Today's Scripture Reading
Luke 1:26-38 (NRSV)
Blog Reflection
If you found yourself scratching your head thinking: "Didn't I read this on your blog just this past weekend?" You are right. This Gospel was the subject of this past Sunday's blog post.
The Lectionary for the Divine Office and weekday Eucharist during the 4th Week of Advent gives us this Gospel reading again. It may feel like a review lesson. Perhaps it's good to review again. Even better, to use it in our personal prayer and reflection to ask ourselves the following question. What is our response to God's fullness of grace in our lives?
When we think about what is going on around us, we might wonder if God is even interested in being active.
Congress is fighting over whether or not to extend unemployment benefits and a payroll tax cut that gives middle class working people an additional $40.00 per pay check. Those who are on the side of corporate welfare cast votes that are harmful to the personal welfare of people, families and children.
This past year we saw Alabama enact an immigration law worse than Arizona. A moment of profound grace happened when Bishops from the Episcopal Church, the Roman Catholic Church, and the United Methodist Church came together and wrote a joint letter to Gov. Robert Bentley. This moment gives hope that one day we might see Bishops from the same three churches oppose efforts to ban marriage equality for LGBT people.
In a commentary article by Phyllis Strupp in Episcopal News Service, she writes concerning Advent.
The Rev. Dr. Titus Presler made the point that Mary's experience was an act of God's random grace in his Sermon that you can hear for yourself by clicking here.
God chooses to impart God's random grace with all people. Every moment that we are here writing, praying, reading and/or acting is a moment of God's random act of grace. Even if we are not thinking about it, acknowledging it or responding to God. God's random grace is always on the search for us. The question remains are we searching for God?
Mary's response to the call of God to give birth to Jesus recognized that God's grace had filled her hungry heart. God's random grace changed Mary's life. Her response was"Here am I."
There are many moments in our lives when we might feel empty as if God is not listening or concerned. Such moments reflect the experience of Juan de la cruz in his work The Dark Night of the Soul.
St. Benedict wanted his monks to spend their time after Noon Day Prayer to "devote their time to holy reading." (RB. 48:4). Albert Holtz, OSB in his book From Holidays to Holy Days, A Benedictine Walk through Advent says the Latin word in that verse is vacare which means (be free for, have leisure for) time with God (page 88).
If we are to experience and/or respond to God's random grace we need to give ourselves the opportunity to slow down and be open to allow God to speak to us. Henry J. M. Nouwen in his book the The Wounded Healer says "The Christian way" in this age when every moment is for the here and now, means being open to allowing the mystic and the revolutionary work together (see pages 16-19).
Prayer, grace and activism to change the world for the better for the marginalized including LGBT people and many others are not opposed to each other. They work together.
We need to stop and allow the experiences of John the Baptist, Elizabeth and Zechariah, Mary and Joseph and Jesus to help fill up our empty tanks with the knowledge that all of us are full of God's grace. Whether we respond with Mary with: "Here am I" or like Zechariah being a bit skeptical, God's random grace is always with us. God loves us and walks with us, talks with us and helps us to be revolutionaries where ever and what ever we are doing.
If we are going to be successful in our work towards the greater inclusion of LGBT people in the Church and society. As well as telling the message that Muslims and Jewish people should not be targeted by Christians, and so on. We need to take this time during Advent to prepare to celebrate the coming of Christ at Christmas to fill our emptiness.
Come Quickly, Lord Jesus.
Prayers
Luke 1:26-38 (NRSV)
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you." But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?" The angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God." Then Mary said, "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her.
Blog Reflection
If you found yourself scratching your head thinking: "Didn't I read this on your blog just this past weekend?" You are right. This Gospel was the subject of this past Sunday's blog post.
The Lectionary for the Divine Office and weekday Eucharist during the 4th Week of Advent gives us this Gospel reading again. It may feel like a review lesson. Perhaps it's good to review again. Even better, to use it in our personal prayer and reflection to ask ourselves the following question. What is our response to God's fullness of grace in our lives?
When we think about what is going on around us, we might wonder if God is even interested in being active.
Congress is fighting over whether or not to extend unemployment benefits and a payroll tax cut that gives middle class working people an additional $40.00 per pay check. Those who are on the side of corporate welfare cast votes that are harmful to the personal welfare of people, families and children.
This past year we saw Alabama enact an immigration law worse than Arizona. A moment of profound grace happened when Bishops from the Episcopal Church, the Roman Catholic Church, and the United Methodist Church came together and wrote a joint letter to Gov. Robert Bentley. This moment gives hope that one day we might see Bishops from the same three churches oppose efforts to ban marriage equality for LGBT people.
In a commentary article by Phyllis Strupp in Episcopal News Service, she writes concerning Advent.
Advent calls us to reflect on whether our spiritual account with God is flush or overdrawn. This is a difficult task, which is why Advent lasts for weeks. If you’re concerned about how you measure up spiritually, don’t worry − God’s plumb line is made out of love. We have nothing to fear from coming clean with God, thanks to Jesus Christ, whose birth we celebrate on December 25.
The Rev. Dr. Titus Presler made the point that Mary's experience was an act of God's random grace in his Sermon that you can hear for yourself by clicking here.
God chooses to impart God's random grace with all people. Every moment that we are here writing, praying, reading and/or acting is a moment of God's random act of grace. Even if we are not thinking about it, acknowledging it or responding to God. God's random grace is always on the search for us. The question remains are we searching for God?
Mary's response to the call of God to give birth to Jesus recognized that God's grace had filled her hungry heart. God's random grace changed Mary's life. Her response was"Here am I."
There are many moments in our lives when we might feel empty as if God is not listening or concerned. Such moments reflect the experience of Juan de la cruz in his work The Dark Night of the Soul.
St. Benedict wanted his monks to spend their time after Noon Day Prayer to "devote their time to holy reading." (RB. 48:4). Albert Holtz, OSB in his book From Holidays to Holy Days, A Benedictine Walk through Advent says the Latin word in that verse is vacare which means (be free for, have leisure for) time with God (page 88).
If we are to experience and/or respond to God's random grace we need to give ourselves the opportunity to slow down and be open to allow God to speak to us. Henry J. M. Nouwen in his book the The Wounded Healer says "The Christian way" in this age when every moment is for the here and now, means being open to allowing the mystic and the revolutionary work together (see pages 16-19).
Prayer, grace and activism to change the world for the better for the marginalized including LGBT people and many others are not opposed to each other. They work together.
We need to stop and allow the experiences of John the Baptist, Elizabeth and Zechariah, Mary and Joseph and Jesus to help fill up our empty tanks with the knowledge that all of us are full of God's grace. Whether we respond with Mary with: "Here am I" or like Zechariah being a bit skeptical, God's random grace is always with us. God loves us and walks with us, talks with us and helps us to be revolutionaries where ever and what ever we are doing.
If we are going to be successful in our work towards the greater inclusion of LGBT people in the Church and society. As well as telling the message that Muslims and Jewish people should not be targeted by Christians, and so on. We need to take this time during Advent to prepare to celebrate the coming of Christ at Christmas to fill our emptiness.
Come Quickly, Lord Jesus.
Prayers
Purify our conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation,
that your Son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in us a
mansion prepared for himself; who lives and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Amen. (Fourth Sunday of Advent, Book of Common Prayer, page 212).
Pour your grace into our hearts, O Lord, that we who have
known the incarnation of your Son Jesus Christ, announced
by an angel to the Virgin Mary, may by his cross and passion
be brought to the glory of his resurrection; who lives and
reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now
and for ever. Amen. (Collect for the Annunciation, Book of Common Prayer, page 240).
Grant, O God, that your holy and life-giving Spirit may so
move every human heart [and especially the hearts of the
people of this land], that barriers which divide us may
crumble, suspicions disappear, and hatreds cease; that our
divisions being healed, we may live in justice and peace;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Prayer for Social Justice, Book of Common Prayer, page 823).
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