Today's Scripture Readings
Zephaniah 3: 14-20 (NRSV)
First Song of Isaiah: Isaiah 12: 2-6 (BCP., p.86)
Philippians 4:4-7 (NRSV)
Luke 3: 7-18 (NRSV)
Blog Reflection
Exactly what is there for us to rejoice on this Third Sunday of Advent? Our nation is living a nightmare this weekend with the horrible shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. Children between the ages of 5-7 shot to death with multiple gunshot wounds by a madman of a gunman. It hardly feels as if the Lord is anywhere near to that small town, with weeping parents, relatives and a whole community where faith has been shaken to the core.
Our human limitations cannot put this puzzle together. Nothing makes sense. Every attempt to try to reason this within our minds, just comes back with a terrible feeling of grief and despair. How are we to rejoice and feel that the Lord is near?
The communities written about in our Scripture Readings this weekend were also facing unspeakable violence, oppression and questions of how the reality of what is around them become moments of faith i moving forward together.
Zephaniah is confronting a corrupt king who has ignored the prescriptions of Deuteronomy to care for the poor and disenfranchised in his care. The Prophet has been condemning the practices of the king, and is calling for a new order by which a remnant shall come and rebuild the city and nation to be one that takes seriously their God given call to seek justice and equality for all people. The exalted ones who are ignoring their responsibility to the least among them will be replaced by one who shall put off the judgement of God by God coming among them as a warrior who gives victory to his people. It will be a great day of rejoicing.
`
We are all sharing in the unspeakable grief and horror of what has happened in the elementary school in Connecticut. Out of the bitterness of our emotions is coming together a human community who is weeping with the parents and families, who have had their whole lives shattered by violence. People are raising our voices in concern for how accessible automatic weapons of mass destruction are in the hands of those who should not have them. People are looking to be proactive with their anger and sorrow, rather than just passing it off as another mass murder. This is something to rejoice in, and see that the Lord is indeed near. In Psalm 147 we pray that "God heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." God weeps with all of us and especially those who are so grieving in ways that we cannot know. But, we know that God shares in our sorrow and concern for those who are wounded and weeping. Rejoice, the Lord is near. And acting on our behalf. In faith we have to believe that, even though our human sight and emotions are not feeling it at this moment.
No one knew sorrow than Paul. Paul was the great Apostle to the Gentiles who went into areas, only to be rejected, sometimes put in prison, scourged and had his life threatened. In this letter to the Church at Philippi, Paul is writing from prison. Yet, he tells us to rejoice always, to worry about nothing, pray with thanksgiving and petition to God. As we continue to ask all of our questions that lead to very few answers with the tragedy we saw yesterday, this Season of Advent reminds us of what it is we await. We wait for the promise of God, a reign where there is peace, justice and mercy for all. It came to us in the birth of Christ in Bethlehem on that Christmas Night, and through the Holy Spirit continues to teach us and call us to renew our faith and trust in God, and even though we live in a world full of violence, none of it has the last word. God goes through our life experiences with us, and consoles us in our moments of sorrow and hopelessness. We can always rejoice that God does hear our prayers and is never so far away from us, that we have reason to believe that God is present and walking with us. Only in faith and trust can we believe that. If we ask God for such a grace, God will grant it.
John the Baptist continues to call upon the people of his day to prepare the way for the Lord, by working to establish a kingdom of justice, freedom from oppression and a desire to love others. John the Baptist does not claim himself as the Messiah, but calls those who are listening to him to prepare for the One who is coming. That preparation comes by way of our taking care of what is right in front of us. We can rejoice because we all have time given to us in this moment to do something about things as they are. At times all we can do is pray. Prayer by itself is most often the greatest and best thing we can do. In prayer we draw closer to the heart of God and find in God our Source of love, acceptance and compassion. The one thing that amazes me about the experience of the shooting this weekend, is that it takes something like that to make us realize how important it is for us to pray for and embrace one another. If we will only take some time to be quiet before God as our Source of love, acceptance and compassion, there just may be more peace and an ending to violence and oppression. If we really want these to be possible, we will do these with the same urgency by which we do many other things that are far less important.
If we want to see a Church and society where we are effective in working for justice, peace and equality for LGBT people and all others, we must recognize our human limitations, but be open to what God can accomplish through us, if we will only make ourselves available to the Holy Spirit. We have to do it in prayer and then allow what we pray to become transparent in our lives. That which becomes transparent by way of God's grace can become instruments by which God transforms the human community in ways that only the Divine Love can know and bring about.
Amen
Prayers
Zephaniah 3: 14-20 (NRSV)
- Sing aloud, O daughter Zion;
- shout, O Israel!
- Rejoice and exult with all your heart,
- O daughter Jerusalem!
- The LORD has taken away the judgments against you,
- he has turned away your enemies.
- The king of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst;
- you shall fear disaster no more.
- On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:
- Do not fear, O Zion;
- do not let your hands grow weak.
- The LORD, your God, is in your midst,
- a warrior who gives victory;
- he will rejoice over you with gladness,
- he will renew you in his love;
- he will exult over you with loud singing
- as on a day of festival.
- I will remove disaster from you,
- so that you will not bear reproach for it.
- I will deal with all your oppressors
- at that time.
- And I will save the lame
- and gather the outcast,
- and I will change their shame into praise
- and renown in all the earth.
- At that time I will bring you home,
- at the time when I gather you;
- for I will make you renowned and praised
- among all the peoples of the earth,
- when I restore your fortunes
- before your eyes, says the LORD.
First Song of Isaiah: Isaiah 12: 2-6 (BCP., p.86)
Philippians 4:4-7 (NRSV)
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Luke 3: 7-18 (NRSV)
John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our ancestor'; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."
And the crowds asked him, "What then should we do?" In reply he said to them, "Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise." Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, "Teacher, what should we do?" He said to them, "Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you." Soldiers also asked him, "And we, what should we do?" He said to them, "Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages."
As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, "I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."
So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.
Blog Reflection
Exactly what is there for us to rejoice on this Third Sunday of Advent? Our nation is living a nightmare this weekend with the horrible shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. Children between the ages of 5-7 shot to death with multiple gunshot wounds by a madman of a gunman. It hardly feels as if the Lord is anywhere near to that small town, with weeping parents, relatives and a whole community where faith has been shaken to the core.
Our human limitations cannot put this puzzle together. Nothing makes sense. Every attempt to try to reason this within our minds, just comes back with a terrible feeling of grief and despair. How are we to rejoice and feel that the Lord is near?
The communities written about in our Scripture Readings this weekend were also facing unspeakable violence, oppression and questions of how the reality of what is around them become moments of faith i moving forward together.
Zephaniah is confronting a corrupt king who has ignored the prescriptions of Deuteronomy to care for the poor and disenfranchised in his care. The Prophet has been condemning the practices of the king, and is calling for a new order by which a remnant shall come and rebuild the city and nation to be one that takes seriously their God given call to seek justice and equality for all people. The exalted ones who are ignoring their responsibility to the least among them will be replaced by one who shall put off the judgement of God by God coming among them as a warrior who gives victory to his people. It will be a great day of rejoicing.
`
We are all sharing in the unspeakable grief and horror of what has happened in the elementary school in Connecticut. Out of the bitterness of our emotions is coming together a human community who is weeping with the parents and families, who have had their whole lives shattered by violence. People are raising our voices in concern for how accessible automatic weapons of mass destruction are in the hands of those who should not have them. People are looking to be proactive with their anger and sorrow, rather than just passing it off as another mass murder. This is something to rejoice in, and see that the Lord is indeed near. In Psalm 147 we pray that "God heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." God weeps with all of us and especially those who are so grieving in ways that we cannot know. But, we know that God shares in our sorrow and concern for those who are wounded and weeping. Rejoice, the Lord is near. And acting on our behalf. In faith we have to believe that, even though our human sight and emotions are not feeling it at this moment.
No one knew sorrow than Paul. Paul was the great Apostle to the Gentiles who went into areas, only to be rejected, sometimes put in prison, scourged and had his life threatened. In this letter to the Church at Philippi, Paul is writing from prison. Yet, he tells us to rejoice always, to worry about nothing, pray with thanksgiving and petition to God. As we continue to ask all of our questions that lead to very few answers with the tragedy we saw yesterday, this Season of Advent reminds us of what it is we await. We wait for the promise of God, a reign where there is peace, justice and mercy for all. It came to us in the birth of Christ in Bethlehem on that Christmas Night, and through the Holy Spirit continues to teach us and call us to renew our faith and trust in God, and even though we live in a world full of violence, none of it has the last word. God goes through our life experiences with us, and consoles us in our moments of sorrow and hopelessness. We can always rejoice that God does hear our prayers and is never so far away from us, that we have reason to believe that God is present and walking with us. Only in faith and trust can we believe that. If we ask God for such a grace, God will grant it.
John the Baptist continues to call upon the people of his day to prepare the way for the Lord, by working to establish a kingdom of justice, freedom from oppression and a desire to love others. John the Baptist does not claim himself as the Messiah, but calls those who are listening to him to prepare for the One who is coming. That preparation comes by way of our taking care of what is right in front of us. We can rejoice because we all have time given to us in this moment to do something about things as they are. At times all we can do is pray. Prayer by itself is most often the greatest and best thing we can do. In prayer we draw closer to the heart of God and find in God our Source of love, acceptance and compassion. The one thing that amazes me about the experience of the shooting this weekend, is that it takes something like that to make us realize how important it is for us to pray for and embrace one another. If we will only take some time to be quiet before God as our Source of love, acceptance and compassion, there just may be more peace and an ending to violence and oppression. If we really want these to be possible, we will do these with the same urgency by which we do many other things that are far less important.
If we want to see a Church and society where we are effective in working for justice, peace and equality for LGBT people and all others, we must recognize our human limitations, but be open to what God can accomplish through us, if we will only make ourselves available to the Holy Spirit. We have to do it in prayer and then allow what we pray to become transparent in our lives. That which becomes transparent by way of God's grace can become instruments by which God transforms the human community in ways that only the Divine Love can know and bring about.
Amen
Prayers
Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come
among us; and, because we are sorely hindered by our sins,
let your bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver
us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and
the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen. (Collect for the Third Sunday of Advent, Book of Common Prayer, p. 212).
Most holy God, the source of all good desires, all right
judgements, and all just works: Give to us, your servants, that
peace which the world cannot give, so that our minds may be
fixed on the doing of your will, and that we, being delivered
from the fear of all enemies, may live in peace and quietness;
through the mercies of Christ Jesus our Savior. Amen. (A Collect for Peace, Book of Common Prayer, p. 123).
O merciful Father, who hast taught us in thy holy Word that
thou dost not willingly afflict or grieve thy children:
Look with pity upon the sorrows of thy servants for whom
our prayers are offered. Remember them, O Lord, in mercy,
nourish their soul with patience, comfort them with a sense of
thy goodness, lift up thy countenance upon them, and give
them peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Prayer for Those in Trouble or Bereavment, Book of Common Prayer, p. 831).
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