Third Sunday of Advent: Listen, Rejoice, Speak Up

Today's Scripture Readings

Isaiah 61: 1-4, 8-11 (NRSV)

The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,

because the LORD has anointed me;

he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed,

to bind up the brokenhearted,

to proclaim liberty to the captives,

and release to the prisoners;

to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor,

and the day of vengeance of our God;

to comfort all who mourn;

to provide for those who mourn in Zion—

to give them a garland instead of ashes,

the oil of gladness instead of mourning,

the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit.

They will be called oaks of righteousness,

the planting of the LORD, to display his glory.

They shall build up the ancient ruins,

they shall raise up the former devastations;

they shall repair the ruined cities,

the devastations of many generations.

For I the LORD love justice,

I hate robbery and wrongdoing;

I will faithfully give them their recompense,

and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.

Their descendants shall be known among the nations,

and their offspring among the peoples;

all who see them shall acknowledge

that they are a people whom the LORD has blessed.

I will greatly rejoice in the LORD,

my whole being shall exult in my God;

for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation,

he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,

as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland,

and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

For as the earth brings forth its shoots,

and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up,

so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise

to spring up before all the nations.

Psalm 126 (BCP., p.782)


1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 (NRSV)

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise the words of prophets, but test everything; hold fast to what is good; abstain from every form of evil.

May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this.

John 1:6-8, 19-28 (NRSV)

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light.

This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?" He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, "I am not the Messiah." And they asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the prophet?" He answered, "No." Then they said to him, "Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?" He said, "I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, `Make straight the way of the Lord,'" as the prophet Isaiah said. Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. They asked him, "Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?" John answered them, "I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal." This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing.

Blog Reflection

Advent is a wonderful Season for listening.   In their book: Benedict's Way: An Ancient Monk's Insight for a Balanced Life; Lonnie Collins Pratt and Fr. Daniel Homan, OSB suggest that God speaks to us through the events of daily life (see p. 31).  God is not limited to our churches, monasteries, homes or prayer chapels.  God is interacting with us through those many moments when our hearts shake because someone else makes us uncomfortable.  God is inspiring and empowering us with the Holy Spirit to bring the good news to the oppressed and the captives.  The prophet Isaiah heard this word from God and knew that he had news to share.  Those who may have gone without a voice in the past, could look forward to God showing a vested interest in their lives.  It took a prophet to open the ears of their hearts to listen to what God was doing among them. 

St. Paul tells the Thessalonians to rejoice always and to not quench the work of the Spirit.  The Holy Spirit wants the message of the Gospel of Christ to be alive in the Church there.  In 1 Thessalonians, Paul is correcting some messages they received about the return of Christ.  In one of the messages they received, they were told that Christ already returned, but they missed it.  Paul is telling them in the Epistles that they did not miss the return of Christ, and that they need to continue to live holy lives as evidence of the impact of Christ on them.  

When we hear bad news, our spirits are easily dropped because of what we heard.  St. Paul tells us in our day and age to not allow the joy that we have as Christians to be snuffed out because of bad news.  On the contrary, hearing news such as the horrible Senate report about torture should incite in us the power of the Holy Spirit to object to any human being, any where for any reason being tortured.   The Matthew Shepard Act was an attempt to address the torture and violence experienced by LGBT people as hate crimes.  Since then, we have seen many outrageous forms of torture and violence of LGBT people.  One burned outside a bar.  A number of others in New York City and in various places have experienced horrific acts of violence; many of them transgender individuals.  We are right to be outraged about the torture report from the U.S. Senate this week.  We should respond to it with a call for accountability and an end to any kind of torture.  But, that should include the torture of individuals through economic poverty, poor quality health care, unemployment and the racism that has become inescapable.  Holiness of life includes responding to these things out of devotion to our Baptismal Vows.

The voice of St. John the Baptist calls us to prepare for the coming of Christ.   All of us have the opportunity to prepare a way for God to come to the center of our lives and communities.  We prepare a way for Christ by listening ever so carefully to one another.   In Chapter 53 verse 1 of The Rule of St. Benedict we read, "All guests who come should be received as Christ...".  The message of St. John the Baptist is to make a way for God to come by letting go of our preconceived notions and expectations.  Christ often comes to us in the midst of everything about our lives that is not what others think it should be; let alone what we think things should be.  It is in the moments of our deepest questions and fragile emotions that God is seeking us out to hold us closer to God's Self in Christ.

In these last two weeks of Advent, may we take time to listen, rejoice and speak up in preparation for the coming of Christ.  May we be open to allowing Christ to come as He chooses to arrive, ready to greet Him in the marginalized, sick, poor and those who are without their equal place in society and the Church.

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.  The Book of Common Prayer, p. 212).

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.  (Prayer for the Oppressed. The Book of Common Prayer, p. 826).

   

Third Sunday of Advent: Let Everyone Rejoice in the Lord. No Exceptions.

Today's Scripture Readings

Isaiah 35: 1-10 (NRSV)

The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad,

the desert shall rejoice and blossom;

like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly,

and rejoice with joy and singing.

The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it,

the majesty of Carmel and Sharon.

They shall see the glory of the LORD,

the majesty of our God.

Strengthen the weak hands,

and make firm the feeble knees.

Say to those who are of a fearful heart,

"Be strong, do not fear!

Here is your God.

He will come with vengeance,

with terrible recompense.

He will come and save you."

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,

and the ears of the deaf unstopped;

then the lame shall leap like a deer,

and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.

For waters shall break forth in the wilderness,

and streams in the desert;

the burning sand shall become a pool,

and the thirsty ground springs of water;

the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp,

the grass shall become reeds and rushes.

A highway shall be there,

and it shall be called the Holy Way;

the unclean shall not travel on it,

but it shall be for God's people;

no traveler, not even fools, shall go astray.

No lion shall be there,

nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it;

they shall not be found there,

but the redeemed shall walk there.

And the ransomed of the LORD shall return,

and come to Zion with singing;

everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;

they shall obtain joy and gladness,

and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Canticle 15: The Magnificat (BCP., p. 91 or 119).


James 5:7-10 (NRSV)

Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. Beloved, do not grumble against one another, so that you may not be judged. See, the Judge is standing at the doors! As an example of suffering and patience, beloved, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.

Matthew 11:2-11 (NRSV)

When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples and said to him,

"Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?" Jesus answered them, "Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me."

As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written,

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

who will prepare your way before you.'

Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."

Blog Reflection

We continue our Advent celebration with the figure of St. John the Baptist.  The one who prepares the way of the Lord. The difference is that this Sunday, we hear Jesus giving His impression of St. John the Baptist after Jesus already began His public ministry.  The contrast gives us much to reflect on. 

The one who is called to prepare the way for the Lord, the one Jesus is talking so much about, is not a member of the royal family.  He is not a person with a Ph.D. from Harvard, Oxford or Loyola.   St. John the Baptist represents the outcast, becoming someone extraordinary who does wondrous things for God.

It is interesting that one of the Psalm choices for today is the Song of Mary, also known as the Magnificat.  The hymn attributed to a sixteen year old girl from a small town, who had the experience of the Angel Gabriel informing her that she would give birth to Jesus.  All the talk that the "perfect family" is one man and one woman seems to fall a part in the actual Gospel account of Christ's birth.  The Holy Family consists of an unwed mother being the Spouse of the Holy Spirit to give birth to Christ, betrothed to a carpenter who considers divorcing her, because she has broken the rules.   In the Song of Mary, God clearly turned the order of the the strong, the mighty, and the rich over so that the lowly and the hungry are to receive the random act of grace from the Most High.

This past week a certain news anchor made a remark about Jesus and Santa Clause being "white".  I find it interesting that someone who is employed to report the news of the day, never quite knew or understood that Jesus was Jewish, most likely non-white and definitely not Caucasian.  In article on the Lead found in the Episcopal Cafe,  there is a quote from Jonathan Merrit from an article he wrote in The Atlantic.

Setting aside the ridiculousness of creating rigidly racial depictions of a fictitious character that does not actually exist—sorry, kids—like Santa, Kelly has made a more serious error about Jesus. The scholarly consensus is actually that Jesus was, like most first-century Jews, probably a dark-skinned man. If he were taking the red-eye flight from San Francisco to New York today, Jesus might be profiled for additional security screening by TSA.

The myth of a white Jesus is one with deep roots throughout Christian history. As early as the Middle Ages and particularly during the Renaissance, popular Western artists depicted Jesus as a white man, often with blue eyes and blondish hair. Perhaps fueled by some Biblical verses correlating lightness with purity and righteousness and darkness with sin and evil, these images sought to craft a sterile Son of God.

In Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Advice for Living” column for Ebony in 1957, the civil-rights leader was asked, “Why did God make Jesus white, when the majority of peoples in the world are non-white?” King replied, “The color of Jesus’ skin is of little or no consequence” because what made Jesus exceptional “His willingness to surrender His will to God’s will.” His point, as historian Edward Blum has noted, is that Jesus transcends race.

Those warnings hold just as true for believers today. Within the church, eschewing a Jesus who looks more like a Scandinavian supermodel than the sinless Son of God in the scriptures is critical to maintaining a faith in which all can give praise to one who became like them in an effort to save them from sins like racism and prejudice. It's important for Christians who want to expand the church, too, in allowing the creation of communities that are able to worship a Jesus who builds bridges rather than barriers. And it is essential to enabling those who bear the name of Christ to look forward to that day when, according to the book of Revelation, those “from every nation, tribe, people, and language” can worship God together.

On this Third Sunday of Advent, the reading from James tells us about the farmer who waits for the crops to grow.  What appears to be doing nothing, but laying beneath the soil, is actually the earth, the sun, and water giving new life and hope for the future.   No one can predict what will sprout up from the ground.  But, we will know when it appears, what it will be, and then can decide how it will be used.   So it is with the gift of faith in those who seem so different to us.  God's grace and power are not hindered by race, class, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity/expression, culture, language, health status or anything else that many in humankind use to divide and discriminate.   The work of God in the life of any human person is a matter between God and the individuals own conscious.   It is Sacred Space, and no one person has any business trying to interfere.   Prejudice hidden behind religious zeal, is still prejudice, and it still wounds the core of any human person.  Discrimination also brings brutal injury to the human community.

Today, we rejoice because as we wait for the coming celebration of Christmas, we have the opportunity to prepare His way, by doing our part to bring an end to violence, oppression and bias.  St. John the Baptist played his part.  Mary did what was required of her.  Jesus did the will of His Father.  Now, we have the chance to do what God asks of each of us, and to rejoice in God's Name at all times.

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. (Third Sunday of Advent, Book of Common Prayer, p. 212).

O God, who wonderfully created, and yet more wonderfully
restored, the dignity of human nature: Grant that we may
share the divine life of him who humbled himself to share our
humanity, your Son Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer, p. 252).

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, p. 815).