wonder how you might react to this question: have you ever thought of God as your Beloved? . . .

This could make you feel rather uncomfortable or it might feel rather exciting . . . Is it possible that God is actually in love with you? . . .

As you listen to this reading again, you might want to wonder how God might be speaking directly to you, here and now . . . notice if you find this challenging and allow space for that to be okay…

How is the God who really does love you, looking at you right now? . . . Talk with God about how this all sits with you…

O Wisdom
Lord and Ruler
Root of Jesse
Key of David
Rising Sun
King of the Nations
Emmanuel
Come, Lord Jesus