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Showing posts from December, 2019

Luke 2.1-20

     In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.      In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am

End of the Line?

Well, this is it.  The proverbial end of the line.  Christmas Eve is here!  So we're done, right?  All that anticipating, expecting, reflecting is finished and now we're going to sit back and get ready for tomorrow's exchange of presents or dinner or whatever it is we normally do. Nope. This isn't the end of the line but is the beginning of a story, one we will reenact liturgically now through Easter.  Jesus is just about here.  Get ready!  The end is just the beginning.

Almost ...

Christmas is almost here.  Almost.  We're not there yet.  This is a liminal moment, a time when we can discern two realities, the one we inhabit and the one that God is going to reveal to us.  Tomorrow night we'll recount in story and song the birth of Jesus.  Today, we can imagine what it was like for Mary and Joseph to approach Bethlehem, to envision the end of their journey, to anticipate what the future had in store for them - and the baby in his mother's womb.  Almost.  But not yet.

Giddy

Well, this is it.  The fourth Sunday of Advent, when we will light all four of the Advent candles.  With these lights, we will anticipate the Light of the World, Jesus, who comes in grace and glory and love.  His arrival will be celebrated in just a couple of days.  What to do?  Well, we can still prepare, still pray, still reflect -- and, perhaps, start to get giddy ...

Ready? Ha!

My next door neighbor just asked me if I'm ready for Christmas.  I know her and like her enough that I honestly answered, "No!"  It's not so much that I'm a minister with various professional duties to discharge, but more like that old Monty Python skit in which the audience is told that no-one is ready for the Spanish Inquisition.  Not that I'm equating the nativity with ecclesiastical violence in any, way, shape or form.  It's more like the scale of the event is so great that despite knowing what's coming, if I'm honest, I'm not ready and in some way, will never be.  That doesn't meant that I'll give up getting ready.  The effort counts, especially during a season of preparation.  So, there are still a few days to Advent.  If you haven't taken the time to reflect, to anticipate, you still can, I still can.

Already?

Yesterday, I came home from work to find a piece of mail from what I refer to as the liturgical-industrial complex.  They were helpfully peddling resources for Lent.  Yes, Lent.  That Lent. The period of preparation leading up the Feast of the Resurrection.  In other words, Jesus has not yet born and we're already making plans for his memorial service.  I know there's a need for preparation and there are those who love nothing more than planning in advance.  That's not necessarily a bad thing.  But I want to be present in this Advent, in this time.  I want to anticipate the birth of the Messiah, God's entrance into this world.  And while it's already happened long ago, it's an event worth savoring and celebrating, reflecting upon and expecting.  The time for Lent will come.  But now, it's still Advent.  Be present in this moment God has made.

Perspective

As you may know, there's been a lot of news lately.  All I'm going to say in regard to that is, "this too shall pass." What's happened, even if it was a big deal, will in the grand scheme of things fade into the background.  None of it compares to the birth of Jesus, an event we will celebrate next week.  Think about what the arrival of the Christ child meant and means to the world.  Think of all that has changed, is changing, and will change.  While most of us will not change the course of history, we can look to emulate Jesus by being faithful to the Lord and serving his people.  Doing this requires that we trust God, hold true to the Gospel, and exercise a bit of perspective.

One Week

In one week, it will be Christmas.  It one week, the hope of the world will be born anew.  In one week, carols will be sung celebrating Jesus' birth.  Just one week to get ready.  How come your preparations?  Are you prepared to make room for the Holy Infant in your heart?  You still have time to reflect on what's needed to adjust to this reality. Fortunately, we still have some more Advent before us, more time to reflect, to anticipate, to make ready.  It's one week until Christmas - let's get ready!

Let It Snow

It's snowing! Again! Sure, we've seen snow already this season.  And it provided ground cover.  And then it warmed up and melted, setting us back to a blank slate.  Now, the white stuff is falling from the sky and the forecast is for some cold weather to linger.  We've been here before, no?  Still, there's some anticipation, some excitement that comes with snowfall early in the winter (or late fall for the seasonally-obsessed) - even though we know exactly what is going to happen. This sounds a bit like Advent, doesn't it?  We repeat this cycle of preparation, of waiting, of anticipation every year and if we let ourselves live into the moment, the familiar will seem fresh, the old hat will seem like a new thing. I hope your having a good Advent.  If you'd like more from this season, fear not - you still have a week until Christmas Eve.  It's coming, but not yet, not before some snow falls.

A New Week

It's another Monday and that means another week of work or school for most of us.  All of the same things: the meetings, the errands, the assignments.  But leavening the familiar will be a sense of anticipation.  This is the last full week of Advent.  We know the big day is just around the corner, perhaps tantalizingly distant, perhaps agonizingly near, but definitely within sight.  Let's use this last week of Advent wisely to pray, reflect, and get ready for Our God, Emmanuel. 

Joyful

Today is Gaudete Sunday.   You may know it as the morning on which we light the pink candle in church.   This is the day on which we are called to be joyful.   Joyful? Why?   We don’t focus so much on the fact that Advent is a penitential season.   Just like Lent, Advent is a time to repent, to return to God.   The early church leaders decided that a respite was needed, and so Gaudette came into being.   We can think of this as a sneak preview of what will happen on the 24 th , when we celebrate the birth of the baby Jesus.   Angels will sing from the heavens, humans and creatures of every kind will rejoice on earth – the universe will celebrate the arrival of the new-born king.   The world will receive – has received – the greatest of gifts.   Joyful? You bet. Get ready!

Trust

I've been poking through "The Ultimate Christmas Cracker" by the late John Julius Norwich.  Each year, he would collect quotes and other tidbits, collect them, and then share them with his kith and kin during the Yuletide.  A few compendia of crackers appeared over the years and this latest volume is something of a greatest hits collection spanning the years 1970 to 2019.  One of the gems he included was a quote from A Burnt-Out Case by Graham Greene: 'The priests would tell you to pray that God's will be done.' 'I'd want to know what his will was before I prayed anything like that' she said. There's something very twentieth century about these words, particularly the sardonic, knowing, presumptuous nature that claims a human right to know the plans of the Almighty.  Life doesn't work that way.  Still, the Christian tradition teaches that God has already disclosed his desires for you, me, and all creation and during t

13

Today is Friday the 13th.  Are you scared?  Worried?  At least a bit superstitious? I don't know if people actually pay much attention to the day but if they do, they're worrying about the wrong things.  Black cats and the such are just part of life, neither here nor there.  Questions about salvation and God's justice, though, are a wholly different matter.  They shouldn't be matters for a special day like Friday the 13th or even a season like Advent, but a concern for the Christian every day.  This season of Advent does give us an excuse to reflect on these things. So don't worry about walking under a ladder today.  Think about the God who is coming - who came - to us in the person of an infant.  Think about what God is doing in Jesus and give thanks.

Halfway

Today is the mid-point of Advent.  We're halfway to Christmas.  Theologically, this day is of no extra significance, but psychologically, it's big.  This is the moment when feelings of panic, of being hurried, of not getting the most our of Advent might begin to set in.  My piece of advice: take a deep breath. When the world seems to be going to pot, when everything seems messed up beyond belief, we are called to remember that it is God who reigns, it is God who chose to come to us in Jesus, it is God who has endowed us with the Holy Spirit.  Reflect on and give thanks for the goodness of the Lord - and remember, there's no schedule for saying thanks and praise to God and God's people, through whom he works.

Sunshine

It's bright and sunny as I write this.  Just a little while ago, the sky was leaden and the clouds seemed to have been here forever.  Now, all of that is forgotten.  But a look out my other window (my office is in a corner, so I have two different exposures) reveals that all is not clear.  You can imagine what's coming next: what do I focus on, sunshine or cloud cover?  Optimism or pessimism?  I'll let you decide.  That said, I will note the appropriateness of this kind of reflection during Advent.  This is a time to contemplate, to consider, to appreciate what we have and to thank God for our blessings.

Bats

Last night when I returned to church for a meeting, I found a surprise.  I'd entered via the back door, stepping inside into the dark, only to hear a hissing sound, as if air was escaping from a balloon.  When I turned on the light, I saw a little bat.  To be honest, I was caught of guard.  Yes, he was diminutive and furry, but he had teeth and looked very much like a startled creature of the night. Others arrived and we were able to put him outside.  I didn't know what would happen with him overnight.  Would he freeze? Be eaten by another animal?  My conscience was salved when I came i this morning and saw he had tucked himself under an eave.  At last check, he was still snoozing away. My bat moment reminded me of the Gospel's story about the thief who comes in the night, which is really about Jesus.  He won't just appear at an unexpected moment, but will shock us when he does, throwing us off balance.  Advent is a time to prepare for Jesus' arr

Slow Start

Why is it so hard to get going on some Monday mornings? I was up at 5:30, dropped the boy off at school by 7:10, on the elliptical machine at the gym by 7:30, and then ... not much.  Yes, the coffee I had was great and the news was worth reading and I thought about what I wanted to accomplish this week.  Still it is now after 11:00 and I am only now writing my reflection. All to often, time seems to fly by or slip away.  During Advent, we need to be extra mindful of this.  There are only so many days to this season and then it is over.  We need to fully engage with the message of Advent if we are to be ready for Christmas. So let's get crackin'.  Times awastin'.  Advent is here.  But not for as long as we may think ...

One Below

The thermometer on my car dashboard reflected an unwanted piece of news early this morning: it was one below zero.  Brrrrr.  Now, I live in New Hampshire, so this wasn't totally unexpected, especially as its December.  Still, it was sobering.  One below is cold, really cold.  But helping me to deal with this fact was that the reading was at the start of the day and warmer weather would appear later in the day.  I'm counting on it, even though I can't know it will happen. Advent is sort of like this.  We're cold and in the dark.  But we know something grand, something that will warm our hearts and brighten our world, what St John called the light shining in the darkness, whom we know as Jesus, is on his way.  You know it. I know it. Let's take heart and encouragement from this good news!

Remembrance

Yesterday we remembered St Nicholas, today it's Pearl Harbor Day.  I suspect readers of these reflections are fully aware of the import of this day and of the shock that Americans of that era felt.  The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was swift, bold, and devastating.  Reminders of the world that event ushered in are still with us in ways large and small.  But the miraculous thing to me is that after a bloody, prolonged war, two enemies found a way to reconcile themselves.  Not out of some misguided adherence to "peace" but out of a recognition that full out hatred just wasn't worth the effort.  My Dad was a great example.  He enlisted on Dec. 8, 1941 and left the army in 1946 as a captain.  He served through the entire war.  Yet a few years later, he was doing business in Japan.  Rather then let old animosities rooted in the past linger, he decided to focus on the opportunities that might be available in the future. As we move deeper into Advent I

Happy St Nicholas Day

That's right - it's today!  The day we remember St Nicholas of Myra, who gave toys to tots and hurt to heretics.  This may not comport with what you remember from Clement Moore's poem and its depiction of a jolly old elf.  But its true. So have your jollies remembering this figure from olden times.  Then set him aside and focus on the real reason for the season: Jesus.

First World Problems

Wifi down.  Slow internet speeds.  Amazon delivery delayed.  These are all first world problems, inconveniences, but not life-altering challenges like no food or shelter.  We focus on the former, letting ourselves get angry, but the latter are more issues or causes for most of us, things about which we sigh then move on to the next thing that catches our attention.  Maybe we need some perspective about what's important and what's not, what should really bother us and what we need to shrug off and let go. Advent is the time to make these adjustments.  A time of anticipation, waiting, and yes, preparation, of getting ready.  If we really want to welcome Jesus into our lives, we should reflect on what he cares about.  First world problems?  Not an issue.  Real world problems?  They're a different matter, one that Jesus calls us follow his lead and to resolve, for his sake and the sake of those he loves.

New Year's Already?

Perhaps you've been like me and rolled your eye at the manner in which Halloween, Thanksgiving, and, of course, Christmas are "celebrated" at ever earlier dates in our commercially driven culture.  This year, added to the list of rushed events, is New Year's.  That's right.  Before we're done with 2019, let's get into 2020.  This is so antithetical to Advent. In stead of jumping the gun, we sit.  In stead  of rushing forward, we wait.  In stead of looking to the next big day, we given thanks to God for this one.  New Year's will come.  Trust me.  For now, let's focus on THIS season.  Let us be in Advent.

Not Enough Time?

Did you ever feel there wasn't enough time to get things done?  That any extra day in the week or week in the month would be helpful?  That's where I am. I know it would be a futile development.  Make-work, Time-wasting activities would just add up to fill the additional hours. Advent is a time to reflect on this.  There's only so much time and we need to reflect on how we use it: will we actually focus on preparing for Jesus' arrival or fritter away the moments looking at cat memes on line?  Choices may not always be so stark, but they are real.  We only have so much time so why not use it wisely?  This is a lesson for all parts of life but I think it's especially apt for this time of year.  Because if we're not thinking about Jesus, we're not thinking about God, we're not thinking about what's important. And that's kind o the purpose of the season, isn't it?

Let It Snow

Sigh.  The first snow has come and gone.  Forecasts suggested "snowmageddon" but what transpired wasn't quite that bad.  A school delay, some shoveling, and we're off to the next "weather event." The funny thing about this snowfall was the run up, just as Advent was beginning.  Their was anticipation, excitement, concern - and all of this was almost palpable.  That's what Advent is supposed to be.  As we await the Baby Jesus, the desire for his arrival to come should be something concrete, something memorable. I hope your clean-up from this snow was manageable, even easy, and that your Advent is grace-filled and fulfilling!

Tempus Fugit

Everything, well almost everything, sounds better in Latin.  Okay, maybe not better. How about more serious.  Time flies? Tempus Fugit? You choose.  The bottom line is that Advent, like the year behind us will fly by and be gone before we know it.  We can resist this by paying attention.  By taking time to pray and to think and to be present in the moment that God has made.  It would be a shame for us to just let these holy days slip by, to see them as something to be endure before we get to the main event.  This is part of the main event.  So make the most of it. Happy Advent!