In early November a dear friend mentioned her desire to offer a pre-advent Advent retreat, she even had a title picked out, “The Edge of Advent.”  She wanted to offer a space for people to prepare for the season, to stand on its edge and determine ahead of time what practices, what questions, might steer their journey toward the arrival of the Holy One.  I loved the idea and when my friend’s husband fell sick, I chose to offer the retreat myself, because I knew I dearly needed it. 

Yesterday, a small handful of people gathered at Still Waters Retreat House in Carlisle, PA to listen and reflect.  The following is a compilation of a few thoughts I shared about Advent’s edge.  

Advent Has an Edge.  

An Edge can be
sharp,

like a knife, or
dull.

Cutting Edge is
new and exciting,

Edgy is raw and unsettled, like the wilderness

where John the
Baptist appeared,

and all the people
went out

to meet him there.

An Edge is a place
of transition,

liminality, and
potential.  God

seems to prefer
the Edge and

those who dwell in it; appearing

most often among and to those

who find their way there

by faith or fate.   
   

Advent boasts a
warning sign: 

Traveler Beware, the
journey 

from here will
leave you 

On Edge. You
will know 

you’re on the
right path

when you find
yourself dislocated,

caught between
comforts like 

Mary and Joseph of
long ago.

Advent reveals the
Sharp Edges

of things – the
sorrow on joy’s fringes,

the place where
light and darkness meet,

and the way every
possession positions us

for loss.  Advent’s
prophets declare

upheaval, a great rending of the

tapestry of this world.  Those
in power

tremble, but the humble rejoice. 
   

Advent has an Edge. 

It is a beginning,

it is an end.  

I’d love to hear what you’re reading or practicing during Advent this year.  In particular, I’m looking for new Advent materials for us to use as a family.  Let me know in the comments below!

*   *   *

Welcome to the #SmallWonder link-up.  

What if we chose to deliberately look for small moments of wonder, the small sparks of presence, of delight or sorrow, of true humanity in which we meet God?  

That’s my proposal – that we gather here each week to share one moment of Wonder from each of our days.  You’re invited to link-up a brief post about a small moment of wonder.  Don’t worry if your post is too long, too short, or not just right – you’re welcome to come as you are.  

While you’re here, please do take a look around and encourage at least one other blogger with a comment.  Thanks for being part of our community!