First Sunday of Advent: Wait! Who Turned Off the Lights?

Today's Scripture Readings



Isaiah 64:1-9 (NRSV)

O that you would tear open the heavens and come down,

so that the mountains would quake at your presence--

as when fire kindles brushwood

and the fire causes water to boil--

to make your name known to your adversaries,

so that the nations might tremble at your presence!

When you did awesome deeds that we did not expect,

you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence.

From ages past no one has heard,

no ear has perceived,

no eye has seen any God besides you,

who works for those who wait for him.

You meet those who gladly do right,

those who remember you in your ways.

But you were angry, and we sinned;

because you hid yourself we transgressed.

We have all become like one who is unclean,

and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth.

We all fade like a leaf,

and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

There is no one who calls on your name,

or attempts to take hold of you;

for you have hidden your face from us,

and have delivered us into the hand of our iniquity.

Yet, O LORD, you are our Father;

we are the clay, and you are our potter;

we are all the work of your hand.

Do not be exceedingly angry, O LORD,

and do not remember iniquity forever.

Now consider, we are all your people.

Psalm 80:1-7, 16-18 (BCP., p.702)


1 Corinthians 1:3-9 (NRSV)

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind-- just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you-- so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Mark 13:24-37 (NRSV)

Jesus said to his disciples, "In those days, after that suffering,

the sun will be darkened,

and the moon will not give its light,

and the stars will be falling from heaven,

and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.

Then they will see `the Son of Man coming in clouds' with great power and glory. Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

"From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

"But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. 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. And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake."

Blog Reflection

Every year when we begin Advent right after Thanksgiving, all of the Christmas lights are going up on the houses, the Christmas trees are going up and all the malls are crowded with people buying gifts.  The stores have been playing holiday muzak and the Hallmark Channel started their annual buffet of assorted cheesy holiday shows on November 1st.  Here we are on the First Sunday of Advent with these readings that seem to be so depressingly dark.  "Who turned off the lights?"  This is one of the questions asked by the Center for Excellence in Preaching at Calvin Theological Seminary's reflection on today's reading from Mark's Gospel.   

This past week had a very dark beginning.  When the news that the Grand Jury in Ferguson, MO would not indict Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Michael Brown became public, the riots began and all of the news commentators began their usual round of analytical arguments.  What troubles me about what followed the announcement, is that the issue of racism which needs to be addressed, and the issue of police militarization which is also something that must be dealt with get lost in the shouting and looting.  No more is it about a young man like Michael Brown who's memory is being tainted because of his race, while the issue of racism once again implodes only to be buried before any resolution can be pursued.  The violence, the prejudice and the injustice which all needs healing and reconciliation; cannot be discussed in an adult manner, because they are crowded out by all the speculations and politics.   The lights have gone out.  

The writer of Isaiah is wanting God to come and do the mighty things God is known of doing.  The history of the People of Israel witnessed God doing mighty things.  As if someone clicked the rewind button, Israel was again in a time of chaos.  Their society was falling apart.  People who previously looked to the Lord their God, were struggling and drowning in doubt that God could even help them anymore.  They wanted God to come and rock the place again.  They wanted God to come and mold them like clay.  Yet, to be molded and remolded, they had to take the first step towards a new way of being the People of God.   It would not come without them sacrificing something to experience the conversion of their society.

I think events like what has happened with the Michael Brown killing and President Obama's executive action on Immigration are shaking our societies' apathy.  We all like to stay in our homes and watch these things happen; but, please don't ask us to step outside or speak up on behalf of those less fortunate than ourselves.   Please don't make us admit that racism, sexism and heterosexism are still problems to be dealt with.  We are enjoying our holiday music, wine and delicious food.  The fact is, the only way we are going to address problems of injustice and violence is by refusing to sit on our tushes and become God's prophetic witnesses for compassion and cultural change.   If we want the lights of our holiday season to really mean something this year, we need to stop pretending that what is outside in our own neighborhoods isn't there; and become participants for the transformation of the Church and society for the good of all people; and the honor and glory of God.

During this Season of Advent we are waiting and watching in prayerful expectation of the coming of Christ.   In our preparation to recall the first coming of Christ at the Nativity, we are also remembering that Christ will come again.  This time of preparation means that we listen to Jesus in today's reading from Mark.  This reading is believed to have been written after the destruction of the temple.   Mark writes about Jesus as the Messiah.   Mark makes the connection of who Jesus was (and is) with the events that took place when the Romans leveled not only the Temple, but the whole city of Jerusalem.   It might as well have been an apocalypse.  What Jesus is saying here is that even though it may be very dark times through which He may come again, the truth is that Jesus will come and bring with Him a new era.   Only God knows when Jesus will return.  Therefore, we are to spend some time in silence, pray a lot, and go do the work God gives us now.

One of the many points about Advent that we will most likely never hear from the pulpits of our churches this Season, is that the meaning of Advent has among many of its origins, its character from the Benedictine Office of Vigils and/or Matins.   It is the during the Night Office that Benedictines (and other similar Monastic communities) anticipate the return of the Lord in a prayerful watch.   Such is why as part of Compline the night before we pray those famous words of St. Augustine of Hippo in the antiphon to The Song of Simeon (the Nunc Dimittis).     

Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping; that awake
we may watch with Christ, and asleep we may rest in peace. (The Book of Common Prayer, pages 135,135).

Though the night is full of darkness, as is our society and even the Church that is so full of corruption, prejudice and disorder; the Light of Christ in the prayer of the Church that is the Psalms in the Daily Offices; which are the extension of the Eucharistic Liturgy helps us unite our prayers with Christ's prayers.  Our questioning of our faith as we wonder what God is up to while we are confronted by the real world in which we live; finds our groaning to be that of Christ as He longs to come to us to bring the healing and peace our world so desperately needs.   Yet, through the prayers of the Church, all of us answer the call of Christ through faith to live into our Baptismal Covenant. By answering this call, are already doing the ora et labora (praying and working) of making the Kingdom of God an ever present reality in the here and now.

As we continue through our Advent experience, let us ask ourselves who turned out the lights.  Let us also spend some time in silent and watchful prayer, and be ready to help Christ to shine His Light of God's unconditional and all-inclusive love in our world.  May that Light of Christ grow from dim to bright so that relationships which are broken may be mended, all violence and discrimination cease to exist and the truth of God may permeate the lives of all people equally.   

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).

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).

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.  The Book of Common Prayer, p.815).

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).