Friday in the Fourth Week of Advent: Waiting for the Light

Scripture Reading

Luke 1: 67-80 (NRSV)

 Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke this prophecy:
‘Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
   for he has looked favourably on his people and redeemed them.
He has raised up a mighty saviour for us
   in the house of his servant David,
as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
   that we would be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us.
Thus he has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors,
   and has remembered his holy covenant,
the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham,
   to grant us that we, being rescued from the hands of our enemies,
might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness
   before him all our days.
And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
   for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
to give knowledge of salvation to his people
   by the forgiveness of their sins.
By the tender mercy of our God,
   the dawn from on high will break upon us,
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
   to guide our feet into the way of peace.’  The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day he appeared publicly to Israel.

Blog Reflection

Every night when we pray Compline (or Night Prayer) we pray the following words.

Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or
weep this night, and give your angels charge over those who
sleep. Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless
the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the
joyous; and all for your love's sake. Amen.

Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping; that awake
we may watch with Christ, and asleep we may rest in peace.

Lord, you now have set your servant free *
   to go in peace as you have promised;
For these eyes of mine have seen the Savior, *
   whom you have prepared for all the world to see:
A Light to enlighten the nations, *
   and the glory of your people Israel.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
   as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. 

 Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping; that awake
we may watch with Christ, and asleep we may rest in peace.  (See Book of Common Prayer, pages 134.135).

We pray the words "watching" and "waking" to symbolize the idea of staying a wake and waiting for something.  


Well since the days before St. Benedict; hermits, Monks and nuns and many other Christians would remain awake long after most were sleeping.  A form of the Liturgy of the Hours, also called the Daily Office was made for those who watched during the night.  The Liturgy is called Vigils.  These Liturgies were created from the idea contained in the words of Jesus in St. Mark's Gospel which we used to begin Advent this year.  

"Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come." "Therefore, keep awake--for  you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly.  What I say to you, I say to all; Keep awake." (Mark 13: 33, 35-37).

The idea behind praying the Liturgy of the Hours is to acknowledge God's goodness and presence at all times of our lives. In particular vigils are a reflection of the words of Psalm 139: 10 and 11.  "If I say, "Surely the darkness will cover me, and the light around me turn to night.  Darkness is not dark to you; the night is as bright as the day; darkness and light to you are both alike." (Book of Common Prayer, page 794).


Watching and praying during the night hours is an awareness of God's Divine Light that shines at all times, even in the darkness of the night within our souls and throughout human history.  


During the Season of Advent we have been watching and waiting for the Light to come. That Light is Jesus Christ.  Though God is present in creation and through God's people world wide in every person, religion and otherwise; Christians believe that Jesus is the "Light of the World" see John 9: 5.  


The song of Zechariah at the birth and naming of John the Baptist is a testimony of how God visited God's people through a prophesy fulfilled.  Zechariah sings of the "tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."


No doubt wee are all living in a world filled with darkness.  Not just the dark of night which is both beautiful and frightening at the same time; we are also living through the darkness of war, prejudice, poverty, sickness and a certain amount of unwillingness on the part of all of us to be part of the solution for these and other issues.   The social diseases of sexism, racism, heterosexism, the privileged vs the underprivileged, religious superiority reflect a darkness in the human soul.  The abuses of power by corporations, politicians, religious organizations/ministers of all kinds continue to reflect a darkness while the needs of the oppressed and needy go ignored; with no one's ears or hearts paying attention.

Jesus is God's Light shining into the human experience of every soul.   

"All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being.  What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.  

There was a man send from God, whose name was John.  He came as a witness to testify to the light, sot hat all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light.  The true light, which enlightens everyone was coming into the world.

He was in the world, and the world came into being through him, yet the world did not know him.  he came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or the will of man, but of God." (John 1:3-13, NRSV).  

God comes in Christ to show us the Light that we might share by reaching out to the marginalized in the Church and society.  The immigrants.  The impoverished. Those challenged physically, emotionally and psychologically.  The lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning and queer people, families and couples. The straight individuals being confused by Christianists who tell them that LGBTQ people want to "redefine marriage" by wanting to share in the light of marriage equality.


Jesus comes in the midst of our poverty, abandonment and social injustices to help us know that God is with us.  God's Light wants to shine into the darkness of our feeling like because the Church does not accept us, somehow neither does God.  God's Light comes in the midst of our doubt and despair so that we might know God's acceptance and how much God loves us intimately and completely. 


Matthew 1: 18-25 (NRSV)

Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’ All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
   and they shall name him Emmanuel’,
which means, ‘God is with us.’ When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.

We know that the story of Jesus does not end with the magic of Christmas Eve/Day; violence, bias and oppression were waiting on the doorstep for his arrival.  It did not stop, just because God arrived in the flesh. Just as it will not stop on December 25, 2011.  We will have to face all the uncertainty that is still before us.


What the Advent and Christmas message tell us is that no situation is so dark or messy that God will not be there with us.  God is present and will be present.  Even when the pain is just so great that we wonder if God exists.  Even when we feel emotionally empty.  Even when the Church still doesn't get it the way they probably should.  Just as the wonder of God's love in Jesus did not stop with the dreadful slaughter of the Holy Innocents which we will commemorate on December 28; so God has not stopped speaking and acting in 2011 as we go into 2012.  God with us means that there is always hope for justice, equality and inclusion.  

The wonder of Jesus did not end with the darkness of the cross, but there was new life in the light of the resurrection.  So it can be for all of us.  




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. (Book of Common Prayer, page 212).

Lord Jesus Christ, by your death you took away the sting of
death: Grant to us your servants so to follow in faith where
you have led the way, that we may at length fall asleep
peacefully in you and wake up in your likeness; for your
tender mercies' sake. Amen. (Collect for Fridays, Book of Common Prayer, page 123).

O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us
through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole
human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which
infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us;
unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and
confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in
your good time, all nations and races may serve you in
harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen. (Prayer for the Human Family, Book of Common Prayer, page 815).

Eternal God, in whose perfect kingdom no sword is drawn
but the sword of righteousness, no strength known but the
strength of love: So mightily spread abroad your Spirit, that
all peoples may be gathered under the banner of the Prince of
Peace, as children of one Father; to whom be dominion and
glory, now and for ever. Amen. (Prayer for Peace, Book of Common Prayer, page 815).