I wrote this devotional as my contribution to the Holy Comforter Episcopal Church “Advent Reflections 2011.” It was written for December 16 (Advent 3). The verses for that day included:
The “plan” for Wednesday stated that we would start the day at 7:00 a.m. with the “Mayan Prayer” led by the project team. I had no idea what to expect, except that some of our fellow travelers seemed very excited about the Mayan Prayer.
When Tenley and I arrived downstairs on Wednesday morning, we could see what all the excitement had been about. I don’t know what time the team had woken up to prepare the elaborate presentation, but it was beautiful. A carpet of pine needles surrounded beautiful floral presentations – a floral rosary – the CFCA logo in flowers – representations of earth’s gifts such as corn, wheat, fruit, and beans – and in the very center, a cross of five colors.
In the cross, small green candles represented the center of the earth; red candles represented the east; black candles represented the west; white candles represented the north; yellow candles represented the south.
Many of the team members had dressed in their indigenous clothing; beautifully woven textiles that told stories in themselves. The history of the textiles goes back thousands of years, grounded in a land whose volcanoes and mountains have sustained generations of people who have a deep reverence for the earth and its products.
Each of us was instructed to choose a candle to light. For example, the people who had chosen green approached the center together to light their candles. These candles represented the “green fields, where the beatitudes become a total reality when we are conscious of our daily deeds.” The number of people wanting red (east) was pretty high, so I held back and lit a black candle. Black represented the west, “symbols of our death, the end of our earthly life, but the beginning of a new era.”
The Mayan people may have never worshipped in ornate cathedrals; they may have never had hymnals inscribed, “In Honor of So-and-So.” They may not have had many material worship trappings that most of us have become accustomed to.
But there, in the shadow of Lake Atitlan, the sky was as beautiful a ceiling as the most complicated fresco. My new friends, both the Americans with whom we were traveling and the Guatemalans who embraced us as their Christian “familia,” helped us extend our spiritual reach a bit farther, to more distant “ends of the earth.”
And it was in His light that we all rejoiced.
As you prepare to celebrate Christ’s birth, consider opening your heart to another part of God’s creation that you have not experienced. You may find that reaching farther out brings you closer to the center, where everything is illumined by “the light of mutual love.”
Sources:
Christian Foundation for Children and Aging Mission Awareness Trip Booklet
Mayan Prayer, Internet
Wife of one, Mom of two, Friend of many. My pronouns are she/her/hers.
Kristi, Live and Love...Out Loud says
Paula, this is so beautifully written. I could see the beautiful sky ceiling in my mind's eye. Worship is worship, whether it's in a cathedral or outdoors. What matters is that we're worshiping Him with our whole hearts. Merry Christmas to you and your family, Paula.
CFCA says
I loved this, Paula! Thanks so much for such a beautifully moving devotional. What amazing pictures you took, as well. Hope you had a wonderful Christmas, and Happy New Year!
~Shanxi from CFCA
Tina Fisher says
Very beautiful! How blessed to have been able to go on a mission trip and meet your sponsor(ed) child.
Beautiful pictures, thank you for sharing your experience!
The Drama Mama says
This is really beautiful–the pictures, the post. It just takes my breath away.