Posts Tagged ‘Christian Calendar’
Advent 2nd Sunday: Year C
December 8, 2012 | 
Author Advent 2nd Sunday: Year C [09DEC12] Theme for week 2—Preparation & Love
Readings: Song of Zechariah (Luke 1:68-79) ◊ Malachi 3:1-4 ◊ Phil. 1:3-11 ◊ Luke 3:1-6
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel : for he hath visited, and redeemed his people;
And hath raised up a mighty salvation for us : in the house of his servant David;
As he spoke by the mouth of his holy Prophets : which have been since the world began;
That we should be saved from our enemies : and from the hands of all that hate us;
To perform the mercy promised to our forefathers : and to remember his holy Covenant;
To perform the oath which he sware to our forefather Abraham : that he would give us;
That we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies : might serve him without fear;
In holiness and righteousness before him : all the days of our life.
And thou, Child, shalt be called the Prophet of the Highest : for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;
To give knowledge of salvation unto his people : for the remission of their sins,
Through the tender mercy of our God : whereby the day-spring from on high hath visited us;
To give light to them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death : and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
A Prayer:
Merciful God, who sent your prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation: Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins, that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our redeemer; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Our Themes for reflection for Advent Week Two:
Love and Preparation
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Tags: Advent, Advent 2012, Christian Calendar, Christian Living, Spirituality, The Liturgical Year | 
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Book Review: Ancient-Future Time
Book Review: Ancient-Future Time
Author: Robert Webber
Publisher: Baker Books ISBN: 978080101759
Ancient-Future Time: Forming Spirituality through the Christian Year
This is actually my second time reading this marvelous book. I think more than reading this work by Robert Webber, one lives through it. This has been my experience…a life-changing experience.
I think one of the greatest gifts to Christian spiritual formation is the Liturgical Calendar or Christian Year. This claim says a lot coming from a Protestant Evangelical. I can say without equivocation that this observation and living into the seasons of the Christ life have done more to grow deeply in my faith than any other discipline I have observed during the course of my spiritual journey to date.
I have a number of resources teaching about this particular discipline and practice. I appreciate Dr. Webber’s contribution among my favorites for several reasons. Reason One: He speaks from an Evangelical position. I like this not because of a particular disposition or doctrine, but because I am familiar with his language as he is my own. Our “family of origin” is similar. Reason Two: the book is written very clearly, concise, and linear. I did not have an innate sense of what the Christian calendar was all about, having never practiced living through the seasons. This book provided the framework and detail necessary to build out from; other books have been helpful in ways that added texture to the work Dr. Webber has provided here. Reason Three: The tables, charts, and recommended resources (additional reading suggestions), Bibliography, and Notes section have proved themselves invaluable in my continued learning on this great discipline.
I do not think I could provide better insight to the value of this book than the words of the author Robert Webber, who writes the following on page 22:
In the early ’70s I came upon an ancient discipline for ordering the Christian life. It is the spiritual discipline of living in the pattern of Jesus’ saving life throughout the year. This discipline is so filled with depth and so challenging to the spirit that I feel I have, after a number of years, only begun to scratch the surface of its potential. It has the power to call ethical behavior into conformity with the pattern left us by Jesus. It has the power to construct a view of reality that is thoroughly Christian. But more, it compels us to live, die, and be raised with Christ. Through the discipline of the Christian year, we can experience the power of Christ within the community of the church, through its worship and in our life twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
I think I noted that Robert Webber wrote those words thirty years after first practicing this ancient discipline—and he was only beginning to “scratch the surface of its potential” for Christ-like development. I would echo the same words, but feel embarrassed to put myself anywhere near the place of Dr. Webber. I have only been practicing this discipline in earnest for five years.
I cannot speak highly enough about this book or the others that have introduced me to this ancient practice. I would say that this should be one of the books that holds a prominent place on your library shelf.
Basking in the Light
[08JAN2012] Basking in the Light
♦ Psalm 29
♦ Readings – Genesis 1:1-5 ♦ Acts 19:1-7
♦ Gospel -Mark 1:4-11
Lord, I will sing of your power; every morning I will sing of your faithful love. Let us live as children of light, for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true. Amen.
Today has been a day for me to bask in His glorious presence and light, the light that is epiphany and revelation to me. This is the awareness and awakening that shook me to my core over a decade ago… a “shakening and awakening” like none other I experienced in all my life of knowing about Jesus. Knowing about him was nothing compared to knowing him. I am grateful beyond words and any human expression for the grace and mercy he showed to me when he revealed himself in light and in truth. Praise Him! My prayer today has been expressed in the joy of these words from the psalmist from Psalm 139:
For it was you who created my being, knit me together in my mother’s womb. I thank you for the wonder of my being, for the wonders of all your creation.
Already you knew my soul, my body held no secret from you… when I was being fashioned in secret and molded in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes see all my actions, they were all of them written in your book; every one of my days was decreed before one of them came into being.
To me, how mysterious your thoughts, the sum of them not to be numbered! If I count them, they are more than sand; to finish, I must be eternal, like you.
—as read from the Anabaptist Prayer Book: Take our Moments and our Days
Posted in A Deeper Walk, Daily Meds, Epiphany Meditation, Liturgical Year, Meditations, Prayer, Psalms, Worship | Tags: Christian Calendar, Epiphany, Jesus, Light of Christ, Liturgical Year, Prayer, Psalms, The Great Light, Worship | No Comments »
[24DEC2011] Advent – Week 4: Readings, Reflection, & Prayer
[24DEC2011] Advent – Week 4: Readings, Reflection, & Prayer
(The Daily Office—Year 2; The Book of Common Prayer)
♦ Psalm 45, 46 ♦ 89:1-29
♦ Readings – Isaiah 59:15-21 ♦ Phil. 2:5-11
♦ Gospel -Matthew 1:18-25
Today remember that the Lord is coming, for tomorrow you shall see his glory.
Lift up your heads! Look, your redemption is near. Tomorrow salvation will be yours says the Lord God of hosts. Tomorrow the iniquity of the earth will be blotted out. And the Savior of the world will rule over us. Delay not, Lord Jesus, but come quickly. And by your coming strengthen those who trust in your mercy. You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever.
These “Mysteries” of Christ are not merely called “Mysteries” because they are too deep for us to understand and are therefore proposed to us to be contemplated with silent and adoring faith. They are not just something you think about and look at. The term mysterium in Saint Paul has a dynamic sense. It is the fulfillment of a divine plan, springing forth from the eternal wisdom of God, producing its effect in time and, by virtue of this effect, elevating men from the level of time to that of eternity, from the human level to the divine. -Thomas Merton
The fulfillment of a divine plan…from the eternal wisdom of God; this is Christmas. The most amazing thing to me about this mystery that I cannot fully comprehend is the desire of God to be in holy union with humanity. That’s the way it all began with the creation of mankind. The Holy Triune Eternal of Days wanted to share the incredible joy that is Divine Communal Love, and so They made man. How ever many thousands of years that passed after Adam’s rebellion, the redemptive promise was realized in the birth of the Christ child, Jesus… Emmanuel; God with us. Thirty some odd years later the Christ child turned man would be put to death on a Roman cross and the redemption work of God would come to a climax when after three days the murdered Messiah would arise and emerge from the tomb that could not contain His Presence or Glory. In a short span of fifty days the mystery of divine union with Holy God would be experienced in a room of five hundred people and then witnessed by more than three thousand that same day. Mystery indeed…magnificent and marvelous!
Fast forward two thousand years and we stand on the eve of the day we celebrate the life of this mysterious Savior. Tonight while we attended the candlelight service at our church all I could think about was that the Savior we celebrate on this evening and tomorrow dwells in me…alive… in my heart. God lives in me. And, not just me, but if you are a believer who has received the gift of God’s Holy Spirit baptism, you too have God living in you. Marvelous, magnificent, mysterious God dwelling in man; divine union—Holy Communion. Amazing grace.
Christian humanism is not based on the presumption that our humanity is self-justifying. Rather Christians are humanists because God showed up in Mary’s belly. We are not an evolutionary accident. We are not bubbles on the foam that coats a stormy sea. We are God’s chosen people. We have been given good work to do in a time when many no longer think there is good work. What an extraordinary claim. What extraordinary good news. Praise God, and with gratitude enjoy the glory of his creation. Together, at this time called Advent let us wait in joyful expectation for the surprising coming of the Lord. -Stanley Hauerwas
As we prepared to worship in song and prayer tonight, I quieted my heart and stilled my mind surrender again to the Eternal Ancient of Days who is Lord over my life. I dedicated my attention, my conscious and subconscious self entirely to my God. I spoke silently; “O God, my Lord and my King, may your will be my will and may your desire be mine too. I pray my reflection would be yours, the life and legacy that is mine would be visibly Christ-like to all who see me. I desire to follow the Holy Guide, share the peace that comes from You, my Comforter, and become a blessing to others as You are to me.
The wonder of this mystery is that it isn’t only for a single night or day, but the reality of God’s gift is every day, all day, every minute…always with us and never entirely silent, until He comes again. Yep, this is Christmas. Emanuel. God is with us…with me. Amen.
A Prayer—
Oh, God-With-Us,
For so long you have promised
forgiveness, peace, salvation.
Now in my heart, I am filled with joy
because of your coming.
Thank you for your promises
and for the way I can trust in you.
I feel a new freedom in my life
and a courage I have not known before.
I know you came to save me and bring new life
and I am so grateful to you.
Let me show my thankfulness
with my life.
You have brought me through the darkness
and into the light of your saving grace.
Guide my feet on the way of peace.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!
Posted in Advent, Becoming the Word, Liturgical Year, Meditations, Spirituality, The Liturgical Year | Tags: Advent, Christian Calendar, Christmas, Jesus, Liturgical Year, Liturgy, Meditation | No Comments »
[23DEC2011] Advent – Week 4: Readings, Reflection, & Prayer
[23DEC2011] Advent – Week 4: Readings, Reflection, & Prayer
(The Daily Office—Year 2; The Book of Common Prayer)
♦ Psalm 93, 96 ♦ 148, 150
♦ Readings – Baruch 4:21-29 ♦ Gal. 3:23—4:7
♦ Gospel -Matthew 1:18-25
O Emmanuel, our King and Lawgiver, the Expected of nations and their Savior:
Come, and save us, O LORD our God.
2 Your throne, O LORD, has stood from time immemorial.
You yourself are from the everlasting past.
5 Your reign, O LORD, is holy
Forever and ever. -Psalm 93
It is almost Christmas. This has been a long Advent season; today is day twenty-seven of the twenty-eight days of this 2011 Advent, the longest the season can be.
Waiting. Waiting…
The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts; my heart trusts in him, and I have been helped; Therefore my heart dances for joy, and in my song will I praise him. -Psalm 28:8-9
I can only imagine what the experience of Simeon and Anna must have been. I have only been waiting a fraction of the time those two waited (Luke 2:25-40). They had been waiting their whole life; Simeon had been promised by God he would not die before seeing the promised Messiah child and Anna had lived most of her years (she was in her eighties) in the Temple praying, fasting, and waiting. Yes, they had been waiting their whole life for Jesus to come and they did see him come, but they only saw a portion of the fulfillment of prophecy—they saw the promised child, but not the fullness of the kingdom come. Still, they waited… and they were rewarded with the glimpse of the glory of God.
No man has the right to lead such a life of contemplation as to forget in his own ease the service due his neighbor; nor has any man a right to be so immersed in active life as to neglect the contemplation of God. -Augustine of Hippo
I think the thing that makes waiting so difficult for me is that I don’t want to have anything in the way to distract me from meditating always on the things of God-Jesus. If I’m not careful, life can get in the way… And, that is the delicate tension we live as we navigate the “Mary—Martha” world of being and doing. If we “do” too much without cultivating the waiting adoration and intimate fellowship with our Lord, we can “dry up” becoming hardened and jaded…even legalistic with our “doing.” On the other hand, living out our days with little or no other activity except contemplation runs the risk of not realizing the inner working transformation of our hearts and souls bearing external manifestations of fruitful glory for our God who has come into our hearts.
What does union with God mean? It is not a nice feeling we get in devout moments. That may or may not be a by-product of union—probably not. It can never be its substance. Union with God means every bit of our human nature transfigured in Christ, woven up into his creative life and activity, absorbed into his redeeming purpose, heart, soul, mind and strength. Each time it happens it means that one of God’s creatures has achieved its destiny. -Evelyn Underhill
Waiting and tension is hard and tiring at times, but the good of waiting is that it keeps us alert and looking forward to the Kingdom promise that is on the way! Like Simeon and Anna, we are given the grace and the glimpse of God with the inner witness of the Holy Spirit living in us as well as the opportunities to see His hand tangibly in the workings of creation and lives around us. No the kingdom has not come in full; we wait for it, but we surrender…patiently, and endure the tension of waiting until He comes again.
They will call him Emmanuel
Which means “God with us.”
You have touched me;
you are God-with-Me.
Thank you for these weeks of prayer.
In the spirit of the season
my waiting, my patience,
feels sacred.
Refine and purify my heart
with the hottest flame of your love.
Give me the courage of your prophets
and let me do what is right
even when others don’t understand.
Bless my heart with generosity
and make me ready to receive you.
Come, Lord Jesus! Come!
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!
[22DEC2011] Advent – Week 4: Readings, Reflection, & Prayer
[22DEC2011] Advent – Week 4: Readings, Reflection, & Prayer
(The Daily Office—Year 2; The Book of Common Prayer)
♦ Psalm 80 ♦ 146, 147
♦ Readings – Baruch 4:21-29 ♦ Gal. 3:15-22
♦ Gospel – Luke 1:67-80 or Matthew 1:1-17
O God, who, seeing the human race fallen into death,
willed to redeem it by the coming of your Only Begotten Son,
grant, we pray, that those who confess his Incarnation with humble fervor
may merit his company as their Redeemer.
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever .
With each hour the Christmas day celebration draws nearer, the more frantic and rushed the flow of society becomes. The feverish pitches of television commercials, email “last minute to order before Christmas” solicitations, postal sales circulars, and radio commercials stir our collective psyche like a mixing whisk beats an egg into a bubbly froth. The mob mentality takes over so many folks and the swarm begins. I just want to sit…and reflect…and adore…and worship. It’s not that I don’t value tradition and the memories that Christmas evokes, but it is so easy to get sucked into the current that pulls me away from the real object of Christmas, the Christ.
O King of the Gentiles and the Desired of all, you are the cornerstone that binds two into one. Come, and save poor humanity, whom you fashioned out of clay.
This has been a somber week. We have been caught up in the difficult journey of a young couple from our church over the past few months that climaxed this past couple weeks (you can read about their story here). The heartbreaking climax of the story has been the passing of an infant daughter. Additionally, I shared grief and sorrow with my own family as a very dear uncle passed into eternity earlier this week…and two days ago my wife’s grandmother lost her struggle with a lengthy illness. It has been a somber week indeed as we travel headlong into one of the most glorious celebrations on the Christian calendar. This juxtaposition of death and life has created some interesting intellectual feelings and stirred some odd emotions, difficult to describe the ebb and flow of the soul-feelings in the midst of these passings.
Take courage, my children, cry to God, and he will deliver you from the power and hand of the enemy. My children, endure with patience the wrath that has come upon you from God. Take courage, my children, and cry to God, for you will be remembered by the one who brought this upon you. For the one who brought these calamities upon you will bring you everlasting joy with your salvation. -Baruch 4:21-29
To Christ our Redeemer, who comes to save us from our sins, let us cry out with joy: Come, Lord Jesus!
Mysticism is for all, not just for a few special people. Based on our baptism, all are called to a mystical life, to communion with God. We need to claim that, to taste it, and feel it, to trust that the deeper we live this communion, the more our behavior will witness to the truth. For many, religion has to do with what we are allowed to do and not allowed to do. In the end, that does not bear fruit. The great challenge is to discover that we are truly invited to participate in the divine life of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. -Henri Nouwen
I am comforted by the promise and the knowledge that communion and union with God is for us today and the hope we look forward to for tomorrow. The days that spin wildly out of control and the days when friends and loved ones leave us sobbing with grief are the days that make my soul sing the loudest: Come, Lord Jesus!
Because of God’s tender mercy,
The morning light from
Heaven is about to break upon us,
To give light to those who sit in
Darkness and in the
Shadow of death,
And to guide us to the path
Of peace. -Luke 1:78-79
Posted in Advent, Bible Journey-Reading, Daily Meds, Dailyness..., Liturgical Year, Meditations, Shaping Me, The Liturgical Year | Tags: Advent, Christian Calendar, Christmas, Jesus, Liturgical Year, Liturgy, Meditation | No Comments »
[21DEC2011] Advent – Week 4: Readings, Reflection, & Prayer
[21DEC2011] Advent – Week 4: Readings, Reflection, & Prayer
(The Daily Office—Year 2; The Book of Common Prayer)
♦ Psalm 72 ♦ 111, 113
♦ Readings – 2 Samuel 7:1-17 ♦ Titus 2:11—3:8
♦ Luke 1:39-48a (48b-56)
For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds. -Titus 2:11-14
Psalm 111
1 Praise the Lord! I will thank the Lord with all my heart as I meet with his godly people.
2 How amazing are the deeds of the Lord! All who delight in him should ponder them.
3 Everything he does reveals his glory and majesty. His righteousness never fails.
4 He causes us to remember his wonderful works. How gracious and merciful is our Lord!
5 He gives food to those who fear him; he always remembers his covenant.
6 He has shown his great power to his people by giving them the lands of other nations.
7 All he does is just and good, and all his commandments are trustworthy.
8 They are forever true, to be obeyed faithfully and with integrity.
9 He has paid a full ransom for his people. He has guaranteed his covenant with them forever. What a holy, awe-inspiring name he has!
10 Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom. All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom.
Praise him forever!
It is truly an amazing thing God has done for us in providing redemption, reconciliation, and restoration through Jesus Christ. I despise the fact that sometimes I treat this knowledge and God-given awareness of this redemptive truth with a cavalier attitude. I don’t do it intentionally, but I do it nonetheless. I do it every time I forget the nearness of God. I do it every time I make choices with my own best interests at hand and fail to consult/converse with God about the issues I face in the daily processes of my life. And, I do it in a thousand other ways too. It is my heart and goal to practice the presence of God in every waking and sleeping hour that is humanly possible. Realizing this desire of mine is not stirred up by me, but by the Holy Spirit within me, prompts me to action. I want to remember the words and exhortation of Paul to Titus. I want to remember the encouraging words of David in one of his last Psalms written. I want my heart to be purified and transformed fully into the heart that beat in the chest of Jesus some 2000 years go. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
A Prayer—
Our help is in the Name of the Lord; the maker of heaven and earth. Come thou long expected Jesus! Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit; for you have redeemed me, O LORD, O God of Truth. Keep me, O LORD, as the apple of your eye; hide me under the shadow of your wings. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and shall ever be; world without end. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
“The whole point of what Jesus was up to was that he was doing close up, in the present, what he was promising long-term in the future. And what he was promising for that future and doing in the present was not saving souls for a disembodied eternity but rescuing people from the corruption and decay of the way the world presently is so they could enjoy, already in the present, that renewal of creation which is God’s ultimate purpose—and so they could thus become colleagues and partners in that large project.” -N. T. Wright
Posted in Advent, Becoming the Word, Daily Meds, Liturgical Year, Meditations, Psalms, Spiritual Practices, Spirituality, The Liturgical Year | Tags: Advent, Christian Calendar, Christmas, Jesus, Liturgical Year, Liturgy, Meditation | No Comments »
[20DEC2011] Advent – Week 4: Readings, Reflection, & Prayer
[20DEC2011] Advent – Week 4: Readings, Reflection, & Prayer
(The Daily Office—Year 2; The Book of Common Prayer)
♦ Psalm 66, 67 ♦ 116, 117
♦ Readings – 1 Samuel 2:1-10 ♦ Titus 2:1-10
Today’s reading from the Daily Office [Book of Common Prayer] continues our reflection on the surrender of Mary to the will of God: “may it be as you say to your servant.” As I’ve pondered the surrendered heart of Mary over the past few days I’ve thought about the incredible challenges that were presented to her and the extreme difficulty that she faced over the course of her days. We can only imagine what some of these difficulties were since our recorded account of her life is limited, but the details we are given and the culture in which she lived gives us a reasonable understanding of what her life might have been like.
Our pastor shared a message from the “other side of the Christmas story” last Sunday. In this message he reminded us of the “slaughter of the innocents” ordered by King Herod (Matthew 2:13-18). In addition to this event there are numerous others shared from Scripture that give us insight that the early life of Joseph, Mary, and Jesus was anything but easy… They lived in a village that was scorned by their kinsmen, they were ostracized by the scandal of Mary’s pregnancy, they were hunted by Herod, and they were poor laborers who lived in obscurity among their community. The point in mentioning these struggles and “darker side” of being close to Jesus is that we often play up only the water-to-wine, feasting, water-walking, dead-raising Jesus over the persecuted and hated Jesus. If you truly follow Jesus with a totally surrendered heart and mind, then on this side of eternity life will deal you both sides of being close to Jesus: the incomprehensible glory and indescribably darkest of nights. I think there’s more time and brainstorming that could be spent here, but I want to move on.
As I’ve been considering this for the last few days I’ve been observing the circumstances of life around me, looking at the timeline of life and drama that is occurring right now in the daily living of people who have surrendered their will to following the Christ who is their savior. While God the Holy Spirit is our Comforter and gives us Peace in the midst of our journey, sometimes the journey is exceedingly difficult. Jesus said this would be so; “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world” (John 16:33 NLT). Pursuing the Christ and His Cross requires grit, passion, singleness of heart, and faith in the big picture (Luke 14:25-35). There is nothing easy about being wholly committed to Jesus.
Similarly, there is nothing passive about surrendering or living wholly surrendered to the LORD, Jesus Christ. On the contrary… it requires more action, faith, will, tenacity, endurance, courage, and risk-taking than any venture or activity I have ever been part of. History and the experiences of many other countless millions of Christians will also testify to this reality. “The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.” Just as this was true with Mary, Jesus promised it would be true with us; “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth… You know him because he lives with you now and later will be in you. I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you” (John 14:15-18).
We are not alone and there is no such thing as a weak, wall-flower Christian. The ONE who opened His mouth and the universe came out…now lives in me. Weak? Passive? I think not. This is what surrendered to Christ is. As Mary said, “I am the servant of the Lord, may it be unto me as He says.” This is not only our surrender, but it is our battle cry. We know the trials of our faith will prove our genuineness (1 Peter 1:6-9) and lead us to the eternally rich life with Christ each follower so desperately desires.
Behold, I am the servant of the Most High God. May it be done to me according to your word and your will. Amen. – Let everything within you watch and wait, for the Lord our God draws near. Alleluia.
A Prayer in Psalm—
1 Shout joyful praises to God, all the earth!
2 Sing about the glory of his name! Tell the world how glorious he is.
3 Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! Your enemies cringe before your mighty power.
4 Everything on earth will worship you; they will sing your praises, shouting your name in glorious songs.”
5 Come and see what our God has done, what awesome miracles he performs for people!
6 He made a dry path through the Red Sea, and his people went across on foot. There we rejoiced in him.
7 For by his great power he rules forever. He watches every movement of the nations; let no rebel rise in defiance.
8 Let the whole world bless our God and loudly sing his praises.
9 Our lives are in his hands, and he keeps our feet from stumbling.
10 You have tested us, O God; you have purified us like silver.
11 You captured us in your net and laid the burden of slavery on our backs.
12 Then you put a leader over us. We went through fire and flood, but you brought us to a place of great abundance.
13 Now I come to your Temple with burnt offerings to fulfill the vows I made to you—
14 yes, the sacred vows that I made when I was in deep trouble.
15 That is why I am sacrificing burnt offerings to you—the best of my rams as a pleasing aroma, and a sacrifice of bulls and male goats.
16 Come and listen, all you who fear God, and I will tell you what he did for me.
17 For I cried out to him for help, praising him as I spoke.
18 If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.
19 But God did listen! He paid attention to my prayer.
20 Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer or withdraw his unfailing love from me.
Psalm 66 NLT
[19DEC2011] Advent – Week 4: Reflection-Something about Mary
[19DEC2011] Advent – Week 4: Reflection-Something about Mary
I mentioned yesterday that I was thinking about a passage of Scripture from the Gospel of Luke; it follows here:
Gospel – Luke 1:26-38
27 Gabriel said to her, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” 28 Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean… 30 “Don’t be afraid” the angel told her. 35 The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you…For nothing is impossible with God.” 38 Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” (Luke 1: 28-30, 35, 38)
The portions of the text that are bolded above are of particular interest to me as thoughts began to stir while I was reading them. It is interesting to me first, the description of the angel, Gabriel’s, appearance and message. He comes, greeting and praising Mary; “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” I wonder how this really went down; I mean, from the things I could find to learn about the angel Gabriel (particularly Jewish and Catholic literature) it would be an intimidating meeting. Gabriel is said to stand in the presence of God and is believed to be a messenger-warrior-avenging-protector angel, fearsome and imposing in stature I am sure. He comes to visit a young teenage girl. The Bible records this event as “greatly troubling” to Mary; other versions relate her response being “confused and disturbed.” I can only imagine or wonder how I would have reacted… something tells me I might be searching for a change of clothes.
In the midst of this supernatural meeting, an incredible proclamation is made to Mary declaring her as “favored by God.” Perhaps equally and maybe more important is the announcement Gabriel makes when he tells Mary, “The Lord is with you!” These two pieces of information would be important promises for the young girl as she soon finds out what God has planned for her. Following the details and Gabriel’s explanation to Mary that she would carry the Christ child, he tells her, “Don’t be afraid.” Gabriel continues to respond to Mary’s “confused and disturbed” state by telling her “The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.”
This story is incredible on so many levels. It seems I learn something new each time I read it, but this time I just started to consider what this encounter meant to me on a practical and daily living perspective. Yes, we’re talking about the birth of our Savior and I get that, but I think some of these points are meant for each of us too… not just applied to Mary and Gabriel’s exchange.
The Bible teaches us from cover to cover that each of us is favored by God. I think we overlook that nugget of truth sometime. Additionally, if we are “in Christ” …HE is in us and thus, the LORD is with us. Jesus said he would never leave us alone and the gift of the Holy Spirit living-indwelling the heart of believing followers ensures this is the case. The Lord is with us. How easy it is for this divine truth to escape us in our day-to-day business of living. We are so quickly caught up in the urgency of each day we forget how highly favored we are in the eyes of our God and fail to remember the very Guiding Presence of the Triune God is within our very soul …always there, always faithful, always with a word of wisdom when we need it. We are never alone and God is never entirely silent. Ever. Remembering these promises helps us in times of dire need or times of doubt to never be afraid. God is with us; He holds us in the palm of his hand and will never let us fail or be plucked from His grasp (Romans 8:38). We are favored, God is with us, and we have no reason to fear. Even knowing these things it is sometimes hard to hold the faith. In the midst of uncertainty and gazing into the face of my own insecurities and frailty, sometimes my faith wavers… not in God, but in me. This is why it is all the more important to commit this promise to memory: The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. That’s right; when I can’t, He can… and will. Not only does the Holy Spirit dwell within me and provide me with the comfort and guidance I need from day to day, but the power of the Holy Spirit will come upon me to assist in the needs I have when I need that strength. When I feel I have done all I can possibly do and I am close to failing… I stand firm and allow the power of the Most High to overshadow me.
What an incredibly affirming and encouraging word. Praise the Lord who Saves and provides us with the gift of Himself to dwell in us, guide us, comfort us, strengthen us, give us wisdom… Praise Him!
I think the last thing I glean from this encounter is the attitude of Mary… even in her state of “doubt, troubled heart, confusion, and being disturbed.” She loved and trusted God. She loved and trusted God to such a degree she wholeheartedly agreed to a plan that would lead her to possible stoning, rejection by friends and family, put her in harm’s way up to even facing death at multiple points in her life, disgrace, distress, and so much more that is not good. The cost to become the woman God desired and fulfill the plan God had for her would be high, but she said, “may it be as you say to your servant.” I believe it is the surrendered heart of Mary that paved the way for all the promises that God made to her through the words of Gabriel. I can only imagine and wonder what God has in store for those of us willing to fully submit and surrender our hearts to Him in the same way as Mary.
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[18DEC2011] 4th Sunday Advent: Love
[18DEC2011] 4th Sunday Advent: Love
We beseech thee, Almighty God, to purify our consciences by thy daily visitation, that when thy Son our Lord cometh he may find in us a mansion prepared for himself; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen
(The Lectionary —Year B; The Book of Common Prayer)
♦ Psalm 89:1-4, 19-26 ♦ or Canticle 3 or 15
♦ Readings – 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16 ♦ Romans 16:25-27
♦ Gospel – Luke 1:26-38
27 Gabriel said to her, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” 28 Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean… 30 “Don’t be afraid” the angel told her. 35 The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you…For nothing is impossible with God.” 38 Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” (Luke 1: 28-30, 35, 38)
Several things “pop” out to me in the passage of text above. First, the angel Gabriel assures Mary that she is favored and the Lord is with her. Oddly enough, Scripture says this “confused and disturbed” Mary; other versions say the encounter left her “greatly troubled.” I think the end result is the same in either case… meeting with an angel and hearing a direct message from God sorta freaked the teenage girl out. I don’t think we are different in how we respond to God’s word. I think hearing from God in almost any capacity kind of freaks us out. I have realized most people like to keep God at an arm’s distance. In the midst of Mary’s discomfort, and ours too, God’s ambassador says do not be afraid; “The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow all” And then, Mary takes this all in and proclaims; “I am the Lord’s Servant. May everything you have said about me come true.
More thoughts on this Luke passage later…
Wonder! God is come among humanity; he who cannot be contained is contained in a womb; the timeless enters time, and great mystery: his conception is without seed, his emptying past telling! So great is this mystery! For God empties himself, takes flesh and is fashioned as a creature, when the angel tells the pure Virgin of her conception: “Rejoice, you who are full of grace; the Lord who has great mercy is with you!” Stichera of Annunciation
A Prayer—
Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, establish and confirm us in your truth by your Holy Spirit. Reveal to us what we do not know; perfect in us what is lacking; strengthen us in what we know; and keep us faultless in your service; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. –Clement of Rome
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