Advent Readings from Iona by Brian Woodcock

Author:Brian Woodcock
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781905010837
Publisher: Wild Goose Publications
Published: 2008-08-15T00:00:00+00:00

December 12

John 1:6–23

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light; but he came to testify to the light.

When I was a child, we had a dog which would understand but not obey. If you pointed to something, he just looked at it; completely ignoring all instructions to ‘Fetch.’

At least that was an improvement on our previous pet, a cat. Whatever you pointed to, the cat simply looked at the end of your finger!

A prayer

It isn’t just John the Baptist who points the way,

is it, living God?

It isn’t only the cry of a strange-looking man

in a remote wilderness a long time ago,

that speaks of the light coming into the world.

You surround us with signs

of the presence of Christ amongst us.

Scriptures and people, events in our lives,

art and science, song and story,

birth and death, mountain and mustard seed

are all icons –

pointing beyond themselves to a greater light,

inviting us into divine encounter and transformation.

Let us never take for granted the signposts that you give,

nor despise the lone voice or sacrificial life.

But forgive us, in this age of instant access,

when we fail to look beyond the pointer or go further.

Give us imagination to seek that which is still hidden,

patience to wait, the will to travel on,

courage to reach towards the things we cannot grasp,

humility to be led and met and taught and loved by you.

May we thank, yet never idolise, messengers you send,

but rather hear the message, and hunger for the light.

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