Weekly Words for the Journey

The First Week of Advent

Lead, kindly light, amid the encircling gloom,
Lead Thou me on!
The night is dark, and I am far from home;
Lead Thou me on!
Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see
the distant scene – one step enough for me.

I was not ever thus, nor prayed that Thou
shouldst lead me on;
I loved to choose and see my path; but now
Lead Thou me on!
I loved the garish day, and, spite of fears,
pride ruled my will: remember not past years.

So long Thy power hath blest me, sure it still
will lead me on,
O’er moor and fen, o’er crag and torrent,
till the night is gone,
and with the morn those angel faces smile;
which I have loved long since, and lost awhile!

I love the poetic language of this old hymn. Some of us listened to Ken Medema’s arrangement of the hymn at our last Bridging the Gap gatherings…that seems like such a long time ago now! As many of you know, what began as my “short time away” turned into a long time of recovery, after testing positive for the Covid virus, along with my sister and my parents. Know that we are abundantly grateful for the concern you have poured out and the prayers you have lifted on our behalf. We are feeling better, regaining our strength gradually as we step back into our lives.

After the last month and the challenges we all have faced, there are several phrases from this hymn that speak to me in a special way. I am longing for a “kindly light” to guide my path. I am waiting to find my way home to all of you. I am trying not to look for what the future holds or when exactly it will come; instead I pray that just one day, just one step, will be enough for me.

Feeling as though I had lost you for awhile, I realize once again how much I have loved you all the while. I look forward to recording this week’s Sunday service and joining you in worship. There are Advent devotionals and key tags at church if you’d like to pick them up or have us send them to you. May our lives shine a kindly light in the darkness, so that each morning angel faces will surely smile. May God lead us on, and may that be enough…Pastor Claudine

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