Tag: Advent

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Advent Word 2020, Day 8 ‘Speak’

Catherine Lee

#AdventWord #Speak Can God open our mouths? And if that were to happen, what would God have us say? The Old Testament offers several stories of reluctant prophets. One of them is Jeremiah, who, upon receiving his call, protested that he didn’t know how to speak. What followed was a truly dramatic episode: “The Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth; and the Lord said to me, ‘Now I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, … Continue reading Advent Word 2020, Day 8 ‘Speak’

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Advent Word 2020, Day 6 ‘Fellowship’

Catherine Lee

#AdventWord #Fellowship If you recognize your sin, if you recognize your need for love and guidance, if you recognize that your life is missing the joy and abundance that Jesus is offering, then accept His invitation and take a seat at the table to eat, drink, and have fellowship with Him. The isolation you are experiencing is caused by your resistance to live into the vocation you have been called to as a child of God. Here’s to Taiwan and Osaka, companion dioceses now for 15 years! Bishop Haruhisa Iso and his wife from Osaka, Japan (right) and Bishop Lennon … Continue reading Advent Word 2020, Day 6 ‘Fellowship’

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Advent Word 2020, Day 5 ‘Rebuild’

Catherine Lee

#AdventWord #Rebuild Jesus calls us to new possibilities in the season of Advent. Indeed, this is a time to rebuild our hopes and relationships, moving us ever closer to becoming the beloved community. With our eyes wide open, let us look at the new, fully inclusive world being created, connected to the loving words of our Lord and savior who tells us to stay alert. With love as the cornerstone of the work to rebuild, we can achieve the goal. This is not the time for sleeping, for as Jesus says, “What I say to you I say to all: … Continue reading Advent Word 2020, Day 5 ‘Rebuild’

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Advent Word 2020, Day 4 ‘Earth’

Catherine Lee

#AdventWord #Earth During Advent, as we live anew the unexpectedness of God’s first coming, the EARTH we stand on and the EARTH we’re made of tremble in anticipation of the birth of mercy and justice. The fig trees teach us lessons about working while we wait, and the darkness of the sun and the moon make us alert to the death of every injustice and the second coming of hope. That’s us! Almost on Top of the World @ Dabajianshan 大霸尖山, Taiwan 3,492m/ 11,456 ft: July 23, 2020 Continue reading Advent Word 2020, Day 4 ‘Earth’

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Advent Word 2020, Day 3 ‘Strengthen’

Catherine Lee

#AdventWord #Strengthen  Háshįnee in Diné (Navajo) means “Beloved.” One of my spiritual disciplines is to make time to meditate on my ancestral words, which invite me to reflect and grow closer into a relationship with my people and the Divine. Háshįnee must be said from the heart, for it acknowledges profound kinship. Imagine for a moment the way God expresses love and compassion for Jesus: “You are my beloved Son.”  I feel a glowing admiration of love and hope transpire within my soul in response to these sacred words uttered by the Divine. Living in the way of Háshįnee strengthens … Continue reading Advent Word 2020, Day 3 ‘Strengthen’

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Advent Word 2020, Day 1 ‘Tender’

Catherine Lee

Happy Advent Sunday to you all! Advent Word Global Advent Calendar 2020 starts today! #AdventWord #Tender When we feel weak and overwhelmed, let us hang our hope on the blessed truth that this same Jesus who one day will come with great power and glory is also the one who walks alongside us right now, with tenderness in his heart and balm for our weary souls. Let us echo the words of the old spiritual that says, “When my heart within is aching, Lord, I want Jesus to walk with me.” Presiding Bishop Michael Curry Just ordained! New deacon Rev. … Continue reading Advent Word 2020, Day 1 ‘Tender’

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Advent Word 2020 Coming Very Soon!

Catherine Lee

The AdventWord project of The Episcopal Church, run by Virginia Theological Seminary (VTS) is now about to enter its 7th year, and I’ll be participating in the project this year too, as in previous years. You can join too! They invite different people to write a short meditation on a theme word. I will post the meditations and share my own photo linking to the theme word. These are the AdventWords for this year, starting on Sunday November 29, Advent Sunday…. My photos will all be from this past year in Taiwan, either taken by me or a few taken … Continue reading Advent Word 2020 Coming Very Soon!

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Advent Word 2019, Day 24 ‘Beloved’

Catherine Lee

#AdventWord #Beloved You are loved. Three simple words. And yet words that can transform…everything! The New Testament asserts that “love is from God, because God is love.” This love is nothing less than the saving lifeblood for a global family that often feels and acts in very unloving ways. All too often, we are hemorrhaging fear and hurt because we allow selfishness—the opposite of love—to fill our veins and kill our souls. And the world can be transformed. Yet in this quest, a key thing to remember is that God is the initiator of reconciliation, not we human beings. The … Continue reading Advent Word 2019, Day 24 ‘Beloved’