Lately, I have been wrestling with feelings of laziness and unproductivity. Alongside that, I have become impatient and slightly vexed learning that I might have to wait even longer to be on the field. But, as I sit here, I am reminded of moments of patience Christ had to endure. Here is a liturgy by Pat Bennet titled "In This Season of Waiting" that I found the most substantial.
"In this waiting season-
in a time between times
when living seems restricted
We gather to remember one
who embraced constraint
while waiting for birth.
In this waiting season-
in a time between times
when joy seems curtailed
we gather to remember one who shared a feast
while waiting for death.
In this waiting season-
in a time between times
when action seems suspended
we gather to remember one
who harrowed hell
while waiting for resurrection
Emmanuel,
God with us in the past,
as we recount your story
Teach us that waiting
Is not dead time but a dreaming time
through which new ideas and insights
Are engendered.
Emmanuel,
God with us in the present,
as we share your supper
Teach us that waiting
is not lost time but liminal time
within which new possibilities and patterns
take form.
Emmanuel,
God with us in the future,
as we celebrate your Kingdon
Teach us that waiting
is not quiescent time but a quickening time
from which new life and love
emerges.
Emmanuel,
God with us in all time,
as we look for your coming
Teach us how to inhabit this waiting time."