Fourth Sunday of Advent: The Contradiction of the Incarnate Word

Today's Scripture Readings

Micah 5: 2-5a (NRSV)

But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah,
who are one of the little clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to rule in Israel,
whose origin is from of old,
from ancient days.
Therefore he shall give them up until the time
when she who is in labor has brought forth;
then the rest of his kindred shall return
to the people of Israel.
And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the LORD,
in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God.
And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great
to the ends of the earth;
and he shall be the one of peace.

Psalm 80:1-7 (BCP., p.702)


Hebrews 10:5-10 (NRSV)

Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said,

"Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired,
but a body you have prepared for me;
in burnt offerings and sin offerings
you have taken no pleasure.
Then I said, 'See, God, I have come to do your will, O God'
(in the scroll of the book it is written of me)."

When he said above, "You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings" (these are offered according to the law), then he added, "See, I have come to do your will." He abolishes the first in order to establish the second. And it is by God's will that we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Luke 1:39-55 (NRSV)

In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 

When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord."

And Mary said,

"My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
His mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever."

Blog Reflection

I once again ask the pardon of my readers.  Last weekend my family gathered in my hometown of Wareham, Massachusetts for my Mother's Mass of Christian Burial.  I am also very thankful for your prayers and concern during this difficult time.  You are all a great blessing to me.

It goes without saying, but, our world is messed up.  The political party debates.  The violence that is out of control world wide.  The attitudes of racism, sexism, heterosexism and any number of issues that divide people for any assorted reasons run as freely as a herd of caribou.  Christians of all sects are still arguing about doctrine and who is in a place of leadership and who is "serving" while the Gospel remains an abstraction  Other Christians are so concerned about winning political campaigns and raising outrageous amounts of money for them.  Meanwhile the Person of Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Word who came to be the face of God and be the deliverer for the poor and oppressed; becomes an after thought.

On this Fourth Sunday of Advent, our Gospel directs our minds and hearts towards the joy Christ brings; while turning the world as we know it upside down.

The Magnificat (or Song of Mary) that we read from Luke 1:46-55 is not the first time we have read or heard a lovely song of the contradictions God brings.  It mirrors the Canticle of Hannah in 1 Samuel 2:1-8.  The Good News of these canticles and narratives, is that when we reach out for God and God comes to us; the poor become rich, the hungry are fed, those who are mighty become powerless and those who are often rendered powerless are given the grace to rise above the status quo.  

Last year while we were attending Sunday Eucharist at St. John the Evangelist Episcopal Church in St. Paul, MN; the preacher was The Rev. Barbara Mraz.  She spoke about how in many countries where there was a dictator in control, The Magnificat was banned.  The words, "He has cast the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly" were often used by protesters.  The words were painted on poster boards and even card boards and nailed to trees and fence posts.  The words were viewed as threatening and therefore were banned, even in churches and monasteries.

One has to wonder, is the meaning of Jesus Christ coming to us in the Incarnate Word banned?   Are we still in a time when the wealthy are dictating that the poor remain poor?  As States pass laws turning away Syrian refugees, we must ask if the mighty insist on keeping their thrones while the lowly have no opportunity to have their dignity upheld?   This includes immigrants, women, LGBT people, Muslims, our Jewish sisters and brothers and others who are marginalized in the Church and society. 

The celebration of the Nativity of Jesus Christ is less than seven days away.  We will again celebrate that Christ was born on Christmas, singing the beautiful carols, exchanging gifts and spend time with family and friends.  These and many other things we do during the celebration of Christmas are important.  However, it is also important for Christians to remember that Jesus was born into a very imperfect society around Him, as we live in the midst of one now.  Just Jesus' birth interfered with business as usual.  Christians should be no less surprised that when we live Jesus' Gospel message of salvation and hope for every human person that we disturb a lot of other things going on around us.  Jesus' Nativity ought to make us feel displaced.  Jesus brought in a new era of contradiction after contradiction. 

If there was one thing that Jesus avoided was one person or group of people dominating another.  Christians have an opportunity to do the same.  May we not miss the opportunity.

Amen.


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. (Collect for the Fourth Sunday of Advent. The Book of Common Prayer, p.212).

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.  (Collect for Peace.  The Book of Common Prayer, p.815).

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).

First Sunday of Advent: A New Beginning with Plenty of Problems

Today's Scripture Readings

Jeremiah 33:14-16 (NRSV)

The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this is the name by which it will be called: "The LORD is our righteousness."

Psalm 25:1-9 (BCP., p.614)


1 Thessalonians 3:9-13 (NRSV)
 

How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy that we feel before our God because of you? Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you face to face and restore whatever is lacking in your faith.

Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you. And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you. And may he so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

 

Luke 21:25-36 (NRSV)

Jesus said, "There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in a cloud' with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."

Then he told them a parable: "Look at the fig tree and all the trees; as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

"Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day catch you unexpectedly, like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man."

Blog Reflection

My Mother passed away last Sunday at 3:25am.  During the last five days of her life, I was able to spend some very precious time with her.  We made peace with each other.  When she died, I was happy for her that she was and is at peace.  It was also a very sad moment for me.  The woman who had given birth to me, nurtured me and helped me all her life had died at least physically.  One of the things I found myself saying to her after she passed, was that all of the times she called and I felt like she was disturbing me; I wanted her to disturb me one more time. I can no longer call to ask her advice.  I now have to rely on God and those who love me to help me at those moments when I might have asked my Mother to help me.  You might say that when my Mom's earthly pilgrimage ended, her new life with God began.  My own life, however, has been changed forever.

The First Sunday of Advent is the moment when the former Liturgical Calendar Year ends, and a new one begins.  Yet, what makes it seem like an extension of the former year, is that the new year begins with Scripture readings that continue the theme of awaiting the second coming.  The most recognizable difference is that we are now reading from the Gospel of Luke. 

Every year on the First Sunday of Advent, we hear from the Gospel to be alert, stay awake for the hour is drawing near.  We are told to stay alert because new things are coming.  A transformation that will impact everyone's lives in a way that we could not have imagined.  It symbolizes a new beginning.  Yet, with every new beginning, the problems that have been with us before are just as relevant in the here and now.

We have heard many horrible accounts of what happened in Paris.  We have also been reading of how many Governors of any number of states saying that they will not receive refugees from Syria.  Among the reasons is that they suspect that the refugees are part of a radical group of Islamic terrorists.  Just this week, while we are pausing to give thanks, a gunman opened fire by a Planned Parenthood clinic in Denver, Colorado.  These and many more incidents tell us that while our world is advancing, many of the problems that humankind and even the Church has endured, are still happening today.  There may be different groups of people, with many scapegoats among them.  But, the attitudes of prejudice and supporting oppression of the weak, the lonely and those who are already affected by life's worst woes, are all there.  Until or unless we put our trust in God and open our hearts to allowing the Holy Spirit to do new things in our lives; we will continue to dwell in the grotesque mud in which we are living.

On this First Sunday of Advent, Jesus promises us the opportunity to see Him in His great power and glory.  We are offered a vision of Jesus in a state of pouring the Grace of God into all humankind through a new heaven and a new earth.  A state of existence in which there is only the love, peace and hope that comes from God alone.  It comes with a willingness to let go of our past and embrace God's Grace in the here and now, as we await the promise of God in the future.

We begin Advent with a reflection of hope.  The hope that leads us to a newness of life.  A way of life that is not weighed down by all the things we carry in ourselves and our many relationships.

'Lord, show us your love and mercy.
For we put our trust in you.
In you, Lord, is our hope;
And we shall never hope in vain.'

Amen.


Prayers

Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of
darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of
this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit
us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come
again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the
dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives
and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and
for ever. Amen.  (Collect for the First Sunday of Advent.  The Book of Common Prayer, p. 211).

At this time, I wish to announce to my readers that next year on the Feast of Christ the King, November  20th, 2016 I will be posting my final reflection for this blog.  I have enjoyed writing this blog year after year, week after week since I began this project in 2009.  Since then, the Church and all of us have traveled together through some amazing moments at which God's Grace became very tangible.   It has been my privilege and honor to write these blog posts and share them with those who have been reading them.  However, the time is coming for me to spend time on my other blog, Simple Reflections for a Deeper Spiritual Life.  I also need to devote my time to my husband, and my formation.  After my final reflection on here, the blog will still remain active so that readers can enjoy all of the blog posts here.  However, there will be no more new reflection entries.  Until then, continue to enjoy the new blog entries.  Let us pray with and for each other.  Peace be with you all.