Third Sunday of Advent - A
The "journey" is a favorite image for spiritual growth. It fits the subject in so many ways. A journey has a definite starting point and a definite ending point. However, to be on the road -- especially for the first time -- is an adventure. For while you know where you are going, you don't know the sights along the way. To say that you are "on the journey" is particularly appropriate for a religious quest, because it is an admission that you have not yet "arrived." The quest, while definite, is ongoing. Christians believe that the quest is never finished in this life, and yet the goal is clear and definite, embodied in the life of Christ himself.
Perhaps it's time for the annual rant about the commercialization of Christmas, and the incredibly excessive busyness of the holiday. And if we are honest in our ranting, we will include our own complicity in the commercialization and the busyness.
There are certainly signs of the season out there. But our culture is not subtle. If we were to judge the holiday on the basis of the signs we see around us, we would decide that it has to do with the sacraments of buying and selling and consuming. We need to affirm that the Christmas tree lots and Santa Clauses in the departments stores, the decorations and the advertisements, and the vast sums of money that change hands are not the true signs of what is coming. They may do the economy some good, they may be fun, but as signs they...
There are certainly signs of the season out there. But our culture is not subtle. If we were to judge the holiday on the basis of the signs we see around us, we would decide that it has to do with the sacraments of buying and selling and consuming. We need to affirm that the Christmas tree lots and Santa Clauses in the departments stores, the decorations and the advertisements, and the vast sums of money that change hands are not the true signs of what is coming. They may do the economy some good, they may be fun, but as signs they...
In the midst of our Advent distinctions between vision and sight, this Sunday's pericopes seem to merge the two. The first lesson from Isaiah 35 splatters a vision of the kingdom of God all over the landscape, transforming flora and fauna, to say nothing of human welfare. The Gospel from Matthew 11 draws our attention to what was happening in the ministry of Jesus right before the very eyes of the people. Together the two lessons challenge us to consider the "already" nature of the kingdom as it dawned in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. At the same time, the Gospel raises the question about the difference between the good deeds of the world and those of the church.
We admire those who seem able to maintain their faith in the midst of the most impossible circumstances. And we even think well of ourselves after we have been tested, averring that it was good for our faith. We tend to forget the deep despair we felt at the time. And when we examine their stories more closely, we often find that even the greatest of saints admits to "dark nights of the soul" when God seems to have forgotten them.
Every pastor should have the opportunity of going to the Land of the Bible, and doing it early in life rather than when he or she retires. The scriptures come alive when you can see and experience the "stage" on which the action described there actually happened and the frame of reference for what is predicted to come in the future. That is especially true in dealing with the three lessons for this day. All of them have references to nature and geography which are crucial to their understanding. Things somewhat similar to them in "type" might be found in some localities, but nothing can duplicate what each of the writers alludes to in the message shared with those who read it!
It is natural to expect that people will always couch any talk about salvation in terms of their own current hopes and dreams. Therefore, salvation sometimes refers to deliverance from the wilderness; at another time, escape from bondage; at another, release from exile; and at yet another, deliverance from the power and bondage of sin.
The latter, of course, is the major emphasis of the New Testament and can be explored as follows:
Salvation from what? From bondage to sin, from slavery to passions, from subservience to those things which seem to promise life but in the long run rob life of its meaning.
Salvation to what? The New Testament looks ahead as well as backward when it considers salvation. New life, new conduct, new concerns, new...
The latter, of course, is the major emphasis of the New Testament and can be explored as follows:
Salvation from what? From bondage to sin, from slavery to passions, from subservience to those things which seem to promise life but in the long run rob life of its meaning.
Salvation to what? The New Testament looks ahead as well as backward when it considers salvation. New life, new conduct, new concerns, new...
David Kalas
When I was a boy, the father of my best friend accepted a job offer in another country. It
meant that my friend had to move away -- a long distance away -- and that our
opportunities to see each other would be few and far between.
I remember vividly the first day that he and his family were returning for a visit. I was so eager to see him! I was not content to sit in the house and wait for them to arrive. Instead, I started walking up the street. We lived on a cul-de-sac, so I knew from which direction they would have to be coming.
After a few minutes of walking, however, I came to an intersection. At this point, it was no longer certain in my mind whether they would be coming from the left or from the right, so I couldn't go any further. I just had to...
I remember vividly the first day that he and his family were returning for a visit. I was so eager to see him! I was not content to sit in the house and wait for them to arrive. Instead, I started walking up the street. We lived on a cul-de-sac, so I knew from which direction they would have to be coming.
After a few minutes of walking, however, I came to an intersection. At this point, it was no longer certain in my mind whether they would be coming from the left or from the right, so I couldn't go any further. I just had to...
Schuyler Rhodes
Perhaps it's time for the annual rant about the commercialization of Christmas, and the incredibly excessive busyness of the holiday. And if we are honest in our ranting, we will include our own complicity in the commercialization and the busyness.
There are certainly signs of the season out there. But our culture is not subtle. If we were to judge the holiday on the basis of the signs we see around us, we would decide that it has to do with the sacraments of buying and selling and consuming. We need to affirm that the Christmas tree lots and Santa Clauses in the departments stores, the decorations and the advertisements, and the vast sums of money that change hands are not the true signs of what is coming. They may do the economy some good, they may be fun, but as signs they...
There are certainly signs of the season out there. But our culture is not subtle. If we were to judge the holiday on the basis of the signs we see around us, we would decide that it has to do with the sacraments of buying and selling and consuming. We need to affirm that the Christmas tree lots and Santa Clauses in the departments stores, the decorations and the advertisements, and the vast sums of money that change hands are not the true signs of what is coming. They may do the economy some good, they may be fun, but as signs they...
Cathy Venkatesh
The third Sunday of Advent is traditionally one that emphasizes joy. Our readings invite us into the joy of new life with God and to examine our hearts to discover what may be keeping us from fully embracing that joy. Ultimately, in this season (as in all seasons) we are called to live into the hope of the resurrection.
Isaiah 35:1-10
Isaiah 35:1-10
Frank Ramirez
Advent in Cycle A means Isaiah, Romans, and Matthew. Isaiah is so rich and musical. His imagery is the source of so many hymns. This week’s passage uses the images of the world coming alive again to sing about the revival of God’s people, and the restoration of their true identity.
This is the only letter text not taken from Romans – and James reminds us to take on the identity of farmers and prophets and think like them, prepared to endure suffering, disappointment, and tribulation, so that we might not grumble like the people of Israel in the desert, but reap a great harvest.
In Matthew, Jesus calls upon the words of Isaiah to define his own identity in response to John the Baptist’s query from prison, then uses Malachi’s iconic words to define John’s identity to...
This is the only letter text not taken from Romans – and James reminds us to take on the identity of farmers and prophets and think like them, prepared to endure suffering, disappointment, and tribulation, so that we might not grumble like the people of Israel in the desert, but reap a great harvest.
In Matthew, Jesus calls upon the words of Isaiah to define his own identity in response to John the Baptist’s query from prison, then uses Malachi’s iconic words to define John’s identity to...
David Kalas
Much of the music that accompanies this season of the year emphasizes sights. Classic Christmas season songs like “Winter Wonderland,” “White Christmas,” “Silver Bells,” and “It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas” celebrate so many of the sights that traditionally accompany this time of year. And it is, to be sure, a feast for the eyes, with the snow, the lights, and so many decorations in houses, yards, streets, and stores. It is small wonder, therefore, that children are filled with excitement by this season.
When our children were little, we took great pleasure in driving through various neighborhoods after dark during the month of December. Our kids loved looking at the Christmas lights that people had put up on their houses and in their yards. And it seemed that...
When our children were little, we took great pleasure in driving through various neighborhoods after dark during the month of December. Our kids loved looking at the Christmas lights that people had put up on their houses and in their yards. And it seemed that...
David Coffin
Inevitably it happens to any adult or any church leader toward the end of the year, or the time their driver's license expires. Despite the well-intended efforts to try to settle it through the mail, we end up in a long line at the local Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) office. Typically there is a little box with numbers one is supposed to take so they may be identified when the clerk calls for that number's turn in line. The wait can be very tedious. The workers and customers are both tired and anxious with each unique personal vehicle issue. If one is unfortunate enough to live in an area where there are frequent power outages, then the DMV computers can shut down and Lord knows what is next! It could be a long wait for the bureaucratic red tape machines to reboot themselves, or one...
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