The Week of Hope
You are our living hope, Lord, as we celebrate your promises for our present and our future on your birthday. We are your grateful people. Amen
Weekly Advent Prayers by Betty Claire Jackson
By Mike Massar
Isaiah 40:1-5
The pelican was an important religious symbol for the early church, because in times of famine mother pelicans often sacrificed themselves so that their offspring might survive. The pelican became a helpful icon for me when we lived in Baton Rouge. Our home was near the Lakes of LSU where I walked every morning. Near the end of November and the beginning of Advent, thousands of pelicans would descend on those lakes, transforming them into seas of white. It was breathtaking. Because their migration patterns were so precise, I noted the beginning of Advent by their return. Thus, it seems fitting that as we begin this season of Advent, the coming of the pelicans reminds us of “the voice in the wilderness.”
Pelican Belief
From high in the clouds
they spiral toward earth,
an angelic procession,
circling in a heavenly glide,
skimming the lakes,
stirring the waters,
then landing,
with dignity and grace.
What is it about their eternal clocks
that cues their arrival
to coincide with Advent?
Whatever it is,
their coming beckons us
from our homes and our routines.
As awestruck pilgrims
on the lakeshore drives,
we observe their quiet assemblies
and elegant maneuverings,
even the most cynical of us
pondering the melodic rhythm of their lives
and the frenzied staccato of our own.
The belief that
has drawn the pelicans to Acadiana
invites us into Advent.
For after a brief sojourn
they depart once more,
leaving us ample time
to ponder the reality
that we are not alone.