Advent Scripture and Reflections - Dec. 1

December 1

Isaiah 2: 1-5
"

2 The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

² In days to come

    the mountain of the Lord’s house

shall be established as the highest of the mountains,

    and shall be raised above the hills;

all the nations shall stream to it.

³     Many peoples shall come and say,

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,

    to the house of the God of Jacob;

that he may teach us his ways

    and that we may walk in his paths.”

For out of Zion shall go forth instruction,

    and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

⁴ He shall judge between the nations,

    and shall arbitrate for many peoples;

they shall beat their swords into plowshares,

    and their spears into pruning hooks;

nation shall not lift up sword against nation,

    neither shall they learn war any more. "

 

For me today - this passage is making me reflect on the wonderfulness of mountains and high places. Mountains and hilltops are places were I have felt most connected to God.  Here are a just a few I am thinking about today:

• Camp Jumonville  - many weeks and weekends spend at church camps and youth retreats on this mountains outside of Uniontown, Pa.
• Window Rock, Arizona - this is an amazing view visited while leading a youth mission trip to the heart of Navajo Nation
• El Povenir -  another church mission trip to a coffee cooperative in Nicaragua with incredible mountain views of the volcanoes.  Musician Susan Powers wrote and performed a song during our August Mission Sunday service that was inspired by her mountain top experience at El Porvenir. Read the lyrics here: The Mountaintop
• My yard - living on a hillside in the country - being able to spend time outside with the dogs looking at the view of nearby famlands, rolling hills, and beautiful tree.

 

Also on the topic of mountains: I am reflecting today on how grateful I am to have a job where I get to share and teach and learn  children.  Yesterday, during Sunday school we were practicing the song "Go tell it on the Mountain" with the kids in preparation for the upcoming Christmas Pageant.  One of the elementary kids asked some questions about the words and we talked about what the song is really saying: Tell people the story about the birth of Jesus. And the best place to tell that amazing story is from the top of a mountains  - where everyone will hear you and the love of God will echo! 

"We shall climb the Lord's mountain and prepare for his coming."

 

- daily reading suggestion taken from the Advent 2014 calendar published by Creative Communications for the Parish.