gifts of expectation and joy - razor...

Gifts of Expectation and

Joy

Advent Meditations and Prayers for 2015

This book is dedicated to our writers:

EfM Mentors, Students and Graduates Staff of St. Andrew’s and Christ and St. Luke’s Episcopal

Churches

And to our sponsor:

The Women of St. Andrew’s Church

Introduction It is my pleasure to introduce to you this wonderful collection of meditations, designed to guide us in this holy season of Advent. It is a time of promise and possibility, as we bid the arrival of Emmanuel. Hopefully these reflections, which follow the daily lectionary, will help us open our hearts to receiving the gift of God’s love as it once more breaks into our lives and world. This booklet is a joint effort by the people of Christ and St. Luke’s and St. Andrew’s. I am especially grateful to members of the Education for Ministry class past and present who have contributed to this collection, and to Deane Sobol, who spearheaded this effort. Together, we present it to the people of both of these wonderful congregations with gratitude for our common life and ministry, and with prayers and blessings for a holy Advent and a joyful Christmas. Faithfully, John Rohrs Rector, St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church

Advent – Week 1

Collect

Almighty God, give us grace that we may cast away

the works of darkness, and put upon us the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which thy 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 quick and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal;

through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, now and for ever. Amen

1979 Book of Common Prayer

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A Tradition of Advent

Traditionally, when the Advent season begins, we light the first candle on the Advent wreath. When did the tradition of the Advent wreath begin? Advent wreaths were not a new concept when they were first used. Midwinter wreaths of woven evergreens decorated with pine cones, seeds and nuts had been made centuries before the beginning of Christianity. Candles had also been added to these wreaths to tempt the waning sun to return to warm the earth. The idea of the Advent wreath began with the sixteenth century German Lutherans; however, the wreath as we know it today did not come into being until some 300 years later when it was created by J.H. Wichern, a Protestant pastor known for his mission work among the poor. The children in his mission school would pester him daily, asking how long it would be until Christmas arrived. To appease them, Pastor Wichern built a large wooden ring from a cart wheel, laid it flat, and covered it with leaves and branches. He then attached 4 large white candles separated by 5 small red candles. Each weekday, he lit a red candle and then, each Sunday, he would light a white candle. The custom spread first among the German churches and, later, was even adapted by the Catholic Church. The large wooden wreath gradually evolved into a smaller evergreen wreath with the 4-5 candles we know today. Surprisingly, this custom did not reach America until the 1930’s. Symbolism of the Wreath The circular form of the wreath reminds us that God’s love, mercy, and forgiveness have no beginning or end. The green of the wreath symbolizes our hopes: hope of newness, hope of renewal, and hope for eternal life. The type of greenery used also has meaning. Laurel represents victory over persecution and suffering; pine, holly, and yew represent immortality; cedar represents strength and healing. The candles symbolize the light that God sent to us by coming to us through the birth of His Son. The four outer candles denote each of the weeks before Christmas; but they may also represent four centuries of waiting between the prophet Malachi (see Malachi 3:1) and the birth of Christ or the 4000 years between Adam and Eve and the birth of Jesus. The color of the candles used in the wreath may vary. The color of three of the candles may be purple (a color that symbolizes both royalty and repentance), deep blue (a color that also symbolizes royalty or the night sky in which the star of Bethlehem appeared), or red (traditional). The fourth candle is rose or pink, symbolizing joy, and is lighted on the third Sunday of Advent. The pillar candle in the center of the wreath is called the Christ candle and is lighted on Christmas Day. It may be white (symbolizing purity and holiness) or gold (symbolizing something that is precious and valuable). Lighting of the Candles In the Episcopal Church, the candles are usually lighted prior to the service – there are no prayers or ceremonies associated with the lighting. At home, however, the lighting of the candles may occur with readings, devotionals, and prayer.

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First Sunday in Advent: Light the first purple candle which is generally looked upon as the candle of Hope although, in some traditions, it is the candle of Prophecy because God foretold of the coming of his Son. Second Sunday in Advent: Light the first and second purple candle. The second candle may be called the candle of Peace or the Bethlehem Candle. Third Sunday in Advent: Light the first two purple candles and the pink or rose candle which is the candle of Joy or the Shepherds’ candle. This Sunday is called Gaudete Sunday in the Catholic tradition. It calls for a joyous celebration – the church is now at the halfway point of the Advent season and Christmas is close at hand. Fourth Sunday in Advent: Light the two purple candles, the rose candle and the fourth purple candle which is the candle of Love or the Angel’s candle. Christmas Day: Light all of the candles in the outer circle and the white candle in the center of the wreath. This is the Christ candle and this day is the celebration of his birth. Rejoice! In the Anglican Church, the lectionary for each week has a theme that reminds us of those who prepared for the coming of the Son of God.

Advent 1: The Patriarchs Advent 2: The Prophets Advent 3: John the Baptist Advent 4: The Virgin Mary Christmas Day: The Christ

In keeping with this theme, following is a prayer for each week that you may use in the lighting of your Advent candles. The prayers are taken from Advent written by the Church of England.

Advent 1 God of Abraham and Sarah, and all the patriarchs of old,

you are our Father too. Your love is revealed to us in Jesus Christ,

Son of God and Son of David. Help us in preparing to celebrate his birth

to make our hearts ready for your Holy Spirit to make his home among us.

We ask this through Jesus Christ, the light who is coming into the world. Amen.

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Advent 2 God our Father,

you spoke to the prophets of old of a Saviour who would bring peace.

You helped them to spread the joyful message of his coming kingdom.

Help us, as we prepare to celebrate his birth, to share with those around us

the good news of your power and love. We ask this through Jesus Christ,

the light who is coming into the world. Amen.


you gave to Zechariah and Elizabeth in their old age a son called John.

He grew up strong in spirit, prepared the people for the coming of the Lord,

and baptized them in the Jordan to wash away their sins. Help us, who have been baptized into Christ, to be ready to welcome him into our hearts,

and to grow strong in faith by the power of the Spirit. We ask this through Jesus Christ,



the angel Gabriel told the Virgin Mary that she was to be the mother of your Son.

Though Mary was afraid, she responded to your call with joy. Help us, whom you call to serve you, to share like her in your great work

of bringing to our world your love and healing. We ask this through Jesus Christ,


Christmas Day God our Father,

today the Saviour is born and those who live in darkness are seeing a great light.

Help us, who greet the birth of Christ with joy, to live in the light of your Son

and to share the good news of your love. We ask this through Jesus Christ,

the light who has come into the world. Amen.

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SUNDAY November 29

Scripture Psalm 25:1-9

Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths.

Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation;

for you I wait all day long. - Psalm 25: 4-5

The first Sunday of Advent is when we enter our period of joyful expectation as Advent heralds the coming of Jesus, the beginning of our liturgical year, and all that is to come. One of the most noticeable external markers of the movement into Advent is the switch into its liturgical color of blue, which is the color of Mary; but it is also the color of predawn, that particularly holy time of sitting in anticipation for the rising sun to transform the sky. If you haven’t experienced this, it is worth one day of tiredness to sit in the quiet of predawn to await the sun. Since the Bible did not mark the day of Jesus’s birth, our Roman Christian forefathers chose a day for celebration that is the predawn of our calendar year: the longest night – the Winter Solstice which, according to the Roman calendar, was the twenty-fifth. Since fires and oil lamps struggled against the power of the night, it was a day already steeped with celebrations for the returning of the light. Thus, the wedding of Christ’s Mass and Winter Solstice became a joyous celebration of the coming of the Light of the Son of God, and when, several hundred years later, Advent was added to the church calendar, it was not added as a somber vigil in the dark, but rather as a joyous waiting in the predawn. Unlike the somber, pensive waiting of Lent, Advent is the thoughtful and joyous anticipation of a mother, in her last month of pregnancy, feeling her child kick and stretch inside her, wondering who He will be, as He prepares for His transformational entry into this world. It is a time worth marking and naming.

The word Advent comes from the Latin adventus which means “coming” or “visit.” I

prefer the second of the two meanings; while, like Mary, we do wait His coming, visit is exactly what Jesus did. God became one of us to live and suffer as one of us, but not to stay forever, at least not in His corporeal form. While the promise of Jeremiah 33:15 was that a savior would spring up from the house of David “to execute justice and righteousness in the land,” that was not followed by a promise of an eternal bodily reign on Earth. Instead, Jesus visited us, just as Psalm 25 asked of God, “ . . .teach me your paths. / Lead me in your truth, and teach me.” That is not the pleading of a small child who needs her parents or teacher at all times. Little children do not need or ask to be taught paths, because they have their guardians to shepherd them; but Jesus came to teach adults with free will the paths and ways of how to live good and righteous lives so that we may seek to live closer to God. He brought us the light by which we may be guided and then left, trusting us to learn His lessons. Now, each year, we enter Advent with joy as we wait with Mary in the predawn, anticipating once again the coming of the Light, our Holy Visitor and Teacher, our Lord Savior, Jesus Christ.

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MONDAY November 30

Scripture Psalm 19 or 19:1-6

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows his handiwork. One day tells its tale to another, and one night imparts knowledge to another. Although they have no words or language, and their voices are not heard, their sound has gone out into all lands, and their message to the ends of the earth. Psalm 19:1-4

All of creation bears the mark of the creator, especially humankind, as we were made in God's image. Romans 10:8 tells us that the word of faith we are proclaiming is very near us; it’s in our mouth and our heart. Yet what does it mean to proclaim the word, this good news to the world? We can follow the example of the days and nights described in the psalm as declaring God’s glory silently and without words or language through our actions. The way we treat one another and the rest of God’s creation can be the greatest vehicle we have to preach the gospel. We speak the word when we feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and visit the lonely; when we empower the poor; when we care for vulnerable creatures and the environment. Those who don’t know the good news will hear it in our love. Even the smallest act of love could have an impact that reaches out to the ends of the earth. So as the rood beam above the choir in the sanctuary says, “Go ye and preach the gospel to every creature.”

Could we with ink the ocean fill, and were the skies of parchment made,

were every stalk on earth a quill and every man a scribe by trade;

to write the love of God above would drain the ocean dry;

nor could the scroll contain the whole, though stretched from sky to sky.

-Meir Ben Isaac Nehorai

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TUESDAY December 1

Scripture Galatians 6:7-10

Feast Day for Nicholas Ferrar, Deacon, 1637

…. So then, wherever we have the opportunity, let us work for the good of all, and especially for those of the family of faith. Galatians 6:10

Nicholas Ferrar, a deacon in the Anglican Church, left behind his successful career to establish a religious community in the town of Little Gidding where he and his family would live by the principles of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. In addition to the reading of the daily offices and the psaltery, members of the community took turns in prayer so that prayer was offered without ceasing. The Ferrars provided education, medicine and care for the residents of Little Gidding. Ferrar believed that every hour of the day should be occupied with meaningful work and created small craft businesses that not only provided income but became well known for publishing, bookbinding and manuscript illumination.

St. Paul exhorts the Galatians to do good when they are able but for Nicholas Ferrar each

new day was another opportunity to do good for all. He and his family lived in self-imposed poverty so that they had the resources to provide for those under their care. While we are not able to work for the good of others to the extent practiced in Little Gidding, let us be mindful of the opportunities that do present themselves.

Lord God, make us so reflect your perfect love, that, with your Deacon Nicholas Ferrar and his household, we may rule ourselves according to your Word and serve you with our whole heart, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.

--- Book of Common Prayer

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WEDNESDAY December 2


O sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. Psalm 96:1

The Psalmist David's message, written thousands of years ago, asks people, indeed all of creation, to celebrate and honor God. Idols and false gods are not to be worshipped. We should worship the one true and living God. This message has great relevance to us today.

Daily headlines remind us of our increasing inhumanity to others, our failure to live the Golden Rule and to practice the Seven Corporal Works of Mercy depicted in our beautiful stained glass windows. Such actions do not honor God. Dramatic declines in those professing to be Christians (or members of any other faith groups) also point to the unwillingness of many to worship and celebrate God. Obviously, we need to sing new songs.

Advent, a time of waiting, is an excellent time for each of us to reflect, not only on the birth of Christ, but also on the songs we sing in our daily living. My goal is to do that this Advent season.

An Advent Prayer J. Birch, Kidwelly, Wales

In this Advent of expectation draw us together in unity,

that our praise and worship might echo in these walls

and also through our lives. In this Advent of expectation draw us together in mission,

that the hope within might be the song we sing,

and the melody of our lives. In this Advent of expectation draw us together in service,

that the path we follow might lead us from a stable

to a glimpse of eternity. Amen

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THURSDAY December 3

Scripture Sirach 2:1-11

My child, when you come to serve the Lord, prepare yourself for testing. Sirach 2:1

It is a bright, shining autumn day as I write this. Yet I have had to pull myself kicking and screaming to the keyboard. It is not as if I have nothing to say; I have much. I am simply not in the mood to write. Sad, tired, depressed?

No, I am afflicted at times with acedia. The clearest definition of acedia is spiritual torpor

and lack of care. Acedia is an ancient spiritual malady. The Desert Fathers experienced it and wrote about

it. It does not discriminate: it catches priests, deacons, saints - and the likes of me – unaware. No one knows where acedia comes from and when it will leave. Unlike clinical depression, which is treated with medication and counseling, acedia is battled with prayer and spiritual discipline.

Acedia tamps down spiritual enjoyment. The Liturgy is not quite as moving, the music is

not quite as thrilling, and the sermons do not spur Christian action as much. In 21st century America, we are all used to having an immediate cure for everything:

operate on it, drown it in medication, or rehab it. Acedia, however, is a tougher nut to crack. What a glum way to greet Advent, you are probably thinking right now! No, actually, the

beauty and quiet and hope of Advent are just what the Great Physician ordered. The prayer and spiritual discipline, which is intrinsic to the season, is the balm needed to heal the battered soul.

During this Holy time, all Christian souls stir and awaken and yearn for the Light of

Christmas. Just like a plant emerging from the soil in springtime, the light of Christ brings forth our souls from the darkness of spiritual winter.

I think that most Christians and, probably, most spiritual travelers have had varying levels

of acedia during their life journey. For those of us living in St. John’s “dark night of the soul”, Christ promised that He will never leave us: he is with us during our brightest days and darkest nights. He walks with us in our personal deserts.

So what should we, who are living in the acediac miasma, do? Keep walking toward the

Light: pray, maintain a spiritual routine, do good work for others. In other words, do it until you feel it. Mother Theresa, who probably had long bouts of acedia during her long life, is a striking example of just keeping on doing God’s work even in times of spiritual darkness.

Until the light comes. And He is coming indeed.

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FRIDAY December 4


The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage. Psalm 16:6 Psalm 16 honors God for His protection, counsel, security, and, also, for the abundance

He provides: “a goodly heritage” and in His “right hand are pleasures forevermore”. There is a cause and effect dynamic which underscores the relationship between God and the Psalmist. He is the recipient of God’s benevolence because of his choice: “The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot” (Psalm 16:5).

The numbers of choices we have to make throughout the day are mind-boggling. Some of these choices require little thought – like making the morning coffee or turning on the lights as darkness approaches. Some choices must be made on a much more conscious level – such as which pediatrician to select or which car to buy. And then there are those choices which are more critical and may even be life-saving.

When I was 40, I responded to a cancer diagnosis with immediacy and surrender to the

course of treatment and subsequent illness. Another critical and life-saving choice that I made in my early 20’s was choosing God as “my portion and my cup”. I believe that the sense of calm and safety which brought me through my cancer experience was a direct effect of the choice I had made some 20 years earlier. Some years later, I made the same choice on behalf of our daughters when they were born. I realized, of course, that at some point they would have to choose for themselves. My family of origin did not have a church home and attended services at a nearby Episcopal church only for the year in which I was confirmed. As I grew, at times I sensed that I was missing out on something important. I realized many years later that what I had wanted for my daughters was to know the love of God given to us through Jesus Christ and His Church. When we moved from Chicago, St. Andrew's became our church home, as both girls grew and matured through the Sacramental life. And so did their mother! I experienced such joy and gratitude as I witnessed the baptism, in this church, of my granddaughter several months ago.

In the Book of Deuteronomy, the Lord says to his people, “I call heaven and earth to

witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life, that you and your descendants may live.” (Deuteronomy 30:19) How do we ever really know which of our choices will give life and which of them may bring disaster, even death? Needless to say, we don’t know. But Jesus shows us The Way through. I am thankful for the choice I made some 40 years ago and continue to make over and over again. I am also thankful for His Truth found in the fifteenth chapter of John: “You did not choose me but I chose you…” (John 15:16).

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SATURDAY December 5

Scripture John 6:57-63

“I am the true bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will not die as your ancestors did (even though they ate the manna) but will live forever." John 6:58

While preaching in the synagogue in Capernaum, Jesus said: “I am the true bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will not die as your ancestors did but will live forever.” All but his twelve chosen disciples left, as they did not understand what Jesus meant by this statement.

For many centuries, Christians did not understand what Jesus meant by this statement, or what he meant at the Last Supper, when He commanded His disciples, as He broke bread and distributed it to them: “Take, eat, this is my body which is given for you, do this for the remembrance of me” (Book of Common Prayer). They thought it repugnant that they were expected to partake of “the body and blood of Christ!” Some religions believed that the bread and wine were “transubstantiated” into His Body and Blood.

The Anglican church rejected this claim on the grounds that “it cannot be claimed by Holy Writ.” The Catechism of 1662 states that a sacrament is “an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace given to us, ordained by Christ himself, as a means whereby we receive the same, and a pledge to assure us thereof." According to this, in the Eucharist the outward and visible sign is "Bread and Wine" and the "thing signified,” the "Body and Blood of Christ.”

Perhaps it’s because I grew up in 20th century Anglicanism, but I have never had a problem understanding that the bread and wine we receive at communion “represents” the Body and Blood of Christ. When I participate at Communion, I feel Christ within me, and love the knowledge that he died for me and by his death he has given me the possibility of eternal life. Amen

A Eucharistic Prayer Common Worship: Additional Eucharistic Prayers

Father, as we bring this bread and wine, and remember his death and resurrection,

send your Holy Spirit, that we who share these gifts

may be fed by Christ's body and his blood. Amen

Pour your Spirit on us that we may love one another,

work for the healing of the earth, and share the good news of Jesus,

as we wait for his coming in glory. Amen

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Advent, Week 2

Collect

BLESSED Lord, who hast caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning;

Grant that we may in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,

that by patience and comfort of thy holy Word, we may embrace, and ever hold fast, the blessed hope of everlasting life,

which thou hast given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.


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SUNDAY December 6

Scripture Luke 3:1-6

As it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah: "The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight’”. Luke 3:4

The Old Testament prophets spoke in the familiar words of Handle’s Messiah to “prepare the way of the Lord.” John the Baptist in the New Testament proclaimed the invasion of God in Christ coming into history. Both call us to prepare for the cosmic event of God who, outside and beyond His creation, became part of creation by becoming full human.

We, in the rush of the holidays, acknowledge Advent but sometimes make Lent a more reflection time. That God became incarnate, confronting our world to reveal the Christ-like God, is beyond our powers to fully comprehend. The unseen God became seen. What a powerful thought to ponder. On this we commit our lives and live in wonder and awe.


As streets fill with shoppers Bright lights and tempting offers

Christmas songs and children’s laughter You lead us along a different path

To a desert river and a Prophetic voice A call to repentance

A call to service A call to immerse ourselves

In living water that will never run dry A call to prepare a way in our own lives For the Saviour of the world to enter in

To know the touch of tender mercy And rest in your forgiving love

For your faithful prophets

And your Living Word We give you thanks. Amen

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MONDAY December 7

Scripture Ecclesiastes 2:7-11,16-18

And how dieth the wise man? As the fool. Ecclesiastes 2:16 …for all is vanity and vexation of spirit. Ecclesiastes 2:17

One stumbles with over much thinking about our own works, the extent of found

wisdom. It is not to say that pleasure should never be taken in one’s achievements. Personal artistry: others have made amendatory notice of your accomplishments; and what if, as a guide/teacher, it is clear that you moved forward in learning? Still, from the passage under review, a note of humility is better chosen to accompany a realization of success. At the least, a Christian notion of humility resonates here. One hopes to achieve finally a presence, a good, to serve the needs of others, our neighbors, before and in place of personal satisfaction. Without that notion, truly, all is vanity. It is well to note further, there is some good found in all persons, the wise and the foolish, in spite of the final decay of the corporal substance. The path toward accomplishment need not be wrapped in egoism. Take satisfaction, if you will, especially if you catch a quiet utterance along the way, “there passes a good and faithful servant”.

TUESDAY December 8

Scripture 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 1 Corinthians 9:24

Paul admonishes us to be like an athlete in training to prepare ourselves for a life defined by sharing the gospel through self-control and discipline. The Christian path of faith is not easy, but demands that we persevere (like an athlete) to endure and to push past our weariness as we approach the finish line. The stress in this reading is on the process, not the prize. We should strive to imitate Christ who ran a race that lasted over 30 years.

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Scripture Psalm 38: 9-10; 13-15; 17-18; 21-22

“Lord, all my longing is known to thee, my sighing is not hidden from thee.

My heart throbs, my strength fails me; and the light of my eyes - it also has gone from me. (Psalm 38: 9-10)

But I am like a deaf man, I do not hear,

like a dumb man who does not open his mouth. Yea, I am like a man who does not hear,

and in whose mouth are no rebukes. But for thee, O Lord, do I wait;

it is thou, O Lord my God, who wilt answer. (Psalm 38:13-15)

Do not forsake me, O Lord! O my God, be not far from me!

Make haste to help me O Lord, my salvation.” (Psalm 38:21-22)

As we contemplate the words of the Psalmist during this second week of Advent, it may

be helpful to know that the term “Advent” comes from the Latin word “adventus”, meaning “coming.” In keeping with the readings of the second Sunday of Advent, the candle recently lit in the Advent wreath is sometimes called the one of Bethlehem, the way, or of the prophets.

This season that marks the beginning of the Christian liturgical year is indeed one of anticipation. As we long for the birth of the Christ child, we are reminded of the Second Coming when the words of the prophets are fulfilled and we are redeemed.

The verses cited above from Psalm 38 focus on our spiritual humility. As we recite weekly in the liturgy to our, “Almighty God, unto whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid,” our Creator embraces us in all our human frailty. In this reading, the Psalmist calls attention to our spiritually vulnerable state, even as the writer reaffirms the power of God to strengthen and always remember us. We implore God in times of trouble to aid us, and we ask that he take all speed in doing so. Are we as quick to express our gratitude?

Our affirmation during Advent can be made only if we recommit to Him, to the birth of Christ, and the intimation of the Redemption. It is in quiet, daily contemplation that we fully experience what is about to occur as Christmas draws ever nearer. God is ever-present:

in nature, no matter how latent; in the gift of life, no matter how troublesome our days may be;

in the memory of those whom we have loved, no matter how distant their departure from this earth;

in the celebration of those whose presence enriches our days; in the miracle of God’s only Son among us, the Lord of our salvation.

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THURSDAY December 10

Commemoration Day of Thomas Merton* *Taken from the list of Holy Women, Holy Men of the Episcopal Church

My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone. (Thomas Merton, Thoughts in Solitude, 1956) [Thomas Merton lived only 53 years on this earth, yet he remains one of the most oft-quoted (and some would say misunderstood) writers, activists, and mystics of our time. Born in France in 1915 and originally baptized in the Church of England, he converted to Catholicism and in 1949 was ordained to the priesthood (and given the name Father Louis). Merton spent much of his adult life pursuing an interfaith dialog that spanned the globe, and had an intense interest in spirituality far beyond that of Christianity. He was a prolific author of over 70 books (the most widely known of which is probably The Seven Storey Mountain, written in 1948 when he was 33). He became a Trappist Monk and lived at the Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky. He died, tragically, in Thailand while attending an interfaith conference, twenty-seven years exactly to the date he first entered Gethsemani Abbey in 1941.]

Until very recently, the quote above is all I knew of Thomas Merton. I’ve begun a study of

his works (beginning with The Seven Storey Mountain) this year, because this one statement speaks exactly to my own winding spiritual journey. Far from the ‘normal childhood’, my life’s trajectory has veered wildly over the years. My mother’s grandfather was a minister in the Methodist Episcopal church in northwest Indiana; my father and his large family were Catholic. Confusion and contention as to where we would worship abounded in my young life. My parents divorced when I was three. I remember attending the Methodist church fairly regularly for a while and then, upon my mother’s remarriage several years later, not at all. But throughout my life, I was curious about all the books my grandmother owned which had belonged to her minister father. I treasure the nearly 100-year-old family Bible which belonged to Great Grandpa. Yet this on-again, off-again relationship with the church and religion in general followed me into adulthood. I married very young to an avowed atheist, so once again my spirituality was put neatly away in the recesses of my life. When that marriage crumbled and dissolved, I was, quite literally, lost. Were it not for the animals who shared my home at the time, I don’t know where I would have wandered. They grounded me, loved me no matter how forlorn or angry or idiotic I may have been at any point in time. They let me be me, and they loved me anyway. It was my first glimpse of the love which the Holy Bible says God has for each one of us. Throughout my life, for too many reasons to list here, I never felt I deserved that kind of love. Unconditional. Uncompromising. Like parents should love their children. Like my animals loved me.

And that is how Merton described our relationship with God. Just in being, just in hoping that we, in some way, are doing what God would have us do, we please God. All the precious

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moments we have spent defeating ourselves because we felt we weren’t ‘good enough’ will never again be wasted if, in the future, we let Merton’s words sink into our brains. But how do we do that? How do we convince ourselves that our sincere desire to do God’s will, to please Him, truly does please Him?

Just recently, I found another Merton quote―one single line―that brought everything into focus. It pierced my heart, and has opened a new pathway for me to begin to accept God’s love despite all the reasons I think He might not want to love me. In a letter to Dorothy Day (founder of the Catholic Worker movement) Merton wrote, “Our job is to love others without stopping to inquire whether or not they are worthy.” God doesn’t inquire, He just loves. The miracle comes when we actually believe it. And this is the promise of Advent.

The Nine Prayers A Buddhist Prayer for Love

May I be peaceful, happy, and light in body and spirit.

May I be free from injury. May I live in safety.

May I be free from disturbance, fear, anxiety, and worry.

May I learn to look at myself with the eyes of understanding and love.

May I be able to recognize and touch the seeds of joy and happiness in myself.

May I learn to identify and see the sources of anger, craving, and delusion in myself.

May I know how to nourish the seeds of joy in myself every day.

May I be able to live fresh, solid, and free.

May I be free from attachment and aversion, but not be indifferent.

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FRIDAY December 11

Scripture 2 Thessalonians 2:13 - 3:5

“So then, brothers and sisters stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by our letter” 2 Thessalonians 2:15

I have decided to focus my Advent Meditation on 2 Thessalonians 2:13 - 3:5 as it relates to an admonition to follow the teachings of Christ and live a life of charity and grace rooted in the faith that Jesus Christ is the one true son of God. Now is the time before Advent where we will begin a season of devout and joyful expectations and where we remind ourselves to be faithful and persevere in our Christian beliefs. Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians expressed great concern that the Thessalonians were turning away from Christianity and following false beliefs. We take this letter today and reshape its intent to remind us of our responsibilities and help guard ourselves from the distractions of modern life. Life offers many alternatives to our faithfulness and we must remain strong and continuously fortify our beliefs through prayer, meditation, and sharing our thoughts, fears, and desires with loved ones.

We need be reminded of two of the basic tenets of a Christian life where Jesus is the only way to salvation and where we are saved by grace through faith and not by works.

I close my reflection and share with you my belief that God cannot and will not promise life as we know it; God cannot and will not promise us love from others; God cannot and will not promise us wealth; but if we have faith, God can and will promise us tomorrow.

A Collect for Grace 1863 Book of Common Prayer

O LORD our heavenly Father Almighty and everlasting God who hast safely brought us to the beginning of this day;

Defend us in the same with thy mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger;

but that all our doings being ordered by thy governance may be righteous in thy sight;

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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SATURDAY December 12

Scripture Psalm 32

Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Psalm 32:1

Forgiveness is a subject that comes up frequently in therapy. We all make mistakes. People hurt one another and disappoint themselves. All of us wish for those transgressions to be "covered", accepted and put behind us so that we don't continue in a feeling of shame. Shame makes us behave badly, become defensive and unable to show up as our full and capable selves.

Forgiveness work in therapy means that we work on understanding and accepting transgressions that we have made so that we can forgive ourselves. Forgiveness from others may be out of our control but we can try to help others toward forgiving us with three steps of action.

The first is to acknowledge our wrongdoing. Be able to clearly and specifically name the wrong behavior and say why it was wrong.

The second is to be willing to hear how our behavior affected someone else and to hear of that suffering. This step can be painful and difficult.

The third step is to do the work required to insure that the transgression will not be repeated so that we can faithfully pledge this to ourselves and to others.

We are using the same three steps when we ask God for forgiveness.

There is a story in which a man asks his religious leader how he will know when he is forgiven. He says, "What I have done is very wrong but I hear that God forgives all. How will I know if God has forgiven me?" The priest, minister, imam, or rabbi answers, "When you no longer are tempted to do this, you will know".

Blessed is he for the sin is now "covered", the temptation has been removed.

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Advent, Week 3

Collect

O LORD Jesus Christ, who at thy first coming didst send thy messenger

to prepare thy way before thee; grant that the Ministers and stewards of thy mysteries

may likewise so prepare and make ready thy way, by turning the hearts of the disobedient to the wisdom of the just,

that at thy second coming to judge the world we may be found an acceptable people in thy sight,

who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen


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SUNDAY December 13


John said to the crowd that came out to be baptized by him. “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee the wrath to come? Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, ’We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you God is able from these stones to raise up children of Abraham. Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” And the crowds asked him, “What then should we do? In reply he said to them, “whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.” Even the tax collectors came to be baptized and they asked him, “Teacher, what should we do? He said to them, “Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you” Soldiers also asked him “and we, what should we do?” He said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.” Luke 3:7-14

Although his teaching was considered apocalyptic, when you look at it, it sounds pretty reasonable and sounds extreme only when you consider the way people were actually treating each other. This is pretty mild considering some of the demands to come later from Jesus who asks us to pick up a cross and follow. In a sense, John the Baptist is gently leading us to the gospel. The shaggy man with the hair shirt would make a good ethics professor.

A Collect for the Nativity of John the Baptist

Book of Common Prayer Collects: Contemporary, page 241

Almighty God, by whose providence your servant John the Baptist was wonderfully born, and sent to prepare the way of your Son our Savior by preaching repentance: Make us so to follow his teaching and holy life, that we may truly repent according to his preaching; and, following his example, constantly speak the truth, boldly rebuke vice, and patiently suffer for the truth’s sake; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen

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MONDAY December 14

Scripture Colossians 4:2-6

Conduct yourselves wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer everyone. Colossians 4:5

Who are today’s outsiders? The immigrants, the refugees, the incarcerated, the mentally ill, and the homeless are the groups that immediately come to mind. There are certainly many other individuals, religious sects, and organizations that could be included in this continuously expanding list.

Attempting to answer this question only raises the more important issues addressed in

this short verse. How do we make the most of the time we have? How do we gain the spiritual understanding and courage to speak to and for these

individuals? I believe Jesus would have had no problem in answering these questions or walking

beside these outsiders. He would have done this with unconditional love and the desire to alleviate suffering in the bodies and souls of the outsiders he so often joined.

These words are written by Jan Bowman about Sebastian Salgado’s photography exhibits

which speak to today’s outsiders.

He won’t let us forget those we’ve forgotten — or would like to forget — the migratory kind who’ve lost their feathers to war or drought or disaster of any kind. Though innocent — seldom guilty — they’re caught. He frames them in the act of migration; open sores ragged trousers one plastic pail fifty thirsty children Serbs, Guatemalans, Kurds Russians in the U.S.A. Palestinians in Lebanon

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a girl about twelve, holding her father’s photo in Afghanistan her face as stolid as the mud - plastered wall behind her three small boys from Rwanda clutching a gray wool blanket eyes as huge as their fear — and one tear escaping Vietnamese, Angolans, Moroccans my people in your country your people in mine He photographs our humanity on the move.


Forgive us, Lord We are a wandering people Who kneel before you now A people who bring prayers And requests to your feet

When we have need of you And nowhere else to turn

Then go our own way When times are good

And life is easy Forgive us and draw us close

Teach us your way That we might follow

Help us to walk in your company And know your presence

From the moment we awake Until we lay our heads to rest. Amen

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TUESDAY December 15


Commemoration Day of John Horden, Bishop and Missionary in Canada, 1893

From now on, you will fish for people.” So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him. Luke 5:11

December 15 is the day we recognize John Horden (1828-1893), the first Anglican bishop to the diocese of Moosonee, located in northern Ontario province in Canada. The readings chosen for his commemoration are appropriate in that mission is the unifying theme, to be a disciple to other lands. Bishop Horden was a blacksmith’s son in Exeter, England, who was dedicated to educational self-improvement to overcome his humble origins. As a devout member of his parish church, he taught Bible education classes. His initial effort to volunteer for the Church Missionary Society was rejected on the grounds that he was considered too young, but in 1852, he was informed that the Bishop of Rupert’s Land needed a schoolmaster at Moose Factory, Ontario, a wild and remote place. Horden was launched on a dynamic mission career among the native Cree Indians, during which he translated numerous hymns and the Gospels into their language. He was ordained to the priesthood, and, in 1872, he was consecrated bishop. He also worked on Bible translations into Ojibwa, Inuktitut, and Chipewyan.

As I read the story of Bishop Horden, I was reminded of a parallel to another churchman I had the honor to know. The Very Rt. Rev. Ralph S. Dean joined the staff of our parish in South Carolina when he retired from Canada. In confirmation class, he told us about his mission work among the Indian tribes of British Columbia, during which he was often days on horseback, as that was the only way to reach some of their communities in the wilderness of the Canadian Rockies. His interest in the church began when he was literally dragged by his parents to an ordination being held at the London City Mission, and the hymn “Fling out the banner” was sung. No doubt having a fairly comfortable life in England, his work in western Canada began at the behest of Archbishop Ramsay, 100th Archbishop of Canterbury. Dean’s work would eventually lead him to become Bishop of the Diocese of the Cariboo and Archbishop of British Columbia. He would also be a co-consecrator of one of the first native African Anglican bishops.

There usually comes a time in our lives when we are called to a “foreign” land and undertake risks for which we have no idea what the reward will be, if any. That land can be a physical location or a new activity in something we have never done before. We simply take on faith that we will be guided and protected, come what may. Whether we are involved in ministry or following a chosen occupation, we trust that God will see us through the ups and downs of the adventure. The Advent season marks the beginning of a new liturgical year, when we begin again to follow the mission of Christ. This is our opportunity to reflect anew about our own mission commitment in our daily life and in the church, and ask ourselves, “to what are we being called?,” and follow him.

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Psalm 118:19-29

The Lord is God, and he has given us light. Psalm 118:27

We are in the midst of late fall nights, courtesy of the Daylight Saving Time scheme. Light dissipates quickly anyway in late autumn but now it comes more swiftly. We all fret about this, turning lights on brighter than ever to feel ‘normal.” Yet observe your pets. They simply curl up and go to sleep earlier: no fuss, no muss. Thankfully, some might say, we are powering through the holiday season where the lights and gaiety and laughter envelope us. The parties are looming and the gift giving anxiety is well upon us. However, just lurking beneath this brittle exterior is still the fear of the seasonal dark: the loneliness and perceived danger. Fear of the dark is a primitive instinct. It drew our ancient ancestors closer to the warmth and safety of the fireside away from the true dangers of the night. Today our fear of the dark is, in most cases, one of the mind. We, as a western culture, have not learned to celebrate the darkness. Advent gives us that opportunity. Advent’s darkness is a quiet, velvet one where we are soothed in the presence of God. Instead of the false glitter around us, we are invited into a womb-like darkness where we are nurtured and can grow in the Spirit. Through prayer and stillness, we can discern the path ahead. So we must not despair over the dark nights of Advent. We should be grateful for the quiet time to reflect, read and pray. We should learn to live in the rhythms of the earth: many plants and animals become dormant and hibernate now. They too are sleeping in preparation for their Holy purposes. Our souls shall flourish in the darkness and awaken when the Prince of Light is born in Glory.

Now as we come to the setting of the sun, and our eyes behold the vesper light,

we sing thy praises, O God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

From O Gracious Light Phos hilaron Evening Prayer, Book of Common Prayer, page 64

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THURSDAY December 17

Scripture Mark 5:25-34

When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered around him; and he was by the sea. Then one of the leaders of the synagogue named Jairus came and, when he saw him, fell at his feet and begged him repeatedly, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live. He went with him. And a large crowd followed him and pressed in on him. Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years. She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse. She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, for she said, “If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well.” Immediately her hemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my clothes?” And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, ‘Who touched me?” He looked all around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.” When the world comes crashing in on us, we long for the ‘quick fix’: that one word, touch, or experience that will take away the pain and suffering, and make us whole again. While we see it often in movies or television dramas, that ‘quick fix’ rarely comes in the real world. Healing takes time. The woman in Mark’s story apparently has lived most of her life in pain and torment; she’s tried every remedy, seen every doctor, spent her life’s savings, and is literally at the end of her rope. What does she have to lose? She sees the crowd following Jesus who is on his way to save the young daughter of Jairus and she has heard of the miracles attributed to Him. In a moment of desperation, she reaches out to touch him and immediately feels “…in her body that she (is) healed of her disease”. In that instant, the elusive ‘quick-fix’ has saved her. Or has it? Jesus said to her that her faith has made her well. Did the woman believe she had ‘faith’? As I read the passage, I’m not convinced. We really have no way to know, but it seems to me that her reaching out to touch Jesus was more a call of last resort than an act of deep faith. She’d tried everything else and nothing was working. Maybe, just maybe, this Jesus was the real deal and could heal her physical ailment which she had endured seemingly forever. She had heard “I’m sorry, there’s nothing more we can do for you” too many times. Yet she did not give up; instead, she summoned her courage despite the huge crowd that was clamoring for Jesus’ attention and she pressed forward to touch him. At that moment, she didn’t have the benefit of 2000+ years of Biblical scholarship to tell her that this man was no ordinary man; that He was, indeed, The One, The Savior, the Son of God who could and would heal

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her. At that moment, despite all her brain (and the physicians) had told her, her heart had faith. And so, she touched the hem of Jesus. She reached out to Him, in faith, and instantly was healed. Her ‘quick fix’ worked because of her faith, even if that faith began only in that instance. We don’t have the opportunity today to touch the physical hem of Jesus’ garment to heal us of our disease—whatever that disease may be. What we do have is our faith, even if it is “…as small as a mustard seed”. Even if it begins, sincerely, at the moment that we need it the most. Faith is our ‘quick fix’. As we move through the Advent season, we are reminded that the light of faith keeps us on the path to God. He is revealed in the journey by how we respond to the twists and turns that await us. We express that faith through prayer, our dialog with the divine. I read this prayer some years ago—I don’t remember its source. But I found it as I prepared a recent Taizé service and I immediately thought of it as I contemplated the concept of faith:

Father, you revealed your Son to the nations by the guidance of a star. Lead us to your glory in heaven by the light of faith. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. AMEN.

FRIDAY December 18

Scripture Psalm 40, 54

I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry. Psalm 40:1 Psalm 40 is a combination of thanksgiving, a prayer for help, lament, and a pledge to the

will of God.

I think that all of us in our lifetime have prayed for deliverance from some type of trouble in which we find ourselves. We have prayed for help from illness or safety or general well-being for loved ones or ourselves. We especially turn to God when we are in need. We pray to God to forgive our failures, when we have doubted, and when we have not always behaved in a Christian manner. We should pray to God and give thanks not just for need but also for the good times. The psalm ends with “Thou art my help and my deliverance ". Great is the Lord.

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SATURDAY December 19


...you encourage them, and you listen to their cry...Psalm 10:17

Somehow through the years it has been a challenge to start a prayer routine. It's suggested we find a regular time to meditate or study scripture and be more “God conscious”. A book of daily meditations stands ready in a handy location, and most days I read it. For the most part, I have a regular “church” routine where I have met wonderful people along the way to show that God is with me.

When times are tough or discouraging, when I feel insecure or have doubts, when it feels like nerves cannot be stretched any further, even questioning if I have enough faith, a few words from a sermon or a beautiful melody or even a random assignment of bible passages to read can bring things into focus. Whatever “wilderness” surrounds me, there is a God of comfort listening, encouraging, caring...whether I know it or can hardly believe it.


From the very beginning was Your Word

Which spoke this world into being Your Word

Which thunders from the skies Your Word

Which flows like mountain streams Your Word

Which whispers in morning breeze Your Word

Revealed through kings and prophets Your Word

Revealed through Angels' praise Your Word

Revealed in humble service Your Word

Revealed through a tiny child Your Word

Alive from the beginning of all things And to eternity. Amen

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Advent, Week 4

Collect

O LORD, raise up, we pray thee, thy power, and come among us,

and with great might succour us; that whereas, through our sins and wickedness, we are sore let and hindered in running the race

that is set before us, thy bountiful grace and mercy may speedily

help and deliver us; through the satisfaction of thy Son our Lord,

to whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be honour and glory,

world with out end. Amen


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SUNDAY December 20


Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved. Psalm 80:3

When I read this verse I thought of the author Anne Lamott who often shares her prayer; “Help me! Help me!” and then adds “Thank You! Thank You!”

I thought back to December 25, 2007 when my precious mother was ill. She had been placed on hospice care and all had been going smoothly until Christmas Day. Late in the afternoon, all things changed and I was frantic. Suddenly, our pastor and very dear friend walked into her room. His visit was a true gift. He stayed at her bedside offering prayers and support. I also remember the dedicated nurses who came in from their own celebrations to see that orders were carried out. They remained with me, as did our pastor, until comfort measures were in place and there was peace. God delivers us, gives peace, and restores us. Thanks be to God!


God of hope, who brought love into this world, be the love that dwells between us.

God of hope, who brought peace into this world, be the peace that dwells between us.

God of hope, who brought joy into this world, be the joy that dwells between us.

God of hope, the rock we stand upon, be the centre, the focus of our lives

always, and particularly this Advent time.

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MONDAY December 21


Feast Day of St. Thomas, Apostle

So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” John 20:25

Today is the feast day of Saint Thomas, also known as Doubting Thomas, a saint that all of us can identify with at some period in our lives. Did Thomas lack faith because he had doubt? What is doubt anyway? Doubt - a feeling of uncertainty or lack of conviction. Self-doubt can bring on hesitancy, fear, anxiety. Doubt can drill holes into trust until it crumbles and is no more. Casting doubt has destroyed reputations. Doubt can be insidious and often seems to lurk around the edges of your mind. So then, the antithesis of doubt would seem to be faith. Faith – a firm belief in something for which there is no proof. Thomas was lucky; he received his proof. He was able to touch the marks of the nail and to place his hand within Jesus’ wound. His faith was restored.

Now, two thousand years later, if we have doubt, do we lack faith? Maybe not. Doubt

can cause you to question and, by doing so, to seek answers. It is thought by many that you cannot have faith without doubt. A New York Times article, Doubt as a Sign of Faith, recounted that the Most Reverend Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, sometimes questions the existence of God. He had said in an interview: "The other day I was praying as I was running and I ended up saying to God: 'Look, this is all very well but isn't it about time you did something – if you're there' – which is probably not what the Archbishop of Canterbury should say." He added: "It is not about feelings, it is about the fact that God is faithful and the extraordinary thing about being a Christian is that God is faithful when we are not."

Several years ago, I read the book Night by Elie Wiesel. As a young boy, full of faith, he

was placed in a concentration camp and experienced horrors that, hopefully, none of us will ever experience. But what I most remember from the book is a character from his small town by the name of Moishe the Beadle. He tells young Elie (at a time prior to the concentration camp) that faith is about questions, not answers. Moishe prays that God will give him the strength to ask the right questions. Our search for answers indicates our commitment to God. In the concentration camp, when the boy, Elie, thinks he knows the answer – that God is dead - and he no longer questions and he no longer has faith.

Annie Lamott, author of Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith, expresses a similar belief: “I have a lot of faith. But I am also afraid a lot, and have no real certainty about anything. I remembered something Father Tom had told me--that the opposite of faith is not doubt, but certainty. Certainty is missing the point entirely. Faith includes noticing the mess, the emptiness and discomfort, and letting it be there until some light returns.”

So it seems that doubt is not really the antithesis of faith but more a part of faith. The NY

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Times article went on to say: “If we don’t accept both the commonality and importance of doubt, we don’t allow for the possibility of mistakes or misjudgments. While certainty frequently calcifies into rigidity, intolerance and self-righteousness, doubt can deepen, clarify and explain.” So as we prepare for His coming this Advent season, think of that beautiful baby born of Mary and all that He brought to this world. Possibly, for a brief time, any doubt will dissolve into wonder and joy. But when doubt returns, as it most likely will, keep it, even welcome it. Let it push you to search and question. Allow it to be a source of strength. And your faith will be all the stronger for it.

TUESDAY December 22


Commemoration day of Lottie Moon, Missionary in China, 1912

The next day John saw Jesus coming unto him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who taketh away

the sin of the world! John 1:29

"How many there are ... who imagine that because Jesus paid it all, they need pay nothing, forgetting

that the prime object of their salvation was that they should follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ in

bringing back a lost world to God." Lottie Moon, Sept. 15, 1887, Tungchow

I originally thought to do this meditation on John the Baptist’s declaration when he saw Jesus

approaching: “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29) But I was

intrigued that December 22 is recognized by the Episcopal Church as a date to remember Lottie Moon.

I had never heard of Lottie Moon and wanted to know why the Church honors her.

Charlotte Digges “Lottie” Moon was born into a wealthy, tobacco growing, plantation owning,

devout Baptist family in Albemarle County, Virginia in 1840. A rich and pampered young girl, she was

outspoken and indifferent to her Christian upbringing. She had a spiritual awakening, however, while

attending a series of revival meetings on her college campus and decided that her purpose in life was

to be a missionary. Her life’s work became spreading the Gospel and bringing awareness to the

unaware that the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world will have mercy upon us and grant

us God’s peace.

At age 33, she embarked to China as a Baptist missionary with the Foreign Mission Board and

served there almost 40 years, at a time when most missionaries were men. A diminutive physical

presence, only four feet, three inches tall, and weighing only around 50 pounds at the time of her

death in 1912 at the age of 72, Lottie Moon was a towering voice in bringing the Good News of Christ

to China, especially the women.

As we prepare during this Advent season for the coming of Jesus; just as John the Baptist

prepared the way of the Lord 2000 years ago; as Lottie Moon prepared the way of the Lord in China a

little more than 100 years ago; and as an Easter people, we certainly welcome the baby Jesus but are

ever thankful for the sacrificial Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world and grants us God’s

peace.

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Scripture Isaiah 28:9-22

Luke 1:26-38

“…the one who relies on it will never be stricken with panic.” Isaiah 28:16

Today’s reading tells the story of the Annunciation. The angel Gabriel visits the young

maiden, Mary, to tell her she is to become the mother of the long awaited Messiah, the Son of the Most High. She is to name him Jesus. The word that Luke used to describe her initial reaction has been translated as utterly confused, perplexed, and greatly troubled. The Greek word, diatarasso, is similar to the word describing old Zechariah’s reaction to his meeting with the angel, telling him his wife is to bear a son whose name is to be John. Tarasso. But the Greek word also can mean terrified. An angel is not only greeting her with the utterly mystifying greeting of favored one or gifted lady, but that she is also about to have a baby. Terror may well have been the young teenaged girl’s reaction, especially since Gabriel immediately says to her not to “go on fearing.” (1:30) Even though she is betrothed to Joseph, Mary could get stoned for being pregnant out of wedlock!

Yet Mary keeps her wits about her, asking a forthright question: “How will this be since I

have no knowledge of a man?” She does not panic. Gabriel tells her that God’s power from on high will overcome her and she will conceive a son. He tells her of the miracle of God’s power overcoming human incapacity. “The Holy Spirit will come over you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you, therefore the child to be born will be holy.” He tells her barren Elizabeth is going to have a baby too. “Nothing is impossible with God.” (1:37) Mary takes a deep breath and responds with an obedient faith as powerful as her son will say in the Garden of Gethsemane before his death. “Let it happen to me as you say” or in the more ancient wording: “Be it unto me as you will.” This is Mary’s YES which changed everything.

Mary did not panic. She was able to trust Gabriel; she was able to trust God’s providential care for her. When we get into a frightening place we do not choose, expect or understand, may it be so with us, the followers of Mary’s Son, Jesus, about to be born.

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THURSDAY Christmas Eve December 24


“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has looked favorably on his people and redeemed them.” Luke 1:68

Our gospel reading for this holy day precedes the birth of Jesus in Luke’s account. It is the words of Zechariah after the birth of his son, John the Baptist. These are the first words that Zechariah has spoken in a while. When he failed to believe the angel Gabriel’s promise that his wife, Elizabeth, who had for years been “barren” (Luke 1:7) would bear a son, Gabriel made him mute for the duration of her pregnancy. Now, John has arrived, and the Holy Spirit has freed his tongue, and Zechariah offers this prayer.

If it sounds familiar, that is because it is known as the Benedictus, one of the canticles included in

the service of Morning Prayer in our Book of Common Prayer. In the first part, Zechariah praises God for fulfilling the promise of a messiah, foretelling the birth of Jesus. The second part is a celebration of the birth of Zechariah’s own son, John the Baptist, and the role that he will play in preparing the world for this messiah. The heart of the whole prayer, then, is one of thanksgiving.

Perhaps thanksgiving is at the heart of our experience on this Christmas Eve as well. Some will

experience joy being around loved ones, celebrating hallowed traditions, and sharing meals. Some will know the joy of seeing Christmas through the eyes of children or through giving and receiving gifts. For many, the thanksgiving of this day comes from memories of Christmases past, with the present reality being colored by grief or loneliness.

But while our experiences of thanksgiving vary, we are united in praise for what God has done in

the birth of Jesus Christ. On this night, we remember that God chose to draw near to us, closing the gap between divinity and humanity. The sweet little baby born in a manger inextricably binds us in love to our Creator, and nothing can ever separate us from that love. And so we join our voices with Zechariah in giving thanks to God for the perfect gift of Jesus, the savior and redeemer of the world.

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Christmas Day

Collect

ALMIGHTY God, who hast given us thy only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him,

and as at this time to be born of a pure Virgin; Grant that we being regenerate, and

made thy children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by thy Holy Spirit, through the same our Lord Jesus Christ,

who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.


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FRIDAY December 25

Scripture 1 John 4:7-16

Of the Father’s love begotten, ere the worlds began to be,

he is Alpha and Omega, he the source, the ending he,

of the things that are, that have been, and that future years shall see,

evermore and evermore! Hymn 82, Hymnal 1982

So begins one of the most beautiful hymns of Christmas. It is number 82 in our Hymnal 1982, though it is not generally on the greatest hits list at many churches. These poetic words, written in the fourth or fifth century by Marcus Aurelius Clemens Prudentias, place the birth of Jesus in a cosmic context. The baby in the manger is the very offspring of God, a gift of pure love begotten at the beginning of time and destined to bear us into eternity.

According to 1 John 4:7-16, love is born of God and revealed in the gift of the incarnation. On this day, so many years ago, love came down from heaven. And something forever changed in that moment. What changed, perhaps, is the world’s capacity for love. That doesn’t mean that we always get it right, that we don’t still inflict and endure much evil and pain, but our capacity for love has grown because God’s own love became flesh and dwelt among us. As a result, the boundaries of our hearts have been expanded, and the borders of our lives now stretch beyond the grave.

Put simply, love is the gift and meaning of this holy day. Let us receive that gift once more, and pray that we may share it in equal measure. As the epistle writer says, “Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; [but] if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.”

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I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, beloved American poet, lost his dear wife Fannie in a fire in 1861 right before the Civil War began. Two years later, his son, a lieutenant in the Union Army, was severely wounded. Still suffering from the loss of his wife, his grief now compounded by the wounding of his son, Longfellow sat at his desk on Christmas Day in 1863 and wrote the poem Christmas Bells.

(1) I heard the bells on Christmas Day

Their old familiar carols play, And wild and sweet The words repeat

Of peace on earth, good-will to men! (2)

And thought how, as the day had come, The belfries of all Christendom

Had rolled along The unbroken song


Till, ringing, singing on its way, The world revolved from night to day,

A voice, a chime A chant sublime

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

(4)

Then from each black accursed mouth The cannon thundered in the South,

And with the sound The carols drowned


It was as if an earthquake rent The hearth-stones of a continent,

And made forlorn The households born


And in despair I bowed my head; "There is no peace on earth," I said;

"For hate is strong, And mocks the song

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"

(7) Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:

"God is not dead; nor doth he sleep! The Wrong shall fail,

The Right prevail, With peace on earth, good-will to men!"

In 1872, Jean Baptiste Calkin revised some of the wording, eliminated verses four and five and put it to the music with which we are all familiar. The meaning of the words has not faded during the 150 or more years since it was written. The poem speaks of despair and loss of faith in the second three verses. It speaks to personal loss as well as national tragedy. The last verse, however, peals forth with clarity that God is with us always. He gave us His Son as a sign, a covenant of his everlasting love and forgiveness. He is within us; he surrounds us. But when Life seems to get between us and God, when doubt creeps in, when despair threatens to take over, no matter the time of year, listen for those bells and the message of expectation and joy that they bring..

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CONTRIBUTORS TO THE ADVENT MEDITATIONS

2015-2016 Education

for Ministry Class

Carolyn Moneymaker (Mentor) ---------------------------------------- December 3, 16 Deane Sobol (Co-Mentor) ----------------------------------------------- December 21 Marsha Anderson (1st year) --------------------------------------------- December 1 Lee Benz (3rd year) --------------------------------------------------------- December 11 Mavis Benz (1st year) ------------------------------------------------------ December 5 David Durica (2nd year) --------------------------------------------------- December 6 Connie Faivre (3rd year) -------------------------------------------------- December 10 17 Paul Kovalcik (1st year) ---------------------------------------------------- December 8 Andrea Nolan (1st year) --------------------------------------------------- November 29 Linda Wilson (1st year) ---------------------------------------------------- December 9

Clergy and

Staff

The Rev. John Rohrs (St. Andrew’s)------------------------------------ December 25 The Rev. Andie Rohrs (St. Andrew’s) ---------------------------------- December 24 Stephen Leist --------------------------------------------------------------- December 15 Genevieve Nelson (St. Andrew’s) -------------------------------------- November 30 The Rev. Sue Crommelin (Christ and St. Luke’s) -------------------- December 23

Past EfM Graduates

Margaret Bishop ----------------------------------------------------------- December 20 Jeanne Burger -------------------------------------------------------------- December 12 Tim Coyle -------------------------------------------------------------------- December 22 Beau Hodge ----------------------------------------------------------------- December 13 Pat Hodge ------------------------------------------------------------------- December 14 Robin Kruger ---------------------------------------------------------------- December 19 Tiffany Mandell------------------------------------------------------------- December 4 Sid Roberts ------------------------------------------------------------------ December 7 Dean Rogis ------------------------------------------------------------------ December 18 Joyce Swindell -------------------------------------------------------------- December 2

Sources for Prayer

John Birch, Kidwelly, Wales (http://www.faithandworship.com)

pages 8, 14, 24, 29, 32 Book of Common Prayer

pages 1, 7, 13, 19, 21, 22, 31, 37 Advent (www.churchofengland.org/media/41152/tandsadvent.pdf)

pages 3-4 Common Worship, © The Archbishop’s Council 2012 page 11 The Nine Prayers: Taken from the Introduction to “Contemplative Prayer” By

Thomas Merton; Introduction and prayer written by Thich Nhat Hanh page 18

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Readings for Advent, Christmas Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

29 – Advent 1 Jeremiah 33:14-16 Psalm 25:1-9 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13 Luke 21:25-36

30 – St. Andrew, Apostle Deuteronomy 30:11-14 Romans 10:8b-18 Matthew 4:18-22 Psalm 19 or 19:1-6

1 – N. Ferrar, Deacon, 1637 Galatians 6:7-10 Matthew 13:47-52 Psalm 15 or Psalm 112:1-9

2 - Channing Moore Williams Acts 1:1-9 Luke 10:1-9 Psalm 96:1-7 or Psalm 98:1-4

3 – Francis Xavier Psalm 62:1-2, 6-9 Sirach 2:1-11 1 Corinthians 9:16-19, 22-23 Mark 16:15-20

4 - John of Damascus 1 Corinth. 15:12-20 John 5:24-27 Psalm 118:14-21 or Psalm 16:5-11

5 - Clement of Alexandria Colossians 1:11-20 John 6:57-63 Psalm 34:9-14 or Pslm 103:1-4,13-18

6 – Advent 2 Baruch 5:1-9 or Malachi 3:1-4 Canticle 4 or 16 Philippians 1:3-11 Luke 3:1-6

7 – Ambrose, Bishop Ecclesiasticus 2:7-11,16-18 Luke 12:35-37,42-44 Psalm 27:5-11 or Psalm 33:1-5,20-21

8 - Richard Baxter Psalm 102:11-13, 19-22 Exodus 20:1-17 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 Matthew 6:6-15

9 – Psalm 38 Isa. 6:1-13 2 Thess. 1:1-12 John 7:53-8:11

10 – Karl Barth or Thomas Merton Psalm 76:7-12 Jeremiah 30:23–31:6 Romans 7:14-25 John 8:34-36

11 – Psalm 31 Isa. 7:10-25 2 Thess. 2:13-3:5 Luke 22:14-30

12 – Psalm 30, 32 Isa. 8:1-15 2 Thess. 3:6-18 Luke 22:31-38

13 – Advent 3 Zephaniah 3:14-20 Canticle 9 Philippians 4:4-7 Luke 3:7-18

14 - Juan De La Cruz Psalm 121 Song of Solomon 3:1-4 Colossians 4:2-6 John 16:12-15, 25-28

15 - John Horden Psalm 107:35-43 Numbers 10:29-36 Acts 6:1-7 Luke 5:1-11

16 - Ralph Adams Cram, Richard Upjohn, & John Lafarge Psalm 118:19-29 2 Chronicles 6:12-20 Ephesians 2:17-22 Matthew 7:24-29

17 - William Lloyd Garrison & Maria Stewart Psalm 82 Wisdom 10:9-14 1 John 2:28–3:3 Mark 5:25-34

18 – Psalm 40, 54 Isa. 10:5-19 2 Pet. 2:17-22 Matt. 11:2-15

19 - Lillian Trasher Psalm 10:12-19 Genesis 21:8-21 2 Corinthians 1:3-7 Luke 17:1-6

20 – Advent 4 Micah 5:2-5a Canticle 3 or 15 or Psalm 80:1-7 Hebrews 10:5-10 Luke 1:39-45, (46-55)

21 - Saint Thomas, Apostle Habakkuk 2:1-4 Hebrews 10:35-11-1 John 20:24-29 Psalm 126

22 - Lottie Moon Psalm 148:1-6 Ruth 1:15-19a 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 John 1:29-33

23 - Psalm 72 Isa. 28:9-22 Rev. 21:9-21 Luke 1:26-38

24 –Christmas Eve Psalm 45, 46 Isa. 35:1-10 Rev. 22:12-17, 21 Luke 1:67-80

25 –Christmas Day Psalm 2, 85 Zech. 2:10-13 1 John 4:7-16 John 3:31-26

Readings are for Liturgical Year C. The readings for the Advent Sundays and the Feast Days were taken from

http://www.lectionarypage.net/CalndrsIndexes/Calendar2015.html#anchor2483464.

Readings for the lesser feast days (in bolded italics) are taken from http://satucket.com/lectionary/Calendar.htm. The names have temporary approval through the end of this

year; they come from the list of Holy Women, Holy Men of the Episcopal Church

For daily readings on non-Feast days, the readings were taken from Year 1, Daily Scripture Readings, Book of Common Prayer

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