Celtic Advent - Day 2

A 40-Day Celtic Advent

“Thus says the Lord: Stand at the crossroads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way lies; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.” (Jeremiah 6.16)

I want to begin with a disclaimer: While the next 39 days will be patterned after a Celtic Advent, it is not a “traditional” Celtic Advent. There are several models of that available. This is not one.

While I have great affinity and affection for Celtic Spirituality, I would not appropriate this cultural spirituality any more than I would Buddhist or Native American or African American Spirituality, or create a “Christian” Jewish Seder.

Please hear that I am not criticizing those for whom Celtic Spirituality is deeply meaningful and they use it, whole. I am simply saying what it is that suits me and my sense of conscience. That does not mean that I won’t be using prayers from Iona or Northumbria or Lindisfarne. I will. I will also use prayers and meditations from a wide variety of sources, from Howard Thurman to Steve Charleston, Julian of Norwich to Ann Lamott, Hildegard of Bingen to Nadia Boltz-Weber. And, many others.

In the next 9 days of this 40-day journey to Advent, we will focus on what it means to be on a spiritual journey – a pilgrimage, as it were, without walking – and the very idea of Advent. What does “Advent Spirituality” mean? What do longing and desire have to do with prayer?

The second part will be a 10-day focus on the incarnation, and we will explore with intelligent, open, spiritual curiosity what it might mean to the modern mind for God to be incarnate in Christ and for Christ to be incarnate in us. How do we as people who understand that the world is not flat and snakes do not talk embrace mystery and miracle – we who live in the midst of many “miracles” of modern science and medicine? What can we learn about justice and joy from the visit of Gabriel to Mary and her song?

The third quarter will look at what it means for “Christ to come again” – the “second coming”. Where might we seek to find evidence of the Parousia? What might we expect to find when we live into our Baptismal promise to “seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbors as ourselves”?

Finally, the last 10 days will look at the celebration of Christmas. We will explore what our “family traditions” tell us about ourselves and our theology, our principles and values. What things/practices/traditions might we want to keep – and why? What new traditions might we wish to start – and why? Where - how - might we find justice and joy?

I will not provide answers to any question. Neither will judgment of others be allowed. You may choose to share some insights in the comment section. Silence is also welcome.

Our world is a dark and broken place. The darkness is not only due to the time of year and the change of clocks. The Unholy Trinity of COVID, racism, and political toxicity has cast a deep spiritual darkness over almost every aspect of our lives. The isolation of quarantine, the obscenity of racism and the poisonous cocktail of misinformation and lies, distrust and cynicism have left many of us spiritually depleted and emotionally exhausted.

If ever we needed Justice and Joy - in ourselves and in the world - it is now.

What I hope to do is to create the luxury of space and time where these questions might be explored. I will post the meditations sometime in the early evening.

My hope is that these meditations will come as a wee bit of light at the end of the day in the midst of these dark days. My prayer is that that light will grow, slowly over these 40 days, so that the Light of Christ may shine brightly in our lives at Christmas and throughout the year as we find the Justice and Joy promised of the birth of Jesus.

I offer the following as tonight’s meditation and prayer as we begin this pilgrimage into A 40 Day Celtic Advent:

A Reading adapted from Psalm 80 in Psalms for Praying by Nan Merrill

Eternal Listener, give heed to your people,


You, who are our Guide and our Light.


You companion us through the wilderness,

through the shadows created by fear.


You plant your Seed into each heart.


You uproot the weeds of our sin,


You cultivate the soil of our goodness.

Truly, in You, we become like a tiny acorn,

holding the secret of a mighty oak.

You nourish us with the food of love,

with streams of Living Water.

Be our strength as we break down walls that separate and divide;


let not fear pluck away the gifts we would share.


Roll away the stones that become obstacles to growth,

to producing a bountiful harvest.


May we always walk and co-create with You;


receive the gratitude of our hearts, as we share in the Great Plan.

Reading (from The Black Book of Carmarthen)

My mind is set on a journey,


My intent is to put to sea.


A beneficial plan, a gift it will be.

My mind is set on a plan,


My intent is to put to sea.


A beneficial plan, O Lord, it will be.

During this time, pilgrims are invited to share in the comments section or in the silence of their own hearts, their prayers and intentions for the pilgrimage.

Closing Prayer (“A Prayer for Pilgrims and Journeyers” by Edwin Hays)

A journey once taken alone we now choose to take together.

Moving forward as one body into a future filled with possibility,


we walk without maps, but we walk confidently,

and we walk with hope,

because we have chosen to be lights for each other,

while on the way.

We travel forward along a way we have not gone before;

we travel those who are led,

arms outstretched,
as those who are called forth to life.

We travel in need, dependent on the Holy One for strength,

for assurance;

dependent on each other, God's instruments for love.

Leaving known paths behind us,


we choose to journey forward in faith and hope.


As the journey brought us here, so now we begin it anew,

in company.

Amen.