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Advent Vespers at St. Brendan, Deer Isle, Maine
It’s dark now, well before 5:00 in the afternoon,
And so when people come to Vespers at that time
The candles in the church windows are already lit,
As are the candles arranged on the wooden bench
In front of the altar. (They sit on a white runner interspersed
with small branches of evergreen boughs because beauty matters.)
It snowed the night before, and now, as is often true
On the coast of Maine, the snow has turned to rain,
So people help one another cross the parking lot
Which has become a bit of a mini-glacier.
Once Vespers has begun, those gathered
Sing about the light shining in the darkness,
And pray for the light of Christ to shine in their hearts.
Barbara, who offers the reflection, speaks about the years
She lived in Norway, and about her friend who
Carries a tea light whenever she travels.
(She has tea lights for each of us to take home with us.)
Connie plays a beautiful piece on the piano,
And we keep a long silence as the notes hang in the air
Like stars.
Two of our most beloved members are present
For the first time in many months, as one of them
Is undergoing chemotherapy and hesitates to go out in public
With her compromised immune system.
Everyone is so glad to see them,
Finding it almost impossible not to gather them into
Huge hugs of welcome and love.
When it’s time for people to share their thanksgivings
And concerns, we pray for those who are sick,
As well as for those in Gaza, Ukraine, and in other parts of the world
Devastated by war and unspeakable horror.
We hold silence.
The candles hold the light.
And we dare to believe God is holding us.
We bundle up after Vespers is over,
And then hold onto one another
As we inch across the icy parking lot
With our tea lights in our pockets.
Perhaps there has never been so much holding.
Perhaps there has never been so much beauty
On a dark December night on an island off the coast of Maine.
Beauty matters.
And I hold onto that.
Pastor Elaine
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