The third Sunday of Advent in my tradition is Gaudete or Rejoice Sunday. How do we celebrate Rejoice Sunday in a world so burdened with sorrow?\u00a0One of the promises of\u00a0 Advent and of the Gospel story is that joy and sorrow sometimes hold hands. As headlines shout disturbing, heartbreaking news, people in Christian communities continue to hold on to the countercultural, radical, and subversive promise that\u00a0somehow, even in smoke-filled streets of protest, the hopes and fears of the years meet and are transformed by God\u2019s unending love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, joy? Joy for me on this Rejoice Sunday is present, but it is a quiet joy, a leaning forward and looking back\u2014a persistent moving toward hope while recognizing that hope\u2019s promised justice and peace remain beyond where we are. In the meanwhile, God calls us to embody God\u2019s unending and persistent love through our care for each other in the communities where we live, work and play everyday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rocking<\/p>\n\n\n\n
ancient
rocking
They heard the cosmos singing
on a silent sacred night;
\u201cCome see a manger-cradle
beneath a Bethlehem light.\u201d
Expecting to find a king,
from fields and afar they came.
A baby. In a stable.
God-with-us the promised name.
Rocking<\/p>\n\n\n\n
gentle<\/p>\n\n\n\n
rocking<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sweet Lullaby, where are you
when deep sadness steals our sleep?
Or when upon a midnight,
no angels our souls do keep?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With the movement of each sway,
sharpen our world-weary gaze;
We pray for strength and courage;
for wisdom to seek your ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rocking<\/p>\n\n\n\n
tearful<\/p>\n\n\n\n
rocking<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Creation\u2019s heart is breaking;
we hear the whole earth groan.
Be near us, fearless Mama;
and sing your justice song.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let each soul feel your mercy;
let love all evil destroy.
O, rock us into justice,
we pray. Rock us into joy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rocking
boundless
rocking<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Photo by Sheila G. Hunter. Used by permission.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" We pray for strength and courage, for wisdom to seek Your ways.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":91,"featured_media":50334,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[3119],"tags":[3378,600,590,99],"class_list":["post-50330","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-plaza-new-ws","tag-advent-3","tag-gaudete-sunday","tag-poetry","tag-spirituality"],"yoast_head":"\n