#AdventWord #REPENT - Simple Ponderings for December 3, 2015

Today's #AdventWord is #REPENT - December 3, 2015
I'm beginning today with the words of Br. Robert L'Esperance because they are better than anything I can come up with! AdventWord featured them on their calendar today!

"In Advent, we are called to more clearly engage the subject of God’s judgment; we are challenged to realize that we have sinned and are in need of God’s forgiveness. God’s judgment is his love and his truth. If we would hook into God’s love, we must walk through the door of repentance and forgiveness."
– Br. Robert L’Esperance

My ponderings: Repentance is sincere remorse or regret. It involves reviewing your actions and feeling regret or sorrow at something done or left undone. In exploring further, I found that it has been connected (perhaps a bit wrongly so, as in a slanted rhyme?) with the idea of having a "change of mind" which from Greek, is metanoia and THAT word is rather loaded with meanings. Metanoia leads to a process of positive psychological rebuilding or healing and does not necessarily have the layers of heaviness, sorrow, or regret associated with the word repent. I wonder how many times, Biblically, there are instances of the word "repent" used when a state of metanoia is required. Hmmm. 

Mind. Blown.

This is going to change the way I think about repentance in general and "turning" away from bad habits. It also makes me feel differently about our Episcopal Confession of Sin found in the Book of Common Prayer. Here is that text:

Most merciful God,

we confess that we have sinned against you

in thought, word, and deed,

by what we have done,

and by what we have left undone.

We have not loved you with our whole heart; 

we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. 

We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. 

For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, 

have mercy on us and forgive us; 

that we may delight in your will, 

and walk in your ways, 

to the glory of your Name. 

Amen.

Today, I'm also feeling this piece, the Canticle of "The Turning", an Irish tune, standing out in my thoughts so I will share it with you. It's actually not such a bad piece for Advent, although I slightly dislike both recordings. I have a unison version that I like so maybe we will sing it again soon at St. Paul's.

Recording 1.

Recording 2. 

AdventWord was created by SSJE (The Society of St. John the Evangelist) and is the Anglican Communion's Global Advent Calendar. I'm using it as a daily meditation, prayer, photo post, and a way to connect in spirit to millions during this season of light and hope. You can join me in creating your own. Just take a picture and post it with the day's AdventWord tags! Click HERE for their website and for their daily AdventWords.

#AdventWord #SSJE