Readings and Reflections

Collect

Loving God,
you have called forth disciples and prophets
to live and speak your word.
Give us ears to hear,
lives to respond,
and voices to proclaim the good news of salvation, which we know in our Saviour Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Readings

Isaiah 6: 1-8

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. And one called to another and said:
‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory.’
The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke. And I said: ‘Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!’

Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. The seraph touched my mouth with it and said: ‘Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.’ Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I; send me!’

Psalm 138

Of David.
I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart;
before the gods I sing your praise;
I bow down towards your holy temple
and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness;
for you have exalted your name and your word
above everything.
On the day I called, you answered me, you increased my strength of soul.

All the kings of the earth shall praise you, O Lord,
for they have heard the words of your mouth.
They shall sing of the ways of the Lord,
for great is the glory of the Lord.
For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly; but the haughty he perceives from far away.

Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you preserve me against the wrath of my enemies;
you stretch out your hand,
and your right hand delivers me.
The Lord will fulfil his purpose for me;
your steadfast love, O Lord, endures for ever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.

1 Corinthians 15: 1-11

Now I should remind you, brothers and sisters, of the good news that I proclaimed to you, which you in turn received, in which also you stand, through which also you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message that I proclaimed to you—unless you have come to believe in vain.

For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to someone untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of
God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace towards me has not been in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them—though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we proclaim and so you have come to believe.

Luke 5: 1-11

Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.’ Simon answered, ‘Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.’ When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. So they signalled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!’ For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.’ When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.

Collect

O God of all the prophets,
you knew us and chose us
before you formed us in the womb.
Fill us with faith that speaks your word,
hope that does not disappoint,
and love that bears all things for your sake, until that day when we shall know you fully,
even as we are known by you. Amen.

Readings

Jeremiah 1: 4-10

Psalm 71:1-6

1 Corinthians 13: 1-13

If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part; but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.

Luke 4: 21-30

I’ve been thinking a lot recently about what it means to truly love as God called us to love, and how so many people seem to get the idea of Christianity fundamentally wrong. Or at least they seem to know, if you ask them, but there is a disconnect between what they believe to be true and how they actually live their lives. This week’s reading from Corinthians is a great example of how we might be able to contextualize the kind of life that God is calling us to live when we think about love and loving our neighbours.

Paul, in his letter to the Corinthians, talks about love. This reading is often used at weddings to talk about the nature of love between two partners about to embark on a life together; but, if we read the first part of this passage, we can see that Paul is talking about more than just romantic love. He is talking about the love that we are all called to embody and let guide all of our actions.

Paul’s letter to the Corinthians also tells us that if we gain knowledge into the mysteries of the universe, and into the way our world works, but do not have love within us, then we are nothing. I can think of a number of examples of very powerful people who are extremely intelligent and possess a great deal of knowledge, but do not have love at the core of their being.

First, he talks about the way we speak, saying that if we use our voices to speak words of “mortals and of angels”, but do not have these words come from a place of love, then we are essentially just making noise. Think about that for a second: no matter what we say, no matter what our message is when we speak (or type, or text), if we don’t have love within us, then we’re just noisy creatures. That’s not to say that words that don’t come from love don’t have impact; we know that they do. Bullies and trolls say mean stuff all the time and it affects us deeply. Those who talk about love but don’t truly believe what they say end up sounding hollow and fall flat. But, if we really want to follow what God is calling us to do, our words need to come from a place of love. Sometimes that can mean having difficult conversations about important issues like racism, inequity, and climate change. You will still have disagreements, of that there is no doubt. Imagine, though, how hard it is to truly argue if you are coming from a place of love. It’s really hard to argue with someone who is confident in their ability to love unconditionally.

One embodiment of this is a content creator, author, and all around beautiful human being named Jeffrey Marsh (@thejeffreymarsh). Jeffrey is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns and constantly addresses nasty, hateful, and ignorant comments they get from people. They always do so with such love and grace, knowing full well that many of the people spouting anger and hate toward them are missing something in their own lives. Jeffrey chooses to combat fear, misunderstanding, and hate with pure love, and it’s one of the most beautiful things I’ve seen on the internet. Jeffrey is truly living the message of speaking powerful words from a place of love.

Another person who does this is Rain Dove (@raindovemodel). Rain uses all pronouns (he/ she/they) and has no specified gender identity – they choose to live in a fluid space without labels. Rain gets so much hate directed toward their account because they choose to reject the boxes into which we like to put human beings. But like Jeffrey, Rain reacts from a place of love, knowing well that so many of the people who approach them with hate are deeply hurt and struggling. On Rain’s Instagram feed, you can see countless examples of how they have turned a conversation about hate into one of support, love, and guidance. They truly are moved by the Holy Spirit in how they interact with people on this earth.

Both Jeffrey and Rain show us that the words we use matter, but also that the place they are coming from deeply matters. When we use words from a place of love, we can help people heal and come to a better place within themselves.

Paul’s letter to the Corinthians also tells us that if we gain knowledge into the mysteries of the universe, and into the way our world works, but do not have love within us, then we are nothing. I can think of a number of examples of very powerful people who are extremely intelligent and possess a great deal of knowledge, but do not have love at the core of their being. These people seem so soulless and one-dimensional compared to the wise and intelligent leaders who come from a place of love. Archbishop Tutu was a prime example of someone who had a lot of knowledge and wisdom and led from a place of pure love. Nelson Mandela is another example. In our own diocese, The Venerable Val Kerr, Archdeacon for Truth, Reconciliation, and Indigenous Ministry is someone who I can say from experience has not only deep wisdom and understanding, but also a sweeping and deep love for everyone.

Finally, Paul tells us that the way we give to our communities needs to be grounded in love. I received a lovely email from a parishioner this week suggesting some ways that our entire church family can engage in Lent in meaningful ways, including to give up single use plastics, and to purge our homes of all the excess “stuff” that we have. This parishioner was clear, though, that these kinds of acts should be mindful acts that reflect what we want to be as followers of Jesus, not just simple purging for the sake of self-improvement. This is so wise – anything we choose to do that “gives” to our community, whether it’s donations of food, clothing, money, time, or our talents, should come from the core value of love for one another and love of God.

I hope that we can take some time this week to think about how we use our words, our knowledge and wisdom, and the way we give. How often are these choices rooted in love? How often do we react out of other emotions, or out of a sense that we will feel better if we do/say a certain thing? We are human beings, after all, and none of what we do will be perfect—I say ridiculous and hurtful things all the time without thinking–but, we are also blessed with minds that can talk back to our choices. The first step in any kind of change is awareness. So my challenge to you for this week is just to notice how you speak and act and where those words and actions come from. From there, we can try and make some powerful changes toward being grounded and centred in love.

Collect

In you, O Lord our God,
we find our joy,
for through your law and your prophets
you formed a people in mercy and freedom,
in justice and righteousness.
Pour your Spirit on us today,
that we who are Christ’s body
may bear the good news of your ancient promises to all who seek you. Amen

Readings

Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10

Psalm 19

The heavens are telling the glory of God;
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
Day to day pours forth speech,
and night to night declares knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard;
yet their voice goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.
In the heavens he has set a tent for the sun,
which comes out like a bridegroom from his wedding canopy,
and like a strong man runs its course with joy. Its rising is from the end of the heavens,
and its circuit to the end of them;
and nothing is hidden from its heat. The law of the Lord is perfect,
reviving the soul;
the decrees of the Lord are sure,
making wise the simple;
the precepts of the Lord are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is clear,
enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is pure,
enduring for ever;
the ordinances of the Lord are true
and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold,
even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey,
and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover by them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward. But who can detect their errors?
Clear me from hidden faults.
Keep back your servant also from the insolent; do not let them have dominion over me.
Then I shall be blameless,
and innocent of great transgression.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you,
O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

1 Corinthians 12:12-31a

Luke 4:14-21

Right now we are in the midst of the season of Epiphany. An epiphany is among other things, “an illuminating discovery, realization, or disclosure” according to Merriam-Websters on-line dictionary. So during Epiphany we have readings around revelation, specifically the revelation of God seen through the person of Jesus Christ, but also the revelation of the nature and the work of God, revealed in a variety of ways.

Our Psalm this morning is a psalm of revelation. How God is revealed in nature and in the laws. “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows his handiwork”, the psalmist writes and who of us cannot say that we have not stood in awe, wonder and absolute delight at the incredible beauty seen in our skies. But seeing God revealed in nature is more than just being in awe or delighted by the beauty and wonder of God. God’s nature is revealed in nature. The psalmist writes, “Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge.” The sense of nature pouring forth speech and knowledge is about nature revealing God, we see God’s triune nature of Father, Son and Holy Spirit or Creator, Word, and Spirit, in the way that all nature works and weaves together. An apple tree does not grow without soil, rain, sunshine, bees and birds and animals eating its fruit and scattering the seeds to start new trees. All these disparate elements of nature form a cohesive whole in the growth and propagation of apple trees. So God the Designer, Builder and the One Who Brings to Life is Understood to be three distinct persons yet one God.

It is even in the lifecycle that we see constantly in motion around us, the cold of winter leading to the new growth of spring, the death of one tree giving nourishment, life, to other trees and plants. The death of one animal feeding, giving life to others. Creation and recreation, turning something that seems to be an end into a new life are all signs pointing to the nature of God. We see it too in our own lives, there are times when the death of one dream leads to the opportunity for a new one. We lose a job and see only hardship in front of us, but the end of that job opens the door to a new one we may not even have considered. We are never to see death, even our own as an end but rather a new beginning. That is the promise that gives us hope which is offered by Jesus.

The Psalmist then goes on to talk about how sustaining the law of God is, the psalmist is not talking about the structure which can be found in a system of laws and rules but rather the relationship with God which is revealed in the law. God’s love for us, God’s desire to be with us and God’s desire for us to lead happy and prosperous lives are revealed in the laws. We also see God’s desire for us to have happy and prosperous relationships with each other. The laws are about how we can live together in peace and harmony because we have gained wisdom about God and about relationships from studying the laws of God and because we see the love of God written in each line.

In Psalm 19 written by David we see the basis of David’s trust in God, built through seeing God revealed in nature and at work in nature and seeing God revealed in the laws handed down to us. That trust is what allowed David to keep his sheep safe, take on a seasoned warrior named Goliath and lead the people of Israel to become a united prosperous nation. It is a reminder to us to look at the world around us and see God not just in the beauty of a sunset but in the cycle of life and death, in the intricacies of the natural world and how every element relies on and feeds and is fed but every other element, the harmony we see which we should never take for granted. It is the same balance and beauty we should see in our relationships with family, friends and strangers and it is the same beauty we get a glimpse of in our triune God. Learn the commandments of God and see in them not a legal system but rather a sign of God’s love for us and a way for us to be in harmony with each other. God reveals Godself again and again to us if we but lift our heads and look around. Amen.

Collect

God, your voice moves over the waters.
Immerse us in your grace,
mark us with your images,
and raise us to live our baptismal vows
empowered by the Holy Spirit
and the example of Christ our Lord,
in whose name we pray. Amen.

Readings

Isaiah 43: 1-7

Psalm 29

Acts 8: 14-17

Luke 3: 15-17, 21-22

As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, ‘I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing-fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing-floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.’

Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’

…the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

I love this portion of this passage from Luke and I almost missed it when preparing for this reflection. I only read verses 15-17 which does not discuss Jesus’s actual baptism at all. Once I was shown that there was more to the reading I had totally different ideas to what I could write. So how often do we miss things when we read and how often do we make comments or have discussions with someone without being completely informed. How often do people use words or phrases from something they have read, out of context. We have seen where people have pulled one short sentence out of the Bible to prove their point and don’t look further to see that it really doesn’t mean what they are using it for. For those who have not read the Bible or not read it in a long time, this can put religion in a bad light or God as a mean being instead of loving. This can make people afraid of what God might do, if they sin instead of understanding that they will be forgiven.

So, what would I have missed if I had not been shown the correct verses to reflect on. Well, for one… God’s love. That is a big one!

‘With you I am well pleased’…. God is pleased; God loves his son. Jesus has not even begun his ministry that he was put on this earth to do, and God is pleased already. And if the voice came from heaven, all must have heard it, although Luke doesn’t actually say this. How often do we hear or feel God telling us he loves us? I certainly know he loves me because the Bible tells me so, but to truly feel and understand what that means can be more difficult. We must open ourselves up to receive it, just like the love of a friend or a family member. If you have not truly felt God’s love, then it may take time to get there. God won’t stop trying to get you to hear/feel it and will work with patience to knock down the walls that are built up within you. We must love ourselves first. AND if you look at this verse a bit closer, you may see what I just saw. God loves Jesus; Jesus is God in human form, therefore God loves himself? Hmm. To let God’s love in, (and others) loving ourselves is necessary, but he will love us even if we don’t love ourselves. God sees things others don’t, including ourselves. This small little passage from Luke is filled with an amazing 35 or so words. It not only talks about love, but it also shows the Trinity. Is it proof of the Trinity? All three are connected: The Holy Spirit descends upon Jesus in the form of a dove, God speaks allowed, both as Jesus is praying. I have never seen or thought about the Trinity before when reading this and I know I have read it a few times. So I missed something again, but caught it this time. What more can I see if I read the Bible from start to finish again.

As we go through life, we change because of different things we experience each and every day. We see things differently because of those experiences and therefore reading the Bible over and over again can give a new perspective on what it has to say. If we read the same version of the Bible (and yes there are a few), the words are the same but we can see something new in those words. The version we hear at church is the NRSV or the New Revised Standard Version, but like I said there are many others, so maybe find another version to see different wording which may help you to interpret things differently. Wouldn’t it be good to approach church a bit differently in the future? I know for me, sometimes I don’t always hear the readings because I may get distracted by my own thoughts, or maybe a noise within the church keeps me from hearing the reader. We may get more out of Sunday morning readings if we took a few minutes to read them before we went to church. It might even be interesting to think about what you would focus on if you were delivering the sermon. BUT if not, just open that Bible again and see what you can see that you have never seen before.

Collect

Bright Morning Star,
your light has come,
and the birth of Jesus
has overwhelmed us with joy.
Like the magi of long ago,
may we be drawn to you
and offer you such gifts as we are able. Amen.

Readings

Isaiah 60: 1-6

Psalm 72: 1-7, 10-14

Ephesians 3: 1-12

Matthew 2: 1-12

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, ‘Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.’ When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be
born. They told him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:

“And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who is to shepherd my people Israel.”

Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, ‘Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.’ When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure-chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

Let me tell you a Mystery!

The focus in Mathew’s gospel on the wise men from the East foreshadows the “mystery” of Christ’s birth, that is, as St. Paul clarifies in his letter to the Ephesians, that “the Gentiles should be fellow heirs . . . of his promise in Christ by the gospel,” meaning that God’s love includes everyone, “to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages hath been hidden in God who created all things by Jesus Christ.” The main theme of Paul’s letter concerns the “mystery”—notice that the word is repeated four times in this brief passage–and that there’s no mystery anymore. Paul refers to what was “in other ages not made known” but “is now revealed.” It was “hidden” only because mankind was too obtuse to see the truth. It takes humanity a while to figure out God’s truth; we’re rather slow. For the last two millennia, there should have been no mystery about God’s love for all humanity, for all creation, but looking at human history, especially the history of the church, the atrocities committed in the name of Jesus, the hatred between people of different races and religions, one wonders if the mystery is not still quite hidden. It’s a mystery to me how mankind keeps missing the truth; it is truly the peace that passes all understanding.

To see Christ in others: now therein lies a mystery. When joy and love manifest themselves in others, we easily recognize the spirit of Christ, the divine spark, for “where love is, God is.”

But I shouldn’t be surprised, for the gospel story itself presents the birth of Jesus in the midst of violence and intrigue, as King Herod seeks to kill the Christ child—the dark lord of the empire attacking the light of the world. Well into the third millennium, the dangers from sectarian violence, from terrorism, from the rise of fundamentalism in all religions, are increasing. As Western society becomes even more diverse and multi-cultural, the demands on entrenched social institutions and perspectives will require increased tolerance and patience, indeed, the peace and goodwill associated with Christ’s birth. It will require from Christians the ability to grasp and to live the mystery, to see that all people that on earth do dwell are all beloved children of the living God.

To see Christ in others: now therein lies a mystery. When joy and love manifest themselves in others, we easily recognize the spirit of Christ, the divine spark, for “where love is, God is.” That’s the easy part. Jesus challenges us because he identified himself with the marginalized in society, the sick and the suffering, the sinful and the lost: “as you do it to the least of these, you do it also to me” (Matthew 25). Mother Teresa spoke often of her faith in action, of seeing Christ in the face of the destitute and the dying. She challenges our tendency to categorize those in need, to divide people into the deserving and the undeserving poor. The task is to see Christ in those we might classify as “undeserving,” those we judge have created their situation, their misery. When Jesus fed the 5000, he didn’t administer a means test beforehand, he didn’t distinguish between the deserving and undeserving, but ministered to their common need. Our job is not to reason why, for each person is beloved of God; our task, as difficult and mysterious as it is to do, is to love unconditionally, to love extravagantly, to help them be all that they can be. That is the ideal Christ sets before us.
In all of these issues, the problem may be that within the Christian church, within the individual Christian soul, there actually may be no deep sense of mystery, no awe-inspiring experience of the infinite and the holy. There is no mystery about the meaning of Jesus, that God’s boundless love extends to all, but there may be no sense of mystery in our worship or in our daily lives. Kenneth Davis in his delightful, informative book, Don’t Know Much about the Bible, comments that “One of the reasons why religion seems irrelevant today is that many of us no longer have the sense that we are surrounded by the unseen.” Therein lies the mystery of Emmanuel. Like the wise men of old, we still search for epiphany, but we need not wander as far as they: “be still and know that I am God.” The mystery has been made known in Christ Jesus and our task is to seek continually the meaning of Christmas: God with us, God with us all, God within us, everyone, everywhere, always. The greatest Christmas present we receive is the gift of Epiphany, of God’s love for all of us. Let us accept that love ourselves and serve others that they too may know that love.

Collect

Gracious God,
you have redeemed us through Jesus Christ,
the first-born of all creation,
whose birth we celebrate as the child of Bethlehem.
Bless us with every spiritual blessing,
that we may live as your adopted children
and witness to your glory
with unending praise and thanksgiving. Amen.

Readings Jeremiah 31: 7-14

For thus says the Lord:
Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob,
and raise shouts for the chief of the nations; proclaim, give praise, and say,
‘Save, O Lord, your people,
the remnant of Israel.’
See, I am going to bring them from the land of the north,
and gather them from the farthest parts of the earth,
among them the blind and the lame,
those with child and those in labour, together;
a great company, they shall return here.
With weeping they shall come,
and with consolations I will lead them back,
I will let them walk by brooks of water,
in a straight path in which they shall not stumble;
for I have become a father to Israel,
and Ephraim is my firstborn.

Hear the word of the Lord, O nations,
and declare it in the coastlands far away;
say, ‘He who scattered Israel will gather him,
and will keep him as a shepherd a flock.’
For the Lord has ransomed Jacob,
and has redeemed him from hands too strong for him.
They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion,
and they shall be radiant over the goodness of the Lord,
over the grain, the wine, and the oil,
and over the young of the flock and the herd;
their life shall become like a watered garden,
and they shall never languish again.
Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old shall be merry.
I will turn their mourning into joy,
I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow.
I will give the priests their fill of fatness,
and my people shall be satisfied with my bounty,
says the Lord.

Psalm 147: 13-21

Ephesians 1: 3-14

John 1: 1-18

We are into a new year this coming week, and usually when we turn the page on a calendar or stay up until midnight wishing each other a Happy New Year, we are filled with hope and a sense of new beginnings: what are our goals and aspirations for the year ahead? Some of us make resolutions or plans for big changes that we often follow through for a short time before those plans fall by the wayside as life returns to its usual rhythm and we find ourselves in our usual patterns. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.

No matter how far we stray from what we consider home, normal, or the path we expected for ourselves, whether it be a New Year’s resolution, the shifting reality of our lives as we face new challenges related to the pandemic, or whether we are displaced physically from our homes or have to go about our lives in different ways, God tells us that God will bring us home and take care of us.

Often when we make goals or changes in our lives, we bite off more than we can chew. We make goals that are too lofty, too challenging to maintain, or aren’t realistic. This can cause us to give up on our plans entirely instead of adjusting our goals to make it easier for us to feel successful in any changes we are wanting to make. If you are interested, there’s a concept called a smart goal that’s helpful in goal-setting: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-Bound.

As I said above, though, whenever we try to make changes and shift the way we go about our daily lives, we often find ourselves shifting back into our regular patterns of being eventually. This is completely normal, and we all do it. We just need to be aware enough of the fact that our patterns have shifted and reassess our goals. And when that seems impossible, perhaps we can turn to God for guidance, support, and comfort.

In this week’s reading from Jeremiah, God is talking to the Israelites who have been banished into exile. The Israelites were questioning their relationship with God: the land that God had promised them was taken away from them and they didn’t know what to expect next. Instead of being a God of judgement that we often see in the Old Testament, here God is upheld as a comforter and a protector. God promises to rescue and care for his people.

No matter how far we stray from what we consider home, normal, or the path we expected for ourselves, whether it be a New Year’s resolution, the shifting reality of our lives as we face new challenges related to the pandemic, or whether we are displaced physically from our homes or have to go about our lives in different ways, God tells us that God will bring us home and take care of us.

Also, if you are among those who, like me, have no desire to set new goals and aspirations for the year and just find yourself wandering, trying to make sense of shifting realities day by day, I want you to know that you’re not alone. It’s ok to not be filled with hope right now. It’s ok to want the world to change around you without. God is with us no matter how we are feeling right now, and God will comfort and protect us in God’s own way and in God’s own time (no matter how frustrating it can be that God has God’s own sense of what “timely” means). God will gather us in from however far we wander, mentally, physically, and spiritually.

As you read this week’s reading from Jeremiah, pick out some words of comfort and ponder them for a bit. Maybe write them down on a piece of paper over and over again as a form of prayer. You could say them out loud to yourself as an affirmation. Or you could put them in the notes app on your phone as a reminder to yourself when times are difficult, that God is with you wherever you are and will bring you back to where you need to be.

Collect

From our mother’s womb you have known us, O God. You call us to follow you through all our days
and seek us even when we wander.
As we advance in years,
clothe us with your love,
that we may grow in grace and find favour in your sight;
through Jesus Christ. Amen.

Readings

1 Samuel 2: 18-20, 26

Psalm 148

Colossians 3: 12-17

Luke 2: 41-52

Now every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival. When the festival was ended and they started to return, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Assuming that he was in the group of travellers, they went a day’s journey. Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, ‘Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety.’ He said to them, ‘Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?’ But they did not understand what he said to them. Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart.

And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favour.

And so we have come to the end of our Advent journey—that time of watching and waiting–waiting for signs of God with us–a time to think about four themes

First: A theme of hope, Israel’s hope for the coming of a Messiah, of Emmanuel and our hope for renewed faith.

Second: A theme of peace, God’s peace, peace within us, a world of peace—being instruments of God’s peace in the world.

Third: A theme of joy, rejoicing in God’s care for us through the Holy Spirit sharing in God’s joy. Being joyful signs of the Kingdom of God.

Finally: The theme of love, that God is love in action, caring, creating, compassionate that our faith should be love in action.

May the light of faith help us to proclaim that God is with us, now and forever.

Hope, Peace, Love, and Joy

Today as we celebrate the birth of Jesus we proclaim that all four things Hope, peace, love and joy are fulfilled. We recall the Angel’s message to the shepherds: Behold I bring you good news of a Great Joy, a saviour, the Messiah is born in the city of Bethlehem, hope is fulfilled.

We proclaim Jesus as the Prince of Peace, the son of righteousness, the hope of all nations. We are to rejoice that the glory of the Lord has been revealed. We are to rejoice in new hope that God is with us. We are to rejoice and announce the good news of this great joy to all people.

It is important for us to recognize the symbol that rings through the whole of the Christmas season is light. A light has come into the world and that light shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot overcome it. In the collect for today we prayed that this day is radiant with the brilliance of God’s one true light that Jesus is that one true light.

Light shone all around the shepherds. The wise men followed a light in the sky—the brightest of all the stars So, may the light of faith illumine our hearts. May the light of faith shine in our words and deeds

May the light of faith help us to proclaim that God is with us, now and forever.

Collect

Shepherd of Israel,
you gently support the one who is with child
and call forth the Lamb who dances in the womb. Stir our hearts to recognize Christ’s coming,
as Elizabeth recognized his presence
in Mary’s radiant obedience to your desire,
and open our souls to receive the one
who came to love your flock. Amen.

Readings

Micah 5: 2-5a

Canticle—Luke 1: 46-55

Hebrews 10: 5-10

Luke 1: 39-45

In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and ex- claimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leapt for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.’

Our Gospel story started with Mary rushing off to Elizabeth’s house but I want to step back a bit to the verse directly before. This is the line I want to begin with from the angel Gabriel.
“For nothing will be impossible with God”
And Mary’s response is:
“Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.”

Up until now, I have missed this line from Mary and felt that she really didn’t get the chance to say yes or no to God’s call through the angel. I am not the best at hearing every word when I read or hear someone read to me. So, I didn’t realize or maybe I just didn’t remember that she had a choice. She could have said, Oh not me, I am not worthy or prepared to be this child’s mother. But she said yes.

And God prepared her, just like he prepares all of us to do what we are called to do. Also in the prior verse of Luke, Mary is told that her relative Elizabeth was also pregnant, which would have been a miracle too, because of Elizabeth’s age and previously being barren. Right after the angel appears to Mary, she goes to Elizabeth. I wonder if they were close relatives. Maybe Elizabeth was like that special Aunt that you could go to and tell your troubles and not get the same reaction you would get from your mother. Elizabeth was there to help Mary understand what was happening.

God chose two entirely different women to give birth to babies who would turn the world upside down. Mary, being very young and a virgin who gives birth to Jesus and Elizabeth an old, barren woman, who gives birth to John the Baptist. As I looked for help with doing this reflection I came across a commentary that spoke of this being a bit of a theme for God. He does seem to use the old and the young often to get his point across. On the young side, we have David, Samuel and Jeremiah and for the old, Abraham and Sarah and Moses.
Although Mary was very young she seemed to take this pregnancy in stride. She isn’t hiding her call from others. In fact, almost immediately she is saying a ‘Song of Praise’, somewhat like shouting what has happened from the rooftops. Amazing woman she was.

When I was first called by God to be Deacon, I was pretty quiet about it. I was in no way ready to spread it around town that I was called by God. I was unsure of what others would think, or what they would say and I was sure what I was in for was going to be difficult. I had been concerned about me and not what a Deacon is called to do and that is to focus attention to the poor, sick, lonely.

But Mary is different. She actually thanks God for this honour, “for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant”. She speaks about God’s strength in “bringing down the powerful from their thrones and lifting up the lowly”. Mary is not just thanking God for herself, she is speaking for all those who are poor. The voice of a social justice leader for sure. Each year we celebrate the birth of Jesus. Not like a birthday party for one of us, where we celebrate getting another year older, instead, each year we look back at that day so long ago when God so loved the world he brought to us a baby, who was the Messiah.

This week we light the candle of Love. How appropriate to light this one just before we celebrate the birth of Jesus, which comes from the love of God for each of us, whether we are rich or poor, young or old.

In the words of each of our candle lighting. Go about your days filled with hope, peace, joy and love. Have a blessed Christmas everyone and remember why we celebrate this day!

Collect

O God of the exiles and the lost,
you promise restoration and wholeness
through the power of Jesus christ.
Give us faith to live joyfully,
sustained by your promises
as we eagerly await the day when they will be fulfilled
for all the world to see,
through the coming of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Readings

Zephaniah 3: 14-20

Canticle—Isaiah 12: 2-6

Philippians 4: 4-7

Luke 3: 7-18

John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from 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 to Abraham. Even now the axe is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore 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 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.’

As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, ‘I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing-fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing-floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.’

So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.

Brood of Vipers?!

Upon first reading the lessons appointed for today, I was struck by the joyful language of the first three readings, all the positive nouns and verbs: sing, rejoice, exult, joy, gladness, gentleness, thanksgiving, peace. Truly wonderful, inspiring and uplifting! Now contrast that with the language of the gospel passage coming from the mouth of John the Baptist: ‘You brood of vipers,’ wrath to come, repentance, ax, cut down, throw into fire, Spirit of fire, burn in unquenchable fire. What do we make of that language? Who would be drawn to a man who used such harsh language? Such judgement? Well, apparently, the people around John were, they came to him to be baptised, to be cleansed of sins through ritual purification. The passage ends with this sentence: ‘So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.’ What good news? Those “exhortations” sound more like damnation than salvation.

Indeed, it is the God in whom we choose to believe that determines the rest of life for us. In our conception of the nature of God lies the kernel of the spiritual life.

Let’s back up and get some context: consider Luke’s developing themes—in the preceding chapter, we read the beautiful Magnificat, and before that the announcement to the shepherds of the birth of the Christ child’s, of peace and goodwill toward all. Luke’s good news is to the poor and marginalized, of the mighty brought down and the lowly lifted up. This theme is actually reflected in John’s directions to the people who asked what they should do, and it’s important to note that the questions come from the oppressors—tax-collectors and Roman soldiers. In answer, John tells them to share, not to be greedy, not to cheat, or extort, or lie—in short, stop oppressing the people. Soldiers and tax-collectors kept 99% of the populace of Judea, that is, the workers, very poor, at a subsistence level, by forcibly taking far more than they were supposed to for their own gain. So, John’s answers are consistent with Luke’s message. The people saw John as a potential Messiah because he was speaking truth to power.

Still, the language is pretty rough, as, I guess, John was too, a wild man from the wilderness. There are a lot of wild people around us today who would be attracted to a man like John and his exhortations, people on the Christian evangelical right, who are yelling and protesting, holding up signs with Biblical passages scrawled on them to support their particular opinion. Often their religious zeal is misdirected and they distort the Bible to bolster their angry views. Some send hate-filled text and emails to decent people working for positive outcomes in our world—for example, death threats against doctors and nurses advocating vaccination against Covid or protesting as parents take their children into a vaccination clinic. They aren’t researching context when they quote scripture. They prefer the wrathful tone of the Ten Commandments, Thou shalt not, over against the beauty of the Beatitudes, Blessed are. All four Gospel writers were at pains to distinguish between John and Jesus. John was not the Messiah, the expected fierce warrior who would liberate Israel from Roman occupation, but Jesus, who taught there was another way to defeat Rome, through love and care for one another. John was a brave man, a true prophet, speaking truth to power, denouncing the Romans and those Jews who collaborated with them to oppress his people. His courage and truth cost him his life.

What I’m reacting to here is the language of the scripture passages and the corresponding image of God they reveal. A person’s image of God affects behaviour. The Church through the ages bears some responsibility here. People are acting out what they were taught, that God is a God of judgement and exclusion; consequently, the church has excommunicated, withheld communion, threatened damnation to eternal hell, even for an unbaptised baby. All wrong and wrong-headed. Once Christianity became the official religion of Rome it aligned itself with empire and power, and the threat of hell and excommunication became the means of controlling the masses. Guilt and fear and shame don’t produce good people. Goodness produces goodness. In Genesis 1, God created and “behold it was very good.” There is nothing of original sin in the creation story; that’s something dreamed up centuries later, for which the church must now atone. Gratitude, thanksgiving, gentleness, joy, sharing, loving, helping others, especially those less fortunate: this is the good news, and it’s been there in scripture all along. Humanity is made in the image of God, so one’s image of God affects self-knowledge and behaviour. However, if God is Love, then we are made by and of and for Love. We are Love. That’s our true and essential nature and identity. We are not “a brood of vipers.” We are “become children of God.” (Jn. 1)

I conclude with Richard Rohr’s reflection on this topic:
In the long light of human history, then, it is not belief in God that sets us apart. It is the kind of God in which we choose to believe that in the end makes all the difference. Some believe in a God of wrath and become wrathful with others as a result. Some believe in a God who is indifferent to the world and, when they find themselves alone, as all of us do at some time or another, shrivel up and die inside from the indifference they feel in the world around them. Some believe in a God who makes traffic lights turn green and so become the children of magical coincidence . . . . Some believe in a God of laws and crumble in spirit and psyche when they themselves break them or else become even more stern in demanding from others standards they themselves cannot keep. They conceive of God as the manipulator of the universe, rather than its blessing-Maker. . . .

Indeed, it is the God in whom we choose to believe that determines the rest of life for us. In our conception of the nature of God lies the kernel of the spiritual life. Made in the image of God, we grow in the image of the God we make for ourselves. . . . If my God is life and hope, I will live my life in fullness overflowing forever.

Collect

Out of the embrace of mercy and righteousness,
you have brought forth joy and dignity for your people,
O Holy One of Israel.
Remember now your ancient promise:
make straight the paths that lead to you,
and smooth the rough ways,
that in our day
we might bring forth your compassion
for all humanity. Amen.

Readings

Baruch 5: 1-9

Canticle: Luke 1: 68-79

Philippians 1: 3-11

Luke 3: 1-6

‘In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, 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. Every valley shall be filled,
and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight,
and the rough ways made smooth;
and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.” ’

Vance Morgan is one of my favourite contemporary writers. He is a Professor of Theology and Philosophy at Providence College in Rhode Island and a member of the Episcopal Church. He often writes about questions and comments from his students. This Advent message was first released in 2019.

“Don’t Worry, Be Hopeful . . . and Get to Work” November 19, 2019 by Vance Morgan

In the liturgical cycle, we are headed towards a new year that begins with the season of Advent—the first season of the liturgical year. Advent is a season of hope and expectation, items that are in noticeably short supply these days. A reading from Isaiah for Advent says:

I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I am creating; for I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy, and its people as a delight. I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and delight in my people; no more shall the sound of weeping be heard in it, or the cry of distress.

I’m convinced that the most important application of texts such as these is not waiting for a future world that is better than this one, but taking responsibility for seeking and striving to create that world now.

Vance wrote: “that in the religious world of my youth, we understood such remarkable texts to be referring to a world to come, one that would be established after Jesus came back, the bad guys were defeated, and Jesus literally established heaven on earth. No wonder we were waiting expectantly for Jesus’ second coming. No wonder we sang songs like “this world is not my home, I’m just a-passin’ through; if heaven’s not my home, then Lord what will I do?”

But he continued on to say “I’m convinced that the most important application of texts such as these is not waiting for a future world that is better than this one, but taking responsibility for seeking and striving to create that world now.” In the gospels, Jesus regularly tells those listening, both then and now, that the kingdom of heaven is not simply a vision of the future. The kingdom of heaven is “within” and “among” us. The most important business of a person of faith is not just to parrot the line from the Lord’s Prayer asking that “thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” as if this is someone else’s task

What would such a reality look like?

Imagine a world in which all persons, from infancy to old age, have their basic needs met, a world in which no one suffers or dies from lack of basic necessities, sufficient food and shelter, or adequate health care.

Imagine a world in which adequate structures and systems are in place that will allow people to be self-sustaining and supporting. Imagine a world of sustainability and empowerment, a world in which the poor are not exploited by the rich, and the powerless are not exploited by the powerful.

There is no doubt that my current reading of texts from Isaiah has been influenced strongly by spending several classes with my students studying liberation theology. Liberation theology is energized, first and foremost, by the conviction that if the gospel has any meaning at all, it has meaning for this world now. I was taught that the gospel’s message of salvation was primarily, if not exclusively, about the state of my soul and what happens after I die. But if salvation is about liberating the oppressed, releasing the prisoners, and lifting up the downtrodden—which Jesus continually insists that it is—then given that we are surrounded by oppression, captivity, and disenfranchisement every day on every side, it is time to get to work. Isaiah’s prophetic vision may be of the future, but it is of a future that we are called to bring into the present.

Isaiah’s powerful texts remind me of a similarly beautiful passage. Isaiah 61 is one of my favourite texts from scripture; I read it when family and friends scattered my father’s ashes in a meadow at the base of the Grand Tetons in Wyoming almost two decades ago.

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound . To comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion. To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning. The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.

According to Luke’s gospel, this is the passage that Jesus read on a Sabbath day in the Nazareth synagogue shortly after spending forty days of temptation in the desert, ending his reading with “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” It was his official coming-out party, what some have identified as Jesus’ “mission statement.” He was almost killed on the spot for claiming to be the Messiah.

The stakes are high when we take the good news seriously. Seeking to create a better, more just world is always a threat to those most invested in resisting change. But if we are serious about following Jesus, we also have to be serious about our role in the divine economy. Incarnational faith means that human beings are the way that God gets into the world. If God’s kingdom is to be established, we don’t get to push it off to some future world to come. It’s time to get to work.