the mockingbird's leap

I wonder what Advent is going to be like for you. For many of us it's a busy, busy time, and it becomes increasingly difficult to stop and listen, to watch and be present to what is going on around us. Small wonder then that when the Christ Child comes among us we are unaware, or inattentive and we miss his coming.

Not like Simeon, in Luke 2 who was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and found him in this baby.  Nor Anna, in the same chapter, who was looking for the  redemption of Jerusalem, and found it in this tiny visitor to the Temple. A lifetime of waiting, and paying attention, which led them to mark this moment;  so much so that Simeon felt he could now die in peace.

Inspired by both of these characters, and by the writing of Annie Dillard, I've set up a new blog called 'the mockingbird's leap'.

It's a special project for the Advent season. A short-term but intentional community of friends and connections from many places who have agreed to practice attention in the run up to Christmas Day, so that we can learn to appreciate the many ways we have been gifted.

We live with the awareness that often the busyness and commerciality of the season leads to inattention, and that we are constantly in danger of not noticing. Maybe this year, if we are intentional about attention, and then blogging about what we see, we might be better prepared for the advent of the Christ Child, the great Gift of God.

We begin on December 1st and end on December 25th.

If you are in any way interested in participating, we'd love to welcome you over to the site. You can get me on glenn AT crookedshore DOT COM. If you need any instructions I can get them to you and we'll see what happens.

My hope for this venture is that by the end of Advent, as we welcome in Christmas in the birth of Jesus, we can look back on all the ways in which he has been present to us, and we will be impacted by the weightiness of God in the world.

Come on and join us.