Say Yes to God

 Scripture: Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11  • Psalm 126 or Luke 1:46b-55  • 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24   • John 1:6-8, 19-28

As we prepare for the Lord's coming, we are reminded that this time of year can be a sad and lonely time for many. A local Catholic church offers a blue mass service for those low in spirit, lonely, depressed, down and out. As we wait and prepare with expectant hope, this week we are invited to share in the joy of the Lord's coming - in the midst of our human condition - amidst times of turmoil, violence, illness, troubles and woes.

As Jesus began his mission, he unrolled the scroll and read from this week's passage in Isaiah. "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he anointed me to bring good news to the oppressed, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners." Isaiah wrote to those returning from the exile of captivity. Returning to the ruins of their homeland. In the midst of those ruins, with great joy the prophet and the Israelites returned, thankful and filled with the promise of restoration.

Psalm 126 shouts of that joy of restoration in every verse, and Luke's Song of Mary, the god bearer (Θεοτοκος) is full of joy as her "soul does magnify the Lord." Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians enjoined them to give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ for us.

Consider the contrasts, and experience the hope and joy in Daniel Berrigan's, Advent Credo, Steve Goodier's "Surprised by Joy," and Melissa Bane Servier's "Joy?" Read Debie Thomas's "Mary's Song."

 When you have time, read C.S. Lewis' book, Surprised by Joy.

Preparing the Way of the Lord

Scripture: Isaiah 40:1-11  • Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13  • 2 Peter 3:8-15a   • Mark 1:1-8

After last week's apocalyptic passage from Mark, we have the first verse, or introduction, to Mark in this week's gospel. Mark starts with "The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God," seizes on the writings of the prophet Isaiah, and introduces us to John the Baptist, a voice crying in the wilderness, making straight the path, preparing the way for the Lord, proclaiming a baptism of repentance by water, for the forgiveness of sins. We await the coming of the Lord, and the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Just as Mark speaks of preparation for the Lord's coming, the author of 2 Peter urges patience and endurance as we wait. Contrasted with last week's cry from Isaiah of "O that you would tear open the heavens and come down, " the prophet says, "Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God," and he says that the Lord will feed his flock like a shepherd, gathering the lambs, carrying them gently in his bosom, and gently leading the mother sheep.

In violent and unsettled times, considering John the Baptist's ministry of repentance for the forgiveness of sin, Kathleen Norris, in "Mercy, Me," asks "Can it be that mercy really is at the heart of God?  In "I Want to Be Ready, " Steve Goodier suggests ways to prepare for the future we are called to. In "Leftovers," Melissa Bane Servier suggests that in the re-imagining, re-emergence of our faith tradition, is a coming anew of God, creating anew, "taking those beautiful flavors of the ancient past and delivering them to us in ever-new ways," - sort of like living anew that glorious feast of Thanksgiving, and the leftovers of all of the wonderful memories, people, stories, aromas and blessings of our lives.

In "Comfort My People," Debie Thomas asks where do we look for comfort? She says the context of the Scripture finds us in a hard place. What an eye and heart opener to know God is with us in hard places. 

What is Advent? What does it mean?

  Scripture: Isaiah 64:1-9  • Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19  • 1 Corinthians 1:3-9  • Mark 13:24-37

This Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent, and the first Sunday of Lectionary Year B. We light candles in this season of  waiting, hope, peace and love, as we await the coming of the Christ child, and Christ's coming again. We prepare in the darkness of our own time. In the midst of pandemic, separation and hyper partisanship. It seems almost apocalyptic. Why does Kathleen Morris call her article "Apocalpse Now?"

In "Advent Alchemy," John Stendahl urges us not to choose indifference or resignation in the seasons of our lives as we take care to note the shape of the darkness in which our candles burn. Instead prepare for the Lord's coming by anticipating the good which will come, and shining when and where the light is most needed. 

To be ready to receive the most precious gift of the Christ child, we must first confront truth, give up denial, selfishness, and all things destructive of shalom. And be patient and responsible as we wait - wait, in hope, for healing, reconciliation, and the awesome gift of God's peace. Read "Because You Hid Yourself," by Debie Thomas. 

Finally, consider a short reading about Advent Candles. See Melissa Banes Sevier's "One Candle."

My King

  Scripture: Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24 and Psalm 100  • Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24 and Psalm 95:1-7a  • Ephesians 1:15-23  • Matthew 25:31-46

Today we celebrate Christ the King Sunday as we end Lectionary Year A. Next Sunday we celebrate the beginning of Advent as we enter  Lectionary Year B.

Why do we celebrate Christ as King?  What kind of King is he? How should we relate to him? To his subjects? How do we enter his kingdom? 

The answers are found in the gospel account today. Click on the link to today's gospel from Matthew, above, and read it along with Debie Thomas' "You Did It To Me."

Making the most of our time and talents

  This week we have scripture and lessons concerning time and how we should meaningfully use that time. The Greek language has two words for time, Καιρός (kairos) and Χρόνος (chronos). In rhetoric, Καιρός means the passing instant when an opening appears which must be driven through with force if success is to be achieved. In Christian theology, Καιρός means "the appointed time in the purpose of God", the time when God acts. Καιρός is timeless, eternal, whereas Χρόνος is "chronological," and is pictured in Greek mythology by Cronos  who represented the destructive ravages of time which consumed all things, a concept that was definitely illustrated when the Titan king devoured the Olympian gods — the past consuming the future, the older generation suppressing the next generation. 

The Psalmist says, "Teach us to count our days, that we may have a wise heart." In his first letter to the Thessalonians, Paul tells us to be alert, to have no concern about the seasons, but to prepare for the day of the Lord's coming, building up and encouraging one another, and to have faith, love and hope. 

Jesus's parable of the talents tells us that the King entrusts his servants with talents, goes away for a long time, and returns to see what they have done with their talents. Talents are not what we might think. What does Jesus mean when he uses the words talents? Is God keeping score, or time? See The Rev. Charles Hoffacker's "Trust, not Fear."  The Rev. Canon Frank Logue also discusses talents, and taking risks. See his "Love is Risky Business."

What are we to do with our "talents"? See Steve Goodier's "All Used Up."

Finally, what about the "worthless: servant? Read Debie Thomas' "The Good Kind of Worthless."

The wise and the foolish - the choices we make

 Scripture: Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25 and Psalm 78:1-7  • Wisdom of Solomon 6:12-16 or Amos 5:18-24 and Wisdom of Solomon 6:17-20 or Psalm 70  • 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18  • Matthew 25:1-13

In the parable of the wise and foolish bridesmaids, we are tempted to read it in such a way as to bolster ourselves and our thinking as being wise. What is it to be wise? It also is written in an eschatological sense - the meaning of existence and things to come, such as "the kingdom of heaven." What is the meaning and hope of things to come? Consider "Wisdom and Folly," by Debra Dean Murphy.

Ruminating on the declaration of Joshua, "... choose this day whom you will serve [other gods, idols] ... but as for me, and my household, we will serve the LORD," Professor Walter Bruggemann reviews Israel's history and choices, and Christ's feeding of the multitudes in "The Liturgy of Abundance, the Myth of Scarcity," and invites us to change our public life. 

"Whether we are liberal or conservative Christians, we must confess that the central problem of our lives is that we are torn apart by the conflict between our attraction to the good news of God's abundance and the power of our belief in scarcity -- a belief that makes us greedy, mean and unneighborly... 

Wouldn't it be wonderful if liberal and conservative church people, who love to quarrel with each other, came to a common realization that the real issue confronting us is whether the news of God's abundance can be trusted in the face of the story of scarcity? What we know in the secret recesses of our hearts is that the story of scarcity is a tale of death. And the people of God counter this tale by witnessing to the manna. There is a more excellent bread than crass materialism. It is the bread of life and you don't have to bake it. As we walk into the new millennium, we must decide where our trust is placed... It has nothing to do with being Republicans or Democrats, liberals or conservatives, socialists or capitalists. It is much more elemental: the creation is infused with the Creator's generosity, and we can find practices, procedures and institutions that allow that generosity to work. Like the rich young man in Mark 10, we all have many possessions. Sharing our abundance may, as Jesus says, be impossible for mortals, but nothing is impossible for God. None of us knows what risks God's spirit may empower us to take. Our faith, ministry and hope at the turn of the millennium are that the Creator will empower us to trust his generosity, so that bread may abound." - Walter Bruggemann.

The Beatitudes

For today's Collect and Scripture. clink here.

 Especially after the pandemic and politics of 2020 and its aftermath, and the situation in Israel and Palestine, how many have asked, prayed, wished or hoped for a return to "normal?"

We, who have been so richly blessed, and have taken for granted these blessings, want those blessings again.

 What is "normal?" What is it to be blessed? Jesus gives us the answer in the Beatitudes. Debie Thomas, in The Great Reversal, gives us - who are wanting God's blessings- food for thought. Especially in these times, let us pray for God's blessings, that God's kingdom come, on earth as it is in heaven, as Jesus has proclaimed it. May we have the mindset to realize those blessings, and be a blessing to others.

More than ever today we need the blessing of peacemakers. Read Joseph Pagano's "The Beatitudes and Barriers."