Journey to Bethlehem
Do you ever feel like you're on a treadmill when it comes to Christmas...running fast but going nowhere?
The tree, the decorating, the gifts, the shopping, the cooking, the wrapping, the parties, the dinners, the concerts, the movies – the stress, it all goes by so fast, all taking the joy out of a time of year we used to look forward to!
This year, let's take some time to take a breath, to make some space. Advent (adventus – a Latin word which means: coming) is a time of year, the 4 weeks before Christmas, where we anticipate the coming of Jesus from 2 different perspectives, His first coming as a baby, our Saviour, and His second coming as the King of Kings.
Traditionally, Advent is a time of preparation in prayer for the coming Christmas, a time of introspection and repentance. Not usually how we spend our time in December. (see 1st paragraph!) At first glance, that can seem a little too pious, a little too unrealistic. But this kind of prayerful preparation does not need solely to rely on a quiet room and whispered prayer – which is a choice for some. For others, perhaps being more active can help. This year, we are challenged to walk the distance from Nazareth to Bethlehem – which works out to about 6km per day. In walking that distance on a daily basis, we hope to create time and space to ponder the wonders of God's love and to think about how we will ready ourselves for His coming, how we will observe the holiday that is Christmas.
We have all heard the benefits of daily walking, how it can rejuvenate the body. And a healthy body affects our spirits in a wonderfully positive way. (Just imagine how it feels going into Christmas 5 lbs down!!) But let's not forget the benefits for the mind and for the soul. Walking is a way to put things into perspective, inviting us to notice what God has for us.
Part of the vision at Hope Fellowship is to take part in the Christian disciplines of which meditation is one. Our church and its leadership are dedicated to listening intently to what God has for us. It is through meditation we can better hear God's voice and obey His word and in this journey, we will be thoughtful travelers, not hurried tourists.
Our Journey to Bethlehem will be a time where we can ponder the words spoken to us through the ages, as we join the ancient search for the One who will re-unite us with our Father in heaven. Long ago, in a garden far, far away, when sin separated us from the One who created us, God spoke words of comfort, promising that we would be re-united. He reminded us of those promises constantly, until the time when the Promise was fulfilled in Jesus. Join us as we look for the One who is Emmanuel, God-with-us, who goes with us as we travel to Bethlehem this year, as we try to celebrate His coming in a meaningful way.
So, how do we start?
• Begin by praying about the decision,
• Talk to your doctor if this is new activity for you
• Get a good pair of shoes
• Set a time and try to stick to it
• Keep a log
• Share your experiences with others on Hope Fellowship’s facebook site
• Begin by beginning. A journey of a 1000 miles (in this case, 140K)begins with a single step.
Q & A
I missed the start of Advent, can I still join?
- Yes, you can join the caravan at anytime, you will not have the full km's but it's better to do some than to do none.
Where can I walk?
- Drive a do-able route in your neighbourhood, counting out the km's you wish to do in a daily walk. Oshawa Center is a little over 1km if you walk back and forth. The dome at the Oshawa Civic centre has a track that is 225 meters around. Check out the YMCA, the local gym, try out a treadmill.
How do I keep track?
- There will be a large map in the foyer where you can sign your footprint and move it along the path marked out. Each time you come to church, you can move your footprint as you accumulate the km's.
What if I want to participate, but can't because of an injury?
- There is a “donkey” available in the form of people willing to take on extra kms to donate to your route. They will post the hoof print on the side of the map, contact them and find out whose km's you can use and then put your name on the hoof print as well. Perhaps even small groups might be supportive of other members that are physically challenged and donate km's as well.
Note:
Walking or running the trail are the only ways to get mileage, (skateboarding, snowboarding, skiing, skating, etc unfortunately, don't count) BUT coming out for an hour of prayer on Wednesday nights or Thursday morning, will count toward 6k each time!
People can sign up at the info center and then get their footprints and their log book.
• Begin by praying about the decision,
• Talk to your doctor if this is new activity for you
• Get a good pair of shoes
• Set a time and try to stick to it
• Keep a log
• Share your experiences with others on Hope Fellowship’s facebook site
• Begin by beginning. A journey of a 1000 miles (in this case, 140K)begins with a single step.
Q & A
I missed the start of Advent, can I still join?
- Yes, you can join the caravan at anytime, you will not have the full km's but it's better to do some than to do none.
Where can I walk?
- Drive a do-able route in your neighbourhood, counting out the km's you wish to do in a daily walk. Oshawa Center is a little over 1km if you walk back and forth. The dome at the Oshawa Civic centre has a track that is 225 meters around. Check out the YMCA, the local gym, try out a treadmill.
How do I keep track?
- There will be a large map in the foyer where you can sign your footprint and move it along the path marked out. Each time you come to church, you can move your footprint as you accumulate the km's.
What if I want to participate, but can't because of an injury?
- There is a “donkey” available in the form of people willing to take on extra kms to donate to your route. They will post the hoof print on the side of the map, contact them and find out whose km's you can use and then put your name on the hoof print as well. Perhaps even small groups might be supportive of other members that are physically challenged and donate km's as well.
Note:
Walking or running the trail are the only ways to get mileage, (skateboarding, snowboarding, skiing, skating, etc unfortunately, don't count) BUT coming out for an hour of prayer on Wednesday nights or Thursday morning, will count toward 6k each time!
People can sign up at the info center and then get their footprints and their log book.
The weekly log book will have the following content:
• The front page will have a sign post: Bethlehem 140 km
• Inside the first page you will find instructions
• Each day, an entry will be printed with the date at the top and a verse, a prayer, and a challenge.
People will be encouraged to graph their progress on a large map in the bistro area, but there will be a personal map inside the log book as well.
This can be a family activity and interactive by having the kids research some of the questions and post their results on Hope's Facebook page.
Richard Foster says: “If we hope to move beyond the superficialities of our culture, including our religious culture, we must be willing to go down into the recreating silences, into the inner world of contemplation.” Walking helps us to slow down, to notice, every step is like a prayer.
FURTHER STEPS:
• Check out adventconspiracy.org
• Worship fully
• Spend less
• Give more – relationally that requires time and thought
• Give money to the least of these - World Renew check out the gift list (http://worldrenew.net/) which you can find in your mail slot or at the Info Centre today
- Yolanda
• The front page will have a sign post: Bethlehem 140 km
• Inside the first page you will find instructions
• Each day, an entry will be printed with the date at the top and a verse, a prayer, and a challenge.
People will be encouraged to graph their progress on a large map in the bistro area, but there will be a personal map inside the log book as well.
This can be a family activity and interactive by having the kids research some of the questions and post their results on Hope's Facebook page.
Richard Foster says: “If we hope to move beyond the superficialities of our culture, including our religious culture, we must be willing to go down into the recreating silences, into the inner world of contemplation.” Walking helps us to slow down, to notice, every step is like a prayer.
FURTHER STEPS:
• Check out adventconspiracy.org
• Worship fully
• Spend less
• Give more – relationally that requires time and thought
• Give money to the least of these - World Renew check out the gift list (http://worldrenew.net/) which you can find in your mail slot or at the Info Centre today
- Yolanda
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