Good Morning Church
I hope this message finds you all well and healthy. After the thanksgiving break we find ourselves back at the business of Church and spreading the Gospel! This season finds us working on just what exactly this Advent will lead us to. In other words, we have been trying t answer the question of "what will Christmas look like at All Angels this year?" There have been many ideas floated and through our Moses Commission and we think we have an idea of how best to acknowledge the Nativity while remaining safe and healthy. We are working to plan liturgies that will provide the sacrament as well as prayerfully acknowledge the gifts of our youth. To this end we will be presenting Evensong on Christmas Eve. This prayer service will feature our youth through musical offerings and prayer. Be sure to stay tuned to learn how to view this presentation and when we work out all of the kinks, we will let you know. There will also be an offering of Holy Eucharist on Christmas Eve with an opportunity to receive the sacrament just as we have been doing on Sundays. This will take place at 3:30 pm on Facebook Live on Christmas Eve. We are moving the service down from our traditional 4 pm time to make sure people who aren't comfortable driving at night can still participate. We will also post educational offerings via our YouTube page. Stay tuned for more details as Father Steve and I continue to develop these offerings. Please say a prayer of thanksgiving for those who are working to provide a meaningful and safe Christmas at All Angels.
This year’s Advent and the readings presents to us a story that we are used to during this season. But even though we hear this every Advent, it feels strange.
Where is Mary, where is Joseph? Where is the Manger? Where are the angelic visitations? I do promise that we will get to them in all good time. But, in the Gospel of Mark these stories are not the point. The Gospel of Mark, as you may remember, is a Gospel that moves in a very quick manner. There is no time in the Gospel of Mark for poetic flourishes or for wildly descriptive narratives. The Gospel of Mark is brief and lean.
So, it is no surprise that our Gospel reading from Mark assigned for today jumps straight into Jesus’ ministry, and this ministry is declared with a quote from Isaiah.
This prophecy from Isaiah is familiar.
“See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way;
the voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight,’”
Then the Gospel of Mark speaks of the fulfillment of the prophecy a prophecy that is fulfilled by the arrival of John the Baptizer.
The Gospel then briefly describes his ministry and his clothing options and his diet. The writer tells us of John’s amazing attendance record for services. Then John announces the arrival of someone stronger- Someone that John the Baptist is not worthy to untie the strap of his sandal. John then speaks of baptizing with water which is a reference to Jewish ritual cleaning and a reference to the ways of the past. Then John continues by prophesying the coming of Emmanuel who will come and baptize with the Holy Spirit.This proclamation is short and sweet. The prophecy is concise and to the point. However curt and concise the Gospel is there is much we can glean. I think one of the most interesting things about this passage is the humility that John the Baptist displays.
Is this humility something you think about when you think about John the Baptist? I don’t know about you, but, I think about a gaunt preacher, the cousin of Jesus. I think of the man who made “brood of vipers” one of the most famous insults in the New Testament. I think of John as a fire and brimstone preacher.
But, there is something more about John the Baptizer. One of the things we always remember is the clothing that he wore. He wore camel skin and a leather belt. This seemingly trivial thing is not insignificant. Since a description of his clothing is found in every description of John the Baptist we can assume that it is important and we would be correct to assume that his clothing choices were important. This description of apparel was also the description of another prophet of God.
From the 1st book of Kings in the Old Testament-
“He had a garment of hair and had a leather belt around his waist." The king said, "That was Elijah the Tishbite."
Elijah who was the titan of prophets from the New Testament. The same prophet in which Jesus was mistaken. The same prophet who raised a child from the dead. This is the same prophet that preached repentance from worshiping the false God Baal and called for Israel to repent and turn towards the Lord. Elijah was the prophet who heard God in the silence and ascended to Heaven in a whirlwind. Elijah was the first one who prepared the way. This comparison points to John the Baptist as the new Elijah.
John is the one who prepares the way. John is not the Messiah, but a prophet who preaches God and the intentional preparation that all are called to. John calls through the ages for the preparation for the reception of God. God among us.
And like all prophets, or most of the prophets, John does this in humility. John calls all of the people to repent, to intentionally turn towards God. John calls for all to confess and acknowledge the reality of our lives. John, who was and is a voice in the wilderness of this world, still calls us to prepare for something new and beautiful.
In his humility, John said that he is preparing the way for someone who he was not worthy to untie the thongs of their sandal, which was the job of a slave in Ancient culture. John himself acknowledged that he was not worthy to be the slave of the one who is coming. John baptizes with water, the washing away of impurities, something that would have resonated with Jews, as ritual washing was required to entire the temple. This prepares us for something new. John is preparing us for a Baptism with the Holy Spirit. This was a Baptism more significant than a change in one’s cleanliness. The Baptism John prepared us for is a change in the soul. John is preparing them and us for a change in reality; a change in how one exists. John is preparing us to be sanctified by the Holy Spirit and made anew and reborn in the Spirit. In other words, the world will change for those who receive and acknowledge the Baptism of the Holy Spirit which is the small voice of God who changes us all for the better and the giving of this gift is something that John acknowledges that he cannot do.
John and the Gospels tell us only Jesus can do that. That is what John is waiting for. We wait, in humility, during Advent for the coming of Jesus as well.
We wait, in humility, for Christ and we prepare the way in our hearts. We turn to Christ and we acknowledge the gift of Baptism through the Holy Spirit.
We know that the coming of God incarnate, Emmanuel, happened 2000 some years ago- some can look at this season of Advent that no matter who we are or what religion we are --as a time of preparation for the holiday, matter how different, that will occur on December 25. But this is not the preparation that John and Isaiah speak of. We are called to prepare the way for the Lord and since he has come and risen and will come again. Today we are called to prepare the way for him our lives again and again.
John the Baptist reminds that we are to turn toward the coming of Christ. And as John reminds us, it is a turning that requires we acknowledge where we are. It calls us to acknowledge the time that we live in.
In the season of Advent, you might notice the event we are leading into has already happened. Which leads us to the question that states “How do we prepare for the past- Usually we think of the past as being the past. This seems obvious, but how do you prepare for the past? Simply stated, you cannot prepare for the past. In other words, you cannot prepare for events that have already happened.
While this may be true, it is also true that you can reorient yourself to the past, while looking towards the future. Jesus’ advent into the world as well as Jesus’ arrival into the world, the ministry of Jesus, Jesus death, and Jesus rising again were events that continue to give us all the gift of life. This is a gift that has no expiration date. The gift is the truth, and it is the past. This gift is also the present and the future.
If the incarnation, Emmanuel, is the only reason we observe Advent, it would be nothing more than a tribute or a grand anniversary party. This is why Advent is not only a preparation and expectation for the coming celebration of our Lord's nativity after all the past is the prologue to the future. This means we also prepare for a future that will see the final coming of Christ "in power and glory." This is the preparation that asks us to acknowledge what has happened in the past while preparing for the future. This preparation is an acknowledgment of the gift that God gave us all, while looking for the completion of the gift, which is Christ coming with power and great glory.
You see this world has already received the gift, but life calls us to disparate places. These places can be places of darkness as well as the light. We are called by God through the words of Isaiah and John the Baptist to reorient ourselves to a reality that calls us to acknowledge that gift during the times we are given. We are called to respond and say thank you by actively living a life that acknowledges the Compassion and love of God. This is an acknowledgement that comes not out of fear but out of gratitude and love.
T
his is the preparation for the coming of the Christ in power and great glory. We are to act like Jesus changed the world in the past and, just as importantly, acting in Hope, Love Courage and Faith to declare that Christ will come again. We are called to boldly proclaim the Gospel in which tells us that Christ was born, Christ Died, and Christ will come again. John calls us to act like it.
From Paul-
And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight to help you to determine what is best, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.
God Bless you all and prayers for a hopeful Advent,
Fr. Clay+
I hope this message finds you all well and healthy. After the thanksgiving break we find ourselves back at the business of Church and spreading the Gospel! This season finds us working on just what exactly this Advent will lead us to. In other words, we have been trying t answer the question of "what will Christmas look like at All Angels this year?" There have been many ideas floated and through our Moses Commission and we think we have an idea of how best to acknowledge the Nativity while remaining safe and healthy. We are working to plan liturgies that will provide the sacrament as well as prayerfully acknowledge the gifts of our youth. To this end we will be presenting Evensong on Christmas Eve. This prayer service will feature our youth through musical offerings and prayer. Be sure to stay tuned to learn how to view this presentation and when we work out all of the kinks, we will let you know. There will also be an offering of Holy Eucharist on Christmas Eve with an opportunity to receive the sacrament just as we have been doing on Sundays. This will take place at 3:30 pm on Facebook Live on Christmas Eve. We are moving the service down from our traditional 4 pm time to make sure people who aren't comfortable driving at night can still participate. We will also post educational offerings via our YouTube page. Stay tuned for more details as Father Steve and I continue to develop these offerings. Please say a prayer of thanksgiving for those who are working to provide a meaningful and safe Christmas at All Angels.
This year’s Advent and the readings presents to us a story that we are used to during this season. But even though we hear this every Advent, it feels strange.
Where is Mary, where is Joseph? Where is the Manger? Where are the angelic visitations? I do promise that we will get to them in all good time. But, in the Gospel of Mark these stories are not the point. The Gospel of Mark, as you may remember, is a Gospel that moves in a very quick manner. There is no time in the Gospel of Mark for poetic flourishes or for wildly descriptive narratives. The Gospel of Mark is brief and lean.
So, it is no surprise that our Gospel reading from Mark assigned for today jumps straight into Jesus’ ministry, and this ministry is declared with a quote from Isaiah.
This prophecy from Isaiah is familiar.
“See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way;
the voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight,’”
Then the Gospel of Mark speaks of the fulfillment of the prophecy a prophecy that is fulfilled by the arrival of John the Baptizer.
The Gospel then briefly describes his ministry and his clothing options and his diet. The writer tells us of John’s amazing attendance record for services. Then John announces the arrival of someone stronger- Someone that John the Baptist is not worthy to untie the strap of his sandal. John then speaks of baptizing with water which is a reference to Jewish ritual cleaning and a reference to the ways of the past. Then John continues by prophesying the coming of Emmanuel who will come and baptize with the Holy Spirit.This proclamation is short and sweet. The prophecy is concise and to the point. However curt and concise the Gospel is there is much we can glean. I think one of the most interesting things about this passage is the humility that John the Baptist displays.
Is this humility something you think about when you think about John the Baptist? I don’t know about you, but, I think about a gaunt preacher, the cousin of Jesus. I think of the man who made “brood of vipers” one of the most famous insults in the New Testament. I think of John as a fire and brimstone preacher.
But, there is something more about John the Baptizer. One of the things we always remember is the clothing that he wore. He wore camel skin and a leather belt. This seemingly trivial thing is not insignificant. Since a description of his clothing is found in every description of John the Baptist we can assume that it is important and we would be correct to assume that his clothing choices were important. This description of apparel was also the description of another prophet of God.
From the 1st book of Kings in the Old Testament-
“He had a garment of hair and had a leather belt around his waist." The king said, "That was Elijah the Tishbite."
Elijah who was the titan of prophets from the New Testament. The same prophet in which Jesus was mistaken. The same prophet who raised a child from the dead. This is the same prophet that preached repentance from worshiping the false God Baal and called for Israel to repent and turn towards the Lord. Elijah was the prophet who heard God in the silence and ascended to Heaven in a whirlwind. Elijah was the first one who prepared the way. This comparison points to John the Baptist as the new Elijah.
John is the one who prepares the way. John is not the Messiah, but a prophet who preaches God and the intentional preparation that all are called to. John calls through the ages for the preparation for the reception of God. God among us.
And like all prophets, or most of the prophets, John does this in humility. John calls all of the people to repent, to intentionally turn towards God. John calls for all to confess and acknowledge the reality of our lives. John, who was and is a voice in the wilderness of this world, still calls us to prepare for something new and beautiful.
In his humility, John said that he is preparing the way for someone who he was not worthy to untie the thongs of their sandal, which was the job of a slave in Ancient culture. John himself acknowledged that he was not worthy to be the slave of the one who is coming. John baptizes with water, the washing away of impurities, something that would have resonated with Jews, as ritual washing was required to entire the temple. This prepares us for something new. John is preparing us for a Baptism with the Holy Spirit. This was a Baptism more significant than a change in one’s cleanliness. The Baptism John prepared us for is a change in the soul. John is preparing them and us for a change in reality; a change in how one exists. John is preparing us to be sanctified by the Holy Spirit and made anew and reborn in the Spirit. In other words, the world will change for those who receive and acknowledge the Baptism of the Holy Spirit which is the small voice of God who changes us all for the better and the giving of this gift is something that John acknowledges that he cannot do.
John and the Gospels tell us only Jesus can do that. That is what John is waiting for. We wait, in humility, during Advent for the coming of Jesus as well.
We wait, in humility, for Christ and we prepare the way in our hearts. We turn to Christ and we acknowledge the gift of Baptism through the Holy Spirit.
We know that the coming of God incarnate, Emmanuel, happened 2000 some years ago- some can look at this season of Advent that no matter who we are or what religion we are --as a time of preparation for the holiday, matter how different, that will occur on December 25. But this is not the preparation that John and Isaiah speak of. We are called to prepare the way for the Lord and since he has come and risen and will come again. Today we are called to prepare the way for him our lives again and again.
John the Baptist reminds that we are to turn toward the coming of Christ. And as John reminds us, it is a turning that requires we acknowledge where we are. It calls us to acknowledge the time that we live in.
In the season of Advent, you might notice the event we are leading into has already happened. Which leads us to the question that states “How do we prepare for the past- Usually we think of the past as being the past. This seems obvious, but how do you prepare for the past? Simply stated, you cannot prepare for the past. In other words, you cannot prepare for events that have already happened.
While this may be true, it is also true that you can reorient yourself to the past, while looking towards the future. Jesus’ advent into the world as well as Jesus’ arrival into the world, the ministry of Jesus, Jesus death, and Jesus rising again were events that continue to give us all the gift of life. This is a gift that has no expiration date. The gift is the truth, and it is the past. This gift is also the present and the future.
If the incarnation, Emmanuel, is the only reason we observe Advent, it would be nothing more than a tribute or a grand anniversary party. This is why Advent is not only a preparation and expectation for the coming celebration of our Lord's nativity after all the past is the prologue to the future. This means we also prepare for a future that will see the final coming of Christ "in power and glory." This is the preparation that asks us to acknowledge what has happened in the past while preparing for the future. This preparation is an acknowledgment of the gift that God gave us all, while looking for the completion of the gift, which is Christ coming with power and great glory.
You see this world has already received the gift, but life calls us to disparate places. These places can be places of darkness as well as the light. We are called by God through the words of Isaiah and John the Baptist to reorient ourselves to a reality that calls us to acknowledge that gift during the times we are given. We are called to respond and say thank you by actively living a life that acknowledges the Compassion and love of God. This is an acknowledgement that comes not out of fear but out of gratitude and love.
T
his is the preparation for the coming of the Christ in power and great glory. We are to act like Jesus changed the world in the past and, just as importantly, acting in Hope, Love Courage and Faith to declare that Christ will come again. We are called to boldly proclaim the Gospel in which tells us that Christ was born, Christ Died, and Christ will come again. John calls us to act like it.
From Paul-
And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight to help you to determine what is best, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.
God Bless you all and prayers for a hopeful Advent,
Fr. Clay+