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#adventword

December 15: #Prepare

12/15/2018

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​To “make ready”; arrange, put together, produce. Preparation usually entails thought, planning and then action of some kind. Advent is a time to prepare. Is it getting the house ready for Christmas, pulling down decorations from the attic, rushing to buy presents for all? Or is it listening for that still, small voice and acting on the message of that voice for a relationship with God to unfold? Prepare ye the way of the Lord!
 
– Jan Gilbert served as a Trustee of the diocese from 2013-2018
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December 14: #Prune

12/14/2018

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Autumn is when gardeners look to their trees and shrubs and prune where it is needed to let in light and encourage healthy growth. In Isaiah 2:4, we read, “They shall beat their swords into mattocks and their spears into pruning knives…” If only we would turn from weapons to pruning shears to tend our world, more light could enter and God’s peace would grow and reign. Will it ever come? Beginning with me? Let it be so. Amen.
 
– Ann Stirling is a Trustee of the University of the South and a member of St. Francis, Charleston
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December 13: #Smooth

12/13/2018

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#smooth #AdventWord We envision with John the Baptist a great day of leveling for all creation. Making the way smooth for all to have access to the liberating life of God requires removing every obstacle we have constructed that blocks the path of grace. We persevere as we face the Caesars of the world for our hope is in the One who has already made the way smooth, Jesus the Christ. - The Rt. Rev. Skip Adams, VTS ‘80, The Episcopal Church in South Carolina

A post shared by Advent Word (@adventword) on Dec 12, 2018 at 8:58pm PST

Bishop Skip Adams wrote today's reflection for the official AdventWord project, where it's been translated into several languages for people around the world on Instagram, Facebook, and their website http://www.adventword.org. You can also sign up there to get the daily meditations via email.
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December 12: #Rough

12/12/2018

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The word “rough” is synonymous to words like, harsh, tough, irregular and uneven; and it is used in 26 instances in the Bible. In April 2001, our family of four arrived in Nashville, Tennessee, from war-ravaged Liberia. We participated in a Sabbatical Priest Program at Christ Church Cathedral, and this provided us the much-needed rest, respite and rejuvenation from violence, fear and insecurity. Whenever I reflect on our family’s past, I am reminded that rough times don’t always persist.

– The Rev. James T. Yarsiah is Chaplain at St. Philip’s, Voorhees College
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December 11: #Grow

12/11/2018

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Secular culture urges us to grow wealthier, and proclaims that Christmas is about shopping and going to lively parties. Jesus calls us to grow more godly, so during Advent we cultivate prayer and inner peace. Secular culture tells us to eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die and then it’s lights out forever. Christianity teaches us to love our neighbor, for tomorrow we live, and our spiritual growing goes on forever. Joy to the world indeed! 

– The Rev. Sandy Grant is a deacon at All Saints, Hilton Head Island
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December 10: #Cry

12/10/2018

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Holiday cheer, festive hymns and glittering lights...why on earth would we cry? Tears come as things change. The old passes away, and we feel deep pain or intense joy. God hears our cry and brings hope. Something new is being born. The difficult journey to Bethlehem, relegation to a stable, the birth pangs... our cry gives way as God comes into the world. New life. God with us.

– Sarah Tipton is Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Bishop Gadsden and a member of Grace Church Cathedral
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December 9: #Wild

12/9/2018

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Wild grapes. (Isaiah 5:4)

We look for basic...we get wild!
We look for safe...wildness ensues.

Born to be wild, unruly and unstoppable.
That is the human condition.

Yet God desires to change wild grapes...to something...More.
Could Wild Grapes be an unsustainable varietal?

The Advent journey travels through the wild desert and vineyard.

Wild grapes transformed by smooth grace.
Wild spirits focused, refined and redefined.
Wild becomes wide...like jazz.

God sees wild and says...let’s improvise!

– The Rev. Bill Coyne is Missioner for Returning Congregations for The Episcopal Church in South Carolina and Priest-in-Charge of The East Cooper Episcopal Church
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December 8: #Alert

12/8/2018

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When I sit in a deer stand, I am very alert to my surroundings. I hear every leaf fall, every bird flap its wings. I see the squirrels doing their little dance around the corn pile. I taste and smell the sulfur in the low tide breeze. I am much more keenly alert to my surroundings when I pause for a moment. Jesus calls us to be alert, so that we may see him in all things.

– The Rev. Cn. Caleb J. Lee is Canon Precentor of Grace Church Cathedral, Charleston

​
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December 7: #Sprout

12/7/2018

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In Advent we see tiny shoots begin to sprout. They are so fragile, delicate and vulnerable. They need the right water and light to grow. What in your life needs attention to start growing? What are the parts of you that feel incomplete and vulnerable, that you are afraid to let out into the light? During the season of Advent, Christ is looking for fertile ground in which to sprout a new shoot out of the old stump. (Isaiah 11:1)

– The Rev. Dr. James E. Taylor is Rector of St. Thomas Episcopal Church, North Charleston
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December 6: #Light

12/6/2018

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God guided the Israelites out of the desert with a pillar of light as a sign of his faithfulness. In the northern hemisphere, Advent occurs in the year’s darkest season. Our custom, as we await Christ’s birth, is to add lights to our dark world. As we follow the incarnate Jesus, he promises we will never walk in darkness. From God we have the goodness, the faithfulness, and the gift of light to share our love in our world.
​

– Ray Wannamaker Sabalis is a member of the Diocesan Council of The Episcopal Church in South Carolina
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    #ADVENTWORD

    We're sharing a new word each day from December 2-25, 2018, with meditations and images from people around our diocese.

    You can also see and share them on our Facebook page and our Instagram feed.

    It's part of a global Advent calendar created Anglicans all over the world. Learn more at
    adventword.org.

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  • Home
  • About Us
    • Who We Are
    • Our History
    • Our Vision
    • Find a Church
    • The Bishop
    • Clergy & Staff >
      • Clergy in Good Standing
      • Clergy and Transition Ministries
    • Governance >
      • Constitution & Canons
      • Convention
      • Boards and Committees >
        • Standing Committee
        • Diocesan Council
        • Trustees of the Diocese
        • Deputies to General Convention
        • Commission on Ministry
        • Deaneries
        • Liturgical Commission
        • Visioning Committee
        • University of the South Trustees
        • Other Boards and Committees
    • Historical Timeline
    • FAQ
  • Ministry
    • Prayer Calendar
    • Diocesan Meditations
    • Outreach
    • Grants for Congregations
    • Administrative Resources >
      • Safety & Prevention
      • Manual of Business Methods
    • Clergy Resources
    • Liturgy & Worship >
      • Liturgical Commission >
        • Bishop Guerry
      • Marriage
      • The Lectionary
      • The Book of Common Prayer
      • Brother, Give Us A Word (SSJE)
      • Daily Prayer: Forward Movement
    • Education & Formation >
      • Adults
      • College Ministry
      • Youth
      • Children
    • Church Connections >
      • The Episcopal Church >
        • Province IV
      • The Anglican Communion
      • Anglicans Online >
        • The Society of Archbishop Justus
      • Daughters of the King
      • Episcopal Church Women (ECW)
      • Society of the Companions of the Holy Cross
      • Order of St. Helena
    • Ecumenical & Interfaith >
      • Fellowship of SC Bishops/Public Education Initiative
      • Charleston Area Justice Ministry
      • Christian Jewish Council
      • Gun Violence Prevention
    • Communication and Evangelism >
      • Carolina Grace
      • Social Media Sunday
      • Mission Matters Videos
  • News
    • News Blog
    • Events Calendar
    • Upcoming Events
    • Lent 2021
    • Responding to COVID-19
    • Email Newsletter
    • Episcopal News Service
    • Anglican Communion News
  • Giving
  • Convention
    • 230th Diocesan Convention
    • Call to Convention 2020
  • Contact Us
    • Get in touch
    • Make a donation
    • Sign up for the newsletter
    • News Submission
  • BISHOP SEARCH
    • Search for the XV Bishop