Second Sunday of Advent: Will You Be The Voice in the Wilderness?

Today's Scripture Readings

Isaiah 40:1-11 (NRSV)

Comfort, O comfort my people,

says your God.

Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,

and cry to her

that she has served her term,

that her penalty is paid,

that she has received from the LORD's hand

double for all her sins.

A voice cries out:

"In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD,

make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Every valley shall be lifted up,

and every mountain and hill be made low;

the uneven ground shall become level,

and the rough places a plain.

Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed,

and all people shall see it together,

for the mouth of the LORD has spoken."

A voice says, "Cry out!"

And I said, "What shall I cry?"

All people are grass,

their constancy is like the flower of the field.

The grass withers, the flower fades,

when the breath of the LORD blows upon it;

surely the people are grass.

The grass withers, the flower fades;

but the word of our God will stand forever.

Get you up to a high mountain,

O Zion, herald of good tidings;

lift up your voice with strength,

O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings,

lift it up, do not fear;

say to the cities of Judah,

"Here is your God!"

See, the Lord GOD comes with might,

and his arm rules for him;

his reward is with him,

and his recompense before him.

He will feed his flock like a shepherd;

he will gather the lambs in his arms,

and carry them in his bosom,

and gently lead the mother sheep.

Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13 (BCP., p.708-709)

2 Peter 3:8-15 (NRSV)

Do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and everything that is done on it will be disclosed.

Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, what sort of persons ought you to be in leading lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set ablaze and dissolved, and the elements will melt with fire? But, in accordance with his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home.

Therefore, beloved, while you are waiting for these things, strive to be found by him at peace, without spot or blemish; and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation.

Mark 1:1-8 (NRSV)

The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

As it is written in the prophet Isaiah,

"See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,

who will prepare your way;

the voice of one crying out in the wilderness:

`Prepare the way of the Lord,

make his paths straight,'"

John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, "The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

Blog Reflection

I am listening to a recording of Handel's Messiah as I write this blog post.  The words of Isaiah 40:1-11 are written all over part one of the historic oratorio.  The music that is played and sung to those words, "Comfort ye, my people" is so wonderful.  It sounds victorious with a lot of hope.  It is full of expectation and prophesy of the amazing things God will do.  Yet, it is clear from the text that not all is well at the moment.  God promises through Isaiah that a new prophet will come who cries in the wilderness to prepare a way for God to come, bringing justice and holiness.  So many more amazing things are on the horizon, that the Canticle is full of symbolism of the sky, the rain, the grass, the sheep to make the point that everything will be different than how they were.

This past week, the issue of institutionalized racism got another opportunity to become more visible.  The grand jury in NY deciding not to indict a police officer for killing unarmed Eric Garner by the means of a choke hold.  The raw emotions over the issue of racism in Ferguson, MO became only that much more viral with the Eric Garner case.  Before the ink dried in New York and we got a chance to breath after Ferguson, an unarmed black man in Arizona was shot and killed by a police officer.  The racial injustice is growing and destabilizing with every passing day.  The fact remains that those who are not white and/or Caucasian are the underprivileged on the basis of the color of their skin.  Even after a prophetic witness named Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr was shot forty six years ago; African Americans, immigrants, Native Americans and so forth remain disadvantaged even more so than lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning and/or queer people.  Such is the case in the Church and even more so in society.

On this Second Sunday of Advent, we traditionally remember St. John the Baptist as that "voice in the wilderness" calling out for the people of his time to prepare for the coming of Christ.  St. John the Baptist was not the typical prophet.  He was dressed in camels hair, had a leather belt around his waist, he ate locusts and honey.  In his time, St. John the Baptist would have been the outcast of outcasts.  He was the loud outsider calling those on the inside to recognize the need for repentance.  Repentance means to turn away from one's current direction in life and live for God in righteousness.

As soon as I wrote those words, I am immediately in trouble.  I am in trouble because, there is this part of my life that seems so contrary to the "Infallible Word of God" that when I write about repentance, I am considered a liar or even a fake.  That part of my life gets me and others like me a label and a stereotype that classifies me as a second class citizen.   A second class citizen who should not have the right to be married to my husband as I am, serve in the Church as a Benedictine Monk, write about the Scriptures or any other such thing.  That is all because fundamentalist Christians with a one sided view of the Bible cannot see in that view a bias based not on actual Biblical fact; but based on ignorance and fear driving their hate.  Thankfully, over these many years members of The Episcopal Church and other church bodies, along with those who began The Companions of St. Luke/Order of St. Benedict opened themselves to the Holy Spirit and the possibility that their previously held understandings of homosexuality and the Bible were not correct, or sustainable.  They allowed themselves and others to experience conversion that led to a new repentance; and allowed the Spirit to breath a whole new air into the lives of LGBTQ people and the Church. That air continues blowing through all of society as in one state after another marriage equality bans are being overturned by the courts. All of this happened because of the prophetic witnesses that raised their voices in the wilderness of their time.  Yet, for all of these many strides, the same heterosexism that is driven by Christianists with their own version of who Jesus is, continue their reckless violence in rhetoric and action.

The same racism that lived through the days of the enslavement of African Americans and other racial groups is still living and goes on burning through what is good about America.   It still rages on in many states, in the courts, in our police departments and sadly in the LGBTQ communities, and the Church.  The same can be said for sexism, religious discrimination, bias on the basis of disabilities, languages, economic classes and those who live in poverty.

We need prophetic voices who will continue to cry out in the wilderness through prayer, work, activism and/or other peaceful, yet effective means.  We all need to continue to educate ourselves and others around us about people we are ignorant about, and learn how to respond to their needs with compassion and respect for their uniqueness that brings vitality to any community.  Among the ways we can do this is to express our concern either through letters to newspaper editors and/or legislators, and/or talk with our neighbors in respectful, but candid ways.

It cannot be said enough, apparently, that our Baptismal Covenant as Episcopalians (and all Christians for that matter) places on us the responsibility to respond with a strong sense of commitment and urgency to these issues.  Every human person is created as an image of the Holy Trinity, that is the relationship of God's oneness of Community with all persons.  When the human community in any particular community experiences violence, neglect and oppression; all communities are equally affected.  No community is completely safe.  That is because God has given each of us our place in the Sisterhood and Brotherhood of the human family, to be a voice crying in the wilderness that calls us all to prepare for a place for Jesus Christ to be born and reborn in all of us.

Will you be a voice in the wilderness to prepare that place for Jesus?

Amen.


Prayer

Merciful God, who sent your messengers the prophets to
preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation:
Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins,
that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our
Redeemer; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy
Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (Collect for the Second Sunday of Advent. The Book of Common Prayer, p. 211).

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.  The Book of Common Prayer, p.815).

O God, you have made of one blood all the peoples of the
earth, and sent your blessed Son to preach peace to those
who are far off and to those who are near: Grant that people
everywhere may seek after you and find you; bring the
nations into your fold; pour out your Spirit upon all flesh;
and hasten the coming of your kingdom; through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.  (Prayer for Mission.  The Book of Common Prayer, p.100).

Last Sunday After the Epiphany: The Crown of Epiphany before Lent

Today's Scripture Readings

Exodus 24:12-18 (NRSV)
 

The LORD said to Moses, "Come up to me on the mountain, and wait there; and I will give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction." So Moses set out with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up into the mountain of God. To the elders he had said, "Wait here for us, until we come to you again; for Aaron and Hur are with you; whoever has a dispute may go to them."

Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. The glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the cloud. Now the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. Moses entered the cloud, and went up on the mountain. Moses was on the mountain for forty days and forty nights.

Psalm 2  (BCP., p586)


2 Peter 1:16-21 (NRSV)

We did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honor and glory from God the Father when that voice was conveyed to him by the Majestic Glory, saying, "This is my Son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased." We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven, while we were with him on the holy mountain.

So we have the prophetic message more fully confirmed. You will do well to be attentive to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, because no prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

Matthew 17:1-9 (NRSV)

Six days after Peter had acknowledged Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living God, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. Then Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, "This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!" When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, "Get up and do not be afraid." And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.

As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, "Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."

Blog Reflection

The significance of the Transfiguration as the Last Sunday after the Epiphany before Ash Wednesday in the Revised Common Lectionary is at an important crossroads for the Church.  Before we enter into the forty days of Lent, leading up to Holy Week and Easter Day, we journey with Jesus, Peter, James and John and climb the mountain where Jesus is transfigured.   We are witnesses to the event of the Transfiguration with those three Apostles, scared, wanting to stay there with Jesus, Elijah, and Moses in this moment of light, prophecy with a glimpse of the glory of God in Christ.  Just as the Season of Epiphany concluded at the Baptism of Jesus with the voice of God telling us that Jesus is God's Beloved with whom God is well-pleased, we are given the same request at the Transfiguration along with being told to listen to Jesus.

I recently started reading a new book as part of my formation.  The book is entitled The Mystery of Christ: The Liturgy As Spiritual Experience by Thomas Keating.  Keating writes that  we began this Liturgical Year with Advent, and then went through Christmas in which Jesus was born as the Word made flesh.  The Greek word for flesh is Sarx.  Meaning all of our human nature as it actually is, with all of it's suffering, immaturity, it's prone to rebel against the love of God, neighbor and self became one in the Person of God's Son, Jesus the Christ. "It is the human condition committed to it biological survival for its own sake or for the sake of the clan, tribe, nation or race" Keating wrote page 26.  Keating goes on the tell us the other side of Sarx.

The Greek word soma refers to the body insofar as it is open to further evolution: it is the human condition open to development. "The Word was made flesh" signifies that by taking the human condition upon Himself with all its consequences, Jesus introduced into the entire human family the principle of transcendence, giving the evolutionary process a decisive thrust toward God-consciousness (page 26).

The Season of the Epiphany is the crowning of Christmas, as the marriage between God and humankind.  This idea is what is meant with the story of the Marriage at Cana found in John 2:1-11.  The union of God with all humankind is consummated in the Holy Eucharist, which is the entire Paschal Mystery made present in the Sacrament of Holy Communion.

The Season after the Epiphany finishes with the Transfiguration.  Another view of Jesus as the Light, in glory with the prophets from the Hebrew Scriptures announcing the new era of God's manifestation in what is about to happen as Jesus prepares for that final journey towards Jerusalem.  There in Jerusalem, Jesus will face His trial, crucifixion, and win the victory over death in His resurrection.  However, we cannot go there with Jesus, until we leave this holy mountain and journey with Him through Lent. The Season of self-denial, penitence, alms-giving, fasting and prayer.  The time to examine ourselves a bit more closely, to be sure we are ready to go all the way with Jesus to the Cross, or if we are still holding ourselves back by our own sins, disobedience, prejudices and our false sense of self.

The temptation of the Transfiguration is to say with Peter; "Lord, it is good for us to be here.  Let me build tents for all of us, so we can stay here and worship you."   However, it is not enough to stay with Jesus in our moments of glory and beauty by themselves.  If we are to experience the full impact of Jesus as God's perfect revelation of God's Self, then we must also walk with Jesus from the mountain back to the valleys of our lives.   As we return to those troublesome valleys,with all of the dangers and uncertainties, we can be confident that our God who is with us in Jesus in those glorious moments on the mountain, will be with us in the difficulties we face in the valleys. 

This past week, we went through some very dark valleys for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.   On Monday we got the very sad and troubling news that the President of Uganda signed into law the draconian bill that further criminalizes LGBT people for who they are, and who they love.  The law in and of itself is bad enough.  The fact that it was encouraged by American Evangelical Christian Missionaries makes the passing of this law even more egregious.  The message of the Gospel used as a means to hurt LGBT people with another deep wound, and defame the Name of Jesus Christ who came to redeem us all, without asking any of us to give up being who we are.  The grief many of us are feeling at this time is deep and brutal.  Yet, in ways that we cannot explain or understand, God is with us in Christ.

We were all relieved that Arizona Governor Jan Brewer vetoed S.B.1062 that would have been a license to discriminate on the unfounded basis of religious liberty.   However, after she vetoed the bill, a Fox news correspondent made the claim that "If you are Christian and live in Arizona, your Governor has just told you that the first amendment of the Constitution no longer applies to you."   Let's get one thing clear.  There are Christians who believe in protecting the rights of LGBT people, supporting immigration reform, a woman's right over her reproductive health care, supporting the poor, retired and disabled through Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, and health care reform.   Those of us who do support these and many other important social justice issues of our time, are no less Christian than those who do not.   So, when you suggest that all Christians believe the same to be a Christian, you may want to ask the Lord at what point did He give over His job of judging others to you.  It was after all, Jesus who was transfigured on that holy mountain.  And it is God who told all of us that in Jesus we are God's beloved with whom God is well-pleased.   And, God told all of us, that is every one of us, to listen more closely to Jesus.   I think if we all listen just a little bit more closely from the heart, instead of through the minds of religious based bigotry disguised as defending religious liberty, we will hear Jesus tell us to love one another without distinction.   Jesus doesn't make scapegoats out of others to excuse Himself from loving others.   Only Christians who want to use the Gospel as an excuse for discrimination and violence do that.  I am so thankful that I have the choice of answering the call to serve Christ, by following Him so seriously, by not taking the Bible too literally.

When Jesus came down the mountain to His disciples who were on the ground in fear, what did He say to them?  "Get up and do not be afraid."   That is what He tells all of us to do today.   Before we go from today, into Ash Wednesday, our Lord calms us by telling us, "Get up and do not be afraid."   Jesus wants us to get up from where we are, and not be afraid to follow Him.  Because, from this point, Jesus is "God with us" where ever we go.   He is the presence of God in our lives and to others around us.  He is with us in the Holy Spirit to guide and direct us toward a closer relationship with God and one another.  Let us now, listen more closely to Jesus, as God's Beloved, with whom God is well-pleased.

Amen


Prayers

O God, who before the passion of your only-begotten Son
revealed his glory upon the holy mountain: Grant to us that
we, beholding by faith the light of his countenance, may be
strengthened to bear our cross, and be changed into his
likeness from glory to glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God,
for ever and ever. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer, p.217).

Gracious Father, we pray for thy holy Catholic Church. Fill it
with all truth, in all truth with all peace. Where it is corrupt,
purify it; where it is in error, direct it; where in any thing it is
amiss, reform it. Where it is right, strengthen it; where it is in
want, provide for it; where it is divided, reunite it; for the sake
of Jesus Christ thy Son our Savior. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer, p.816).

 Look with pity, O heavenly Father, upon the people in this
land who live with injustice, terror, disease, and death as
their constant companions. Have mercy upon us. Help us to
eliminate our cruelty to these our neighbors. Strengthen those
who spend their lives establishing equal protection of the law
and equal opportunities for all. And grant that every one of
us may enjoy a fair portion of the riches of this land; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer, p.826).