Prayers of the People: Hark, the Herod Agents Seek ~ Second Sunday after Christmas '21 Yr B

For Sunday, January 3, 2021, Readings: Jeremiah 31:7-14, Ps 84, Eph 1:3-6, 15-19a; Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23

         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. [Jeremiah 31:13]

       For the LORD God is both sun and shield; he will give grace and glory; no good thing will the LORD withhold from those who walk with integrity. O LORD of Hosts, happy are they who put their trust in you. [Ps 84:10-12]

       I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ...may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation...so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know...the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance...the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe.  [Ephesians 1:17-19a]

      [A]n angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” [Matthew 2:13]

       We are in an unusual space of time having a rare opportunity to experience and celebrate a second Sunday after Christmas. Normally we are taken over by the close-in-time celebration of the Epiphany, and in fact, our Gospel reading takes place after the Three Kings left for their own country by a different road.

       In a dream, Joseph is warned by an angel that Herod wants to destroy the child Jesus and so they flee to Egypt. Joseph had many dreams of Angels guiding him as did another Joseph long before.

       But let’s take a quick look at the message of Jeremiah. The prophet spoke of the complete hope that he trusted would come to pass, even though in his time the King and chief citizens of Judah had been carried off to Babylon in exile, while others escaped to Egypt. Yet God’s promise was fulfilled, the people survived the exile and returned with their identity as a nation still intact.

       The Psalmist’s message come to us from before the Exile, yet, is a perfect Christmas message of hope – in the midst of our own current exile from the usual “reality” in terms of this year of pandemic, political angst, and turmoil. Will we recover our identity? As the Psalmist says, Happy is everyone who trusts in you, O Lord. A wise person once said that faith is something we have in varying levels or perhaps none, whereas trust is something we choose to do, or not. While “happy” means a variety of things to different people, the Psalmist is, I believe, referring to the spiritual happiness of hope and trust in God. We can choose to trust, and even to work on our level of faith.

       Paul affirms the fulfillment of God’s promise when he says that we are to have great spiritual blessings, not only on earth but in heaven. These are the riches of [Jesus’] glorious inheritance… God is always working in and through the circumstances of our lives. If we allow and accept – or, trust – that God in Christ and the Spirit is always within, our whole perspective in life can be changed. We won’t see magic but we are inwardly strengthened and comforted when we are intentional, conscious, and regularly attending to our relationship to God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. We will continually seek and recognize those “coincidences,” “synchronicities,” or “little miracles” that suddenly appear. Another wise person once said, “There are no coincidences, only minor miracles in which God chooses to remain anonymous.”

      This piece of the Gospel of Matthew gives us a reminder of the historical significance of Egypt in the history of the Hebrew people. There were atrocities there before the Exodus and now Herod was plotting another. Yet amidst the pain and terror, just as the other earlier Joseph’s ability for interpretation of dreams provided a means of redemption for him, so too, did an angel in a dream provide the warning that saved this Joseph and his family, as well as allowing them to return from their own exile, intact, to settle in Nazareth.

      The history of the Hebrew people is long and interrelated, interconnected, and ultimately brings us to Christ, God’s Eternal Purpose, to this very day and well beyond us. Hope, Trust, and Faith are the hallmarks of our own life’s purpose and we are to pray, as Paul says, for our hearts to be enlightened that we may know what is the hope to which we are each called. Then we work to discover how to allow, accept, and live into our inheritance in Christ. Yet we are forewarned that we are to listen and heed the message of our better angels: Hark, the Herod Agents of our own time Seek to undermine our hope, and our trust, and our faith. Yet God’s promise will be fulfilled again and again and again, if we hope, and trust, and have faith.   

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ O God, our Sun and our Shield, guide us on the pilgrims’ way with the eyes of our hearts enlightened, and gather us all as does a shepherd, and defend us as Your flock.

O Lord of Grace and Glory

RESPONSE:             We put our trust in You                           

~ O God, our Sun and our Shield, grant us a spirit of wisdom to turn the hearts and minds of those who govern on this Earth, in this Nation, and in our Community. Incline them to integrity in leadership with compassion, justice, and especially the health and safety of all Your children. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

O Lord of Grace and Glory

                                    We put our trust in You

~ O God, our Sun and our Shield, reveal Your presence and Your consolations to all who are suffering in the desolate valleys of sickness, fear, and depression; and lighten the hearts of all who give them care.  We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

O Lord of Grace and Glory

                                    We put our trust in You

~ O God, our Sun and our Shield, turn our mourning into joy and our sorrow into gladness for all who now light up the high vault of heaven, rejoicing in life everlasting. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

O Lord of Grace and Glory

                                    We put our trust in You

~  O God, our Sun and our Shield, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials… add your own petitions

O Lord of Grace and Glory

                                    We put our trust in You          

~ O God, our Sun and our Shield, lavish special favor upon the wise women and men who lead us in Your Church, as they prayerfully bring us Your words, works, and the spiritual blessings in Christ on our journey toward Redemption. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

O Lord of Grace and Glory

                                    We put our trust in You

The Celebrant adds: Most Holy Christ, God’s Eternal Purpose, You call us to the optimism of hope as the riches of our faith inheritance. Quicken our desire to know and reflect the immeasurable greatness of Your Power and Presence, in every facet of this mortal life, in all that we are and all that we do. We ask through our Creator God, the Lord of Hosts; and the Holy Spirit, Counselor to our Souls, who together with You are One God, now and beyond forever. Amen.

 

All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution and edited for local use as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. For more information or comments, contact: Leeosophy@gmail.com

Prayers of the People: Beginning, Again and Still ~ First Sunday after Christmas '20 Year B

For Sunday, December 27 2020, Readings: Isaiah 61:10-62:3, Psalm 147, Galatians 3:23-25; 4-4-7; John 1:1-18

      For the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up...For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest... 

[Isaiah 61:11a; 62:1a]

    He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds...The LORD lifts up the lowly, but casts the wicked to the ground. [Psalm 147:3, 6]

       But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law...So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God. [Galatians 4:4, 7]

        In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God...What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it...The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 

[John 1:1-2, 3b-5, 17]

        The Gospel of John has marked differences from the other three Gospels which are known as the Synoptic Gospels because of their similarities to each other. John's emphasis might be thought of as more "theological" and contains material not in the other three and, in some cases, seemingly contradicting them. But the beauty, for me, of the mysterious opening, known as the Prologue, is something to linger with and ponder. Jesus, the Word, was with God, and the Word was God...The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. 

        The Word comes from the Greek, logos, and is usually defined as Jesus, in theological terms. [Theos comes from the Greek for God, theology is the study of God] Once we understand Who the Word is, then the Prologue [John 1:1] may be more easily comprehended in verse 14: the Word became flesh and lived among us. Jesus is the face of God, was with God from the beginning, and was sent to be among us to make God and God's will known to the world. 

        In the 4th century, St. Athanasius said of Jesus, He became what we are that he might make us what he is. Paul tells us in Galatians that Jesus is faith revealed by God. Those who followed Jesus in his time and who influenced others who came after, have all tried to instruct us in ways to be more like him, our Christ, the Messiah. This Child, just born, is God's promise, God's Word, with flesh, blood, and a beating heart, like us, and that I can grasp and almost understand. Yet the mystery of God endures, for if we do think we fully understand God, Jesus, and the Spirit ~ the Triune God, the Holy Trinity ~ then our god is too small. 

        As the Church year unfolds, we will enjoy the ageless story of the Epiphany and proceed  soon after to be led through the woes of Lent and into the Passion of Holy Week until the glorious Resurrection. In the meantime, let us savor this moment of Great Birth, and through all of the days to come let us also know that our Redeemer lives. If we relinquish ourselves to steadfast faith, however difficult in difficult times, and allow ourselves to be open and accepting, we will know Jesus as the Light in our hearts that darkness cannot overcome. We begin, again and still, to welcome Jesus, the Christ, our Savior and Redeemer, the Word of all Words, as we, too, are re-born, refreshed, and filled with joy. 

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ O God of All That Is, Seen and Unseen, into this fullness of time You have sent our Messiah, woman-borne, to redeem us as Your own children. Let us rejoice with our whole beings, as heirs of Your eternal Kingdom, justified by faith, and proclaiming Christ’s grace and truth.                                                   

                                                       Creator, Redeemer, Sanctifier

              RESPONSE:                  May our lives reflect Your Light and Glory

~ O God of All That Is, Seen and Unseen, with the Spirit of the Son that You have sent into our hearts, let us not keep silent. Grant us courage to speak without ceasing to lawful governments and to vengeful despots until righteousness, peace, and mercy prevail across our Earth, across our Country, and across our Communities, great and small. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Creator, Redeemer, Sanctifier

                                                       May our lives reflect Your Light and Glory

~ O God of All That Is, Seen and Unseen, refresh the bodies, hearts, and souls and give hope to all who suffer serious illness, despair, or fear, and to all who give love and support. We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                       Creator, Redeemer, Sanctifier

                                                       May our lives reflect Your Light and Glory    

~ O God of All That Is, Seen and Unseen, exchange the darkness of grief for joy and celebration, for all who have gone ahead now live again, complete in the brilliant light and radiant joy of Your eternal life. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                                       Creator, Redeemer, Sanctifier

                                                       May our lives reflect Your Light and Glory

~ O God of All That Is, Seen and Unseen, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials… add your own petitions

                                                       Creator, Redeemer, Sanctifier

                                                       May our lives reflect Your Light and Glory      

~ O God of All That Is, Seen and Unseen, we give You gracious thanksgiving for those entrusted to bring us Your Word and Sacraments. Fill us all with the unwavering faith to walk together as constant witnesses of Christ Jesus, our Saving Lord. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Creator, Redeemer, Sanctifier

                                                       May our lives reflect Your Light and Glory

The Celebrant adds: Holy Triune God: Lord, Word, and Spirit, we are created by You to be Your fertile soil in this world. Let us each by word and example, sow seeds of forgiveness, hope, and salvation, in grace upon grace, now and in the Life to come. We ask through Jesus, Your Word Made Flesh; the Holy Spirit, Your Sacred Breath; and our Omnipotent Creator, who together, reign as One God, now and forever.  Amen.

All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution and edited for local use as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. For more information or comments, contact: Leeosophy@gmail.com

Prayers of the People: True Light in the Darkness ~ Christmas Eve and Christmas Day '20 Yr B

Readings: For Christmas Eve, Thursday, December 24: Luke 2:1-14 (15-20), Isaiah 9:2-7, Titus 2:11-14, John 1:1-14 ~ For Christmas Day,  Friday, December 25 : Isaiah 52:7-10, Psalm 98, Hebrews 1:1-12, John 1:1-14

      The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness - on them light has shined. 

[Isaiah 9:2]

          

     And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying "Glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth peace among those whom he favors!"  [Luke 2:13-14]

      He is the reflection of God's glory and the exact imprint of God's very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. 

[Hebrews 1:3a]

    The grace of God appeared, bringing salvation to all, training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions... [Titus 2:11-12a]

   The True light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world...And the Word was made flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth. [John 1:9, 14]

For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit, he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.
[from The Nicene Creed, US Book of Common Prayer, p. 358] 

  

         The time is now, because of and in spite of these days of darkness, worry, fear, and anguish, to remember how to feel the Excitement, the Joy, the Wonder, the Thrill of Christmas again. Jesus Christ is born today! It’s time ~ re-awaken the Spirit within, remember the Reason it begins, open to a new spiritual start, a fresh opportunity. It's time ~ NOW, to push into the unknown, painfully, frighteningly, but with great anticipation to experience our own birth, again, into a New Creation in Christ.

      We each carry the fertile seed, the Divine Spark within us ~ Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Jew, Atheist, Agnostic, Oblivious, Naughty, or Nice. We each choose how the Spark drives us ~ we tend, nurture, anticipate or ignore, abuse, or perhaps deny that innermost part of ourselves. But now, what was is gone. As with infants, we move into new light, new sound, uncertainty, anxiety, and every day is a new beginning. Even if we have tried before, distraction, disinterest, life circumstances may have stopped our momentum. Yet we, too, are called as part of the Good Tidings of Great Joy that is Christ the Lord! We are the Reason he was born to us. Let the Joy and Peace of now begin with me and let me, with you, carry Christ forward into this Day, into our everyday lives, into all the Earth. The True Light in the Darkness has come!

      It's time! Hallelujah!

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ O Holy Jesus, God’s True Light, You come at last, filled with grace and truth. Let our joy be unbounded for the arrival of our Glorious Child, One in Being with God and the Holy Spirit, who redeems and claims us for the work of Heaven on Earth.

    Glory to God in the Highest Heaven!                                   

RESPONSE:     Grant Peace on Earth to All                

~ O Holy Jesus, God’s True Light, grant us energy and courage to give continuous voice to Your truth in all places of political, elected, and authoritarian power throughout this World, this Nation, and this Community. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                   Glory to God in the Highest Heaven!

                                                   Grant Peace on Earth to All  

     

~ O Holy Jesus, God’s True Light, we ask You who were homeless as you entered this world, to enfold all who are homeless, hungry, sick, and downhearted, that they may feel Your loving embrace on this Day of Days and always. We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                   Glory to God in the Highest Heaven!

                                                   Grant Peace on Earth to All  

     

~ O Holy Jesus, God’s True Light, lift up our hearts in the joy and the hope of the Love that never ends, as we remember and celebrate all who have left the woes of this earthly plain to live forever, deep in the heart of God. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                                   Glory to God in the Highest Heaven!

                                                   Grant Peace on Earth to All      

~ O Holy Jesus, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials… add your own petitions

                                                   Glory to God in the Highest Heaven!

                                                   Grant Peace on Earth to All       

               

~ O Holy Jesus, God’s True Light, continue to excite the hearts of all who lead us in Your Church, with imagination and inspiration. Guide all our hearts to rebirth in a Spirit-filled life in Your service. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                   Glory to God in the Highest Heaven!

                                                   Grant Peace on Earth to All       

The Celebrant adds: Most High Lord Jesus, the Word, the Imprint, the Incarnate Grace of God sent to live among us, we sing to You a new song of rejoicing. Let each breath we take draw You into ourselves, that we may give out Your glory and praise in all that we are, and all that we do. Guide us, guard us, goad us to live into Your divine will. We ask through You, Prince of Peace; and through the Holy Spirit, our Compass; who together with our Mighty Creator from the beginning, live and reign as one God, now and forever. Amen. 

All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution and edited for local use as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. For more information or comments, contact: Leeosophy@gmail.com

Prayers of the People: Be Not Afraid ~ 4th Sunday of Advent '20 Yr B

For Sunday, December 13, 2020, Readings: 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16; Canticle 15/Song of Mary - Luke 1:46-55, Romans 16:25-27, Luke 1:26-38

     Nathan said to the king, "Go, do all that you have in mind; for the Lord is with you. [2 Samuel 7:3]

          My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior; for he has looked with favor upon his lowly servant. [Canticle 15, Song of Mary/Luke 1:46-48]

    ...the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery...now disclosed, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever! [Romans 16:25b-26]

      The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And...you will bear a son, and you will name him Jesus...For nothing will be impossible with God." Then Mary said, "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word." [Luke 1:26-38]

       As we continue to wait on this 4^th Sunday of Advent, the excitement and anticipation build, but do we stop and remember why we are waiting? Or are we just in the midst of the excitement and sparkle of the lights and music and holiday planning? Are we more filled with anxious questions such as: do we have that thing, or the other thing, and the third thing? Is the wrapping done, do we have all the food? Especially in this year of Pandemic, are we extra-stressed and worried about having or going to gatherings or about those who will be alone on Christmas, some perhaps for the first time in their long lives? 

      And what about those who are suffering physically, emotionally, economically because of this terrible disease and other life-issues?

       Let us take a breath, and stop for more than just one moment this week, to re-evaluate what our coming Christ-Mass is all about. 

      First, to say Jesus is the Reason for the Season sounds casually trite, and it isn't altogether true in a non-Christian context. In the 4th century, the newly Christianized Emperor Constantine, appropriated the Winter Solstice festivals of the sun and other deities from pagan religious traditions ~ the Celts and Egyptians among others ~ for the wholly Christian commemoration of Christ's birth. Perhaps he assumed that if they're going to party anyway, he would mandate a different reason. After all, none of the birth narratives in the Bible tell us a date or even a season when Christ was born. December 25th became the official date for the celebration everywhere in the Church under Pope Julius I, not long after   Constantine's decree. [By the way, the December Winter Solstice only applies in the northern hemisphere.] But after well over 2 millennia, the whole world is accustomed to "Christmas" on December 25th, though I suspect there are still quite a few Christians that celebrate the Winter Solstice, too. [December 21]

     Second, today we light the candle of Love on the Advent Wreath as we light again the candles of Hope, Peace, and Joy. This last Sunday of Advent is also a moment, rare in Episcopal/Protestant theology, to celebrate the crucial role of Mary in our Salvation ~ not merely as the Theotokos, God-Bearer ~ but even more so because she "...found favor with God." [Luke 1:30a] She was chosen because this favor acknowledged her devotion, because she heard God's word and believed, because she was faith-filled and faithful. God’s call to her was to bear and deliver to us the fulfillment of God's ultimate Promise, Jesus, whom Paul says, is the revelation of the mystery...now disclosed. 

     The Love of God was to become human flesh through pre-natal development and physical birth through a mother who would willingly accept her vocation and have some understanding of its meaning. The Angel Gabriel brought Mary the message of God’s call, as she, young and certainly fearful of such an apparition and request, still was able to ask How can this be? Mary would have known the story of her Hebrew people and likely some of the prophecies of Ezekiel, Jeremiah, and Isaiah. She would have had a quick rush of emotion recognizing the importance and the trials of a mother of a great leader of faith for God’s people. She could have humbly refused. God offers a call yet never forces us to obey. Mary, even more humbly, accepted.

     Third, we can discover what Christmas and Christ really mean to our everyday lives when we spend some time with ourselves. Dig deep and listen, examine the promises we have made in moments of true devotion and in times of crisis, the promises kept and the ones we meant to keep in the moment they were made. How do we allow Mary's example of Let it be with me according to your word to manifest in our lives? It is time to begin again to find the Christ within us and let his light shine through us; to believe again, or for the first time, the angel's words, For nothing will be impossible with God. 

       In just this one week, we journey from the Annunciation to the birth of our Christ, the Son who forever outshines the sun. Do not be afraid to stop, listen, think, and pray in hope, peace, joy, love, and faith. 

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

 Leader:  ~ God Almighty, Great and Merciful, purify our souls and grant us the humility to live according to Your Word and Will. Awaken our hearts to be eager in child-like anticipation for the coming celebration of this Holy Infant, our Hope and our Redeemer. 

                                                O Lord Most High                                        

RESPONSE:             Fill us with Mary’s Wonder, Hope, and Trust        

~ God Almighty, Great and Merciful, keep us vigilant, consistent, and insistent as we advocate constantly for the causes of compassion, peace, and cooperation among all who govern in our World, in our Nation, and in our Villages, Towns, and Cities. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                O Lord Most High

                                                Fill us with Mary’s Wonder, Hope, and Trust

~ God Almighty, Great and Merciful, comfort and heal those who suffer with devastating illness, serious depression, or any life-limiting circumstance, and give respite to all who give love and support.  We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                O Lord Most High

                                                Fill us with Mary’s Wonder, Hope, and Trust      

~ God Almighty, Great and Merciful, release us all from fresh and remembered grief as our loved ones arise to boundless joy in everlasting life with You. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                                O Lord Most High

                                                Fill us with Mary’s Wonder, Hope, and Trust

~ God Almighty, Great and Merciful, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials… add your own petitions

                                                O Lord Most High

                                                Fill us with Mary’s Wonder, Hope, and Trust           

~ God Almighty, Great and Merciful, grant continuing renewal and energy to all who have answered Your call in the model of Mary, and have inspired us by their example in faithfulness, worship, and pastoral care. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                O Lord Most High

                                                Fill us with Mary’s Wonder, Hope, and Trust

The Celebrant adds: O God of Love and Glory, detach us from earth-bound noise to listen deeply and experience the true Birth of Christ within and through us. Infuse us with the obedience of faith that will guide us and sustain us as we follow the path of our Messiah. We ask through the imminence of the Incarnate Christ, and the Wisdom of the Holy Spirit, who together with You are One God, our Strength and our Salvation, forever and ever. Amen.

All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution and edited for local use as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. For more information or comments, contact: Leeosophy@gmail.com

Prayers of the People: Come Into the Joy ~ 2nd Sunday of Advent '20 Yr B

For Sunday, December 13, 2020, Readings: Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11; Psalm 126, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24, John 1:6-8, 19-28

      The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the Lord  has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners... [Isaiah 61:1]

      When the  Lord  restored the fortunes of Zion, then we were like those who dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy...Those who sowed with tears will reap with songs of joy.  [Psalm 126: 1-2, 6]

     Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances...May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. [1 Thessalonians 5:16-18a, 23]

   There was a man sent from God whose name was John...[John] said, "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way of the Lord,'" as the prophet Isaiah said. [John 1:6, 23]

          Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us... [Book of Common Prayer, Collect for the Third Sunday of Advent, US version, page 212]

         On this Third Sunday of Advent, we light the rose-colored candle to symbolize the joy and anticipation of Christ's birth which is just in sight. In the Anglican/Episcopal Church it has an informal title of "Stir Up Sunday" because the opening Collect [a prayer that collects or gathers the themes of the day or service] begins with the phrase: Stir up your power, O Lord... And there are some local customs that accompany the day in various places. 

      The message of this day and week is "Gaudete," [gow-day-tay] from the Latin for rejoice and it gives us a slight respite from some of the more penitential aspects of this sacred Season.

      For children, of course, it is the dazzle and glitter and haze of lights and sparkle, gifts from Santa and his magic reindeer, or Father Christmas, who "make the season bright." The music and decorations often bring smiles for those of us fortunate to have memories of ourselves or our own children with wide eyes on Christmas morning. Though, I have to say, that an air-filled Grinch dressed as Santa on a neighbor's lawn doesn't quite call to my mind the "reason for the season" however well the original story ends.

      For us as adults, this week is also a sobering moment to consider all those who are suffering in the world, near to and far from us, with the dreadful fires, the still terrible conditions in the places ravaged by recent hurricanes and earthquakes, those engulfed by war and terrorism, or who live in abject poverty, among many more hardships.

      And then, there’s COVID-19 and its attending miseries including fear, isolation, and impending infection and/or death for so many. Yet now is the time to experience the true joy of Christ's coming. “Celebration,” in a culture of excess, is understandably muted in dire times and so it is an opportunity to look beyond the artificial trappings, fun and exciting as they are.

      The Baptizer's voice is back with us and John is a reminder that we must Make straight the way of the Lord, and, that it’s a two-way endeavor. As we level the path, removing the obstacles for Christ’s coming to us, we are also to sweep out the cobwebs of our hearts, minds, and souls to prepare ourselves to venture back on the Way. As Christ comes to us, so must we go to Christ. 

       There is One who is coming, the One who, as John told us last week, will baptize us with the Holy Spirit. Let us be hopeful, eager, and joyous for that coming. Even as our usual celebrations are not as before, let us not abandon God's call to be faithful, giving thanks in all circumstances, as God is faithful to us in the everlasting covenant. Let us, indeed, pray without ceasing, for others and for ourselves, in thanksgiving, in petition, in intercession, in penitence, in adoration, and especially in oblation, the offering of ourselves for God's purpose and service.

       The Psalmist tells us that when God restored the fortunes of those who returned from the long exile, they were like "those who dream." In the hope of Christ everlasting, the dream is always within if we choose to know and accept it. 

       Isaiah gives us a hopeful image when he writes, For as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations. Plant your spiritual garden with care and intention. Nurture, weed, and feed it with prayer, with hope, and with peace. Even when we sow with tears, in Christ we will reap an abundance of everlasting Joy.

      Now is the time to return from the exile of temporary shimmer and twinkle to glow and shine in the never-diminishing Divine Light. Come into the Joy!

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

 Leader:  ~ O Lord of Greatness and Mercy, stir up our hearts with rejoicing in the sweet anticipation of the One who is coming. Release us from the captivity of sin; cause us to pray without ceasing, hold fast to what is good in Your sight, and magnify Your glory in our souls.

                                                        O God of Peace

                           RESPONSE:      Sanctify us in spirit, soul, and body

 

~ O Lord of Greatness and Mercy, keep us ever mindful of the struggles of Your people and Your Creation. Strengthen us to speak constantly to Earth-bound Leaders, globally and locally, that we all must persist in pursuing justice, mercy, peace, health, and abstaining from evil. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                        O God of Peace

                                                        Sanctify us in spirit, soul, and body

~ O Lord of Greatness and Mercy, grant relief to all who suffer with life-threatening disease, unemployment, and hopelessness; and lift the hearts of all who give support. We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                       O God of Peace

                                                       Sanctify us in spirit, soul, and body

           

~ O Lord of Greatness and Mercy, comfort those whose tears of sorrow reap fruits of joy for all who now live again, restored to everlasting life in Christ. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

 

                                                       O God of Peace

                                                       Sanctify us in spirit, soul, and body

~ O Lord of Greatness and Mercy, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials… add your own petitions

                                                       O God of Peace

                                                       Sanctify us in spirit, soul, and body 

                    

~ O Lord of Greatness and Mercy, encourage and energize our messengers of Christ's Good News, those dedicated and anointed as faithful witnesses of Your Word and Sacraments. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       O God of Peace

                                                       Sanctify us in spirit, soul, and body

The Celebrant adds: Our Savior Christ, who was and is and ever shall be, open us to allow John’s wilderness-voice to permeate our consciousness, through the noise and haze of dazzle and glitter, to joyfully prepare our lives and make straight the way for Your glorious return. We ask through the Unquenchable Holy Spirit, and our Eternal Creator, who together with You reign as one God, now and forever.  Amen.

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