{"id":580,"date":"2015-11-13T09:14:21","date_gmt":"2015-11-13T09:14:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.passionatespirituality.org.uk\/?page_id=580"},"modified":"2015-11-13T09:14:21","modified_gmt":"2015-11-13T09:14:21","slug":"incarnation","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/www.passionatespirituality.org.uk\/?page_id=580","title":{"rendered":"Incarnation"},"content":{"rendered":"

We live intentionally with the urban poor, <\/em>learning from them, <\/em><\/p>\n

building genuine relationships, participating in their liv\"IMG_0559\"es and struggles, <\/em><\/p>\n

learning their language and their culture, and working out <\/em><\/p>\n

how Jesus\u2019 love can best be shown in their context.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

INTO THE PRESENCE OF GOD<\/p>\n

Trust in God at all times, people. Pour out your hearts to the Holy One.<\/p>\n

For God alone my soul waits in silence.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Silence<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

God with us. Emmanuel.\u00a0 We pause and consider.<\/p>\n

Me created in the image and likeness of God. Jesus created in the image and likeness of human beings.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cLook, your Mary is pregnant with Emmanuel:\u00a0 God is with us,\u201d Joseph dreamed.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow can this be?\u201d struggled Mary. \u201cBut here I am; let it be as you say.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cIt is no longer we who live but it is Christ who lives in us,\u201d Paul explains.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow can this be?\u201d we wonder. \u201cCan Christ be formed in us?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Well, here we are. Emmanuel.<\/p>\n

Let it be as you say… be formed in us, be present to us.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sing \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/em>Let all mortal flesh keep silence and with fear and trembling stand<\/p>\n

Ponder nothing earthly minded, for with blessing in his hand<\/p>\n

Christ our God to earth descended, our full homage to demand<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

THANKSGIVING AND LAMENT<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Holy One, Human One, We admire your downward mobility and forget to follow it.<\/p>\n

Help us forgive ourselves.<\/strong><\/p>\n

We notice other ways of incarnation and are quick to judge them.<\/p>\n

Help us forgive ourselves.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Thank you for letting yourself be made in our likeness, in a body caught in time and space.<\/p>\n

Human One, give us patience with ourselves.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Thank you for living in a simple neighbourhood and waiting thirty years before you started \u2018doing stuff\u2019.<\/p>\n

Holy One, give us patience with ourselves.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

We lament our need to be spoken well of, to be included and to be understood.<\/p>\n

Blessed are those who are persecuted, misunderstood and falsely accused on my account, for great is their reward in heaven.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

We lament our short cuts in compassion. We lament our readiness to resent.<\/p>\n

Blessed are those who are persecuted, misunderstood and falsely accused on my account, for great is their reward in heaven.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Holy One, have mercy\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Human One, have mercy\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Holy Spirit, give peace. Amen<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

THE LIVING WORD<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Psalm 132 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 or \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/em>Exod. 33: 7-11 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0or \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/em>John 14: 5-14<\/p>\n

Luke 1: 26-38 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Matt. 3: 13 – 4: 11 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a02Cor. 4: 1-12<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Silence for reflecting on the readings<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

RESPONSE<\/p>\n

:contemplate an icon or a painting (e.g. Botticelli\u2019s \u2018Annunciation\u2019) and share thoughts<\/em>
\n:meditation ~ either lectio divina or gospel contemplation<\/em>
\n:draw or sketch your own \u2018tent of meeting\u2019 and its proximity to your \u2018camp\u2019 (Ex. 33) – depicting how Christ is immanent in your life.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

FOR EACH OTHER<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Let\u2019s hold in the light and nearness of God the human\u00a0family worldwide, and especially today….<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Silence or open prayer<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

THIS WAY, THIS DAY<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Infinite and holy God,<\/p>\n

No striving mind or will could hope to reach you.<\/p>\n

Yet in Jesus you come to us,<\/p>\n

Not just near, but in<\/em>, for all time and eternity.<\/p>\n

You choose our flesh, you bear its scars.<\/p>\n

Our story is your story,<\/p>\n

Your life is our light.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Be at home in us today<\/strong><\/p>\n

And help us to live as your body.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Meet us in the rooms and the streets we inhabit today.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Give us the courage we need to say \u201cyes\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

To you, to our neighbours, to the earth<\/strong><\/p>\n

And to all that is ordinary and fragile in our own lives.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

When we walk in darkness,<\/p>\n

Hungry for hope and aching for your presence,<\/p>\n

On earth as in heaven\u00a0 Your kingdom come!\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Amen<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We live intentionally with the urban poor, learning from them, building genuine relationships, participating in their lives and struggles, learning their language and their culture, and working out how Jesus\u2019 love can best be shown in their context. \u00a0 INTO …<\/p>\n

Incarnation<\/span> Read More »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":333,"featured_media":0,"parent":575,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.passionatespirituality.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/580"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.passionatespirituality.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.passionatespirituality.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.passionatespirituality.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/333"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.passionatespirituality.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=580"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/www.passionatespirituality.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/580\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":584,"href":"http:\/\/www.passionatespirituality.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/580\/revisions\/584"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.passionatespirituality.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/575"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.passionatespirituality.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=580"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}