One for sorrow but two for joy

‘…Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people..’ (Luke 2:10)

Isaiah 62:6-12

Psalm 97

Titus 3:4-7

Luke 2:1-20

 New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. http://nrsvbibles.org

Year C: Christmas Day, 25 December 2021

Surprised by joy: this is a saying that aptly fits the experience of millions of children this morning. I have clear memories of that both when I was a child and when my own children were of a certain age. A messy, cold living room at 4a.m. in the morning with wrapping, batteries and instruction sheets scattered in all directions even if Santa hadn’t consumed that glass of milk or taken away this carrot for Rudolf!

Surprised by Joy is also the title of a book written by Ulster Irishman, Clive Lewis Staples. He may have taken the expression from a poem by William Wordworth when the poet forgot about the death of his daughter at least for a moment:

Surprised by joy — impatient as the Wind

I turned to share the transport — Oh! with whom

But Thee, deep buried in the silent tomb,

That spot which no vicissitude can find?

Love, faithful love, recalled thee to my mind —But how could I forget thee? Through what power,

Even for the least division of an hour,

Have I been so beguiled as to be blind

To my most grievous loss? — That thought's return

Was the worst pang that sorrow ever bore,

Save one, one only, when I stood forlorn,

Knowing my heart's best treasure was no more;

That neither present time, nor years unborn

Could to my sight that heavenly face restore.

Ultimately, as we look back on life so far we can say ‘one for sorrow; two for joy’. 

It is up to us to figure out and reframe our experiences according to this ratio. That one would have let oneself be happier is one of the five top regrets of the dying.   The message of Christmas is that tragedy does not define us. Rather, the news is good. This is a different kind of news to the kind enunciated by the Roman Emperor: it is real good news to the poorest and the least privileged of people – shepherds living a precarious life and earning a precarious living.  It is also good news for those temporarily imprisoned by loss, isolation or loneliness.  A saviour has come into our broken and sick world and we do not surrender to despair. Hope is alive and we will be surprised not just by any old sort of joy but ‘a great joy’. Not just charan (joy in ancient Greek) but mega joy – Megalēn joy.

There are many options for Readings from the Old and New Testament for this Christmas Day. Among them is Isaiah 62:6-12: Psalm 97; and  Titus 3:4-7.  

Breath of Heaven hold me together

“… When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb” (Luke 1:41)

Luke 1:39-45 (Year C: The Fourth Sunday of Advent, 23^rd December, 2018)

For a 3 minute video talk see https://youtu.be/8c-rArTNs4c

This is a story about two mothers and two (yet to be born) babies.  It was, in all likelihood, a story of shared anxieties (not recounted here) and shared joys mixed in, no doubt, with much physical discomfort, sickness and worry. Such is life and such is the experience of mothers and pregnant women – an experience that can only be theorised and described by that half of humanity that will never know what it is really like to be pregnant and, or, to be a mother of a child or to be sick or to be insecure …….. In many respects, nature lets some men get off lightly. Tradition has it (but it is only tradition) that the evangelist Luke wrote his gospel with the help of Mary the mother of Jesus. Hence the unique birth narratives in the gospel of Luke and the memories of Jesus in the temple found in the second chapter of Luke. Whoever Luke was and however he (assuming that it was a he) gathered together his version of the good news we get a sense of a feminine perspective in much of Luke – the role of the holy spirit of God, the central point of compassion, justice, balance, relationship and caring as well as the references to the role of Mary in the Jesus story.

When Mary went to her cousin Elizabeth she brought – in her very own body – the Life that would set the world on fire.  Elizabeth seemed to realise that something extraordinary was happening in Mary’s greetings and presence. The child in Elizabeth’s womb literally jumped for joy. This might seem like poetic licence but there is no reason to exclude this happening given what women know and men don’t and what, moreover, modern science confirms about the amazing behaviour of babies in the womb.

Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting. She saw and she heard and she was attentive. Something stirred in her. Life and Joy moved her to declare ‘And why has this happened to me’ (v.43). She was filled with the Holy Spirit just as we are and can be if we see, hear, listen and attend to what is hidden and what is before us. John did not see from where he was. He heard a voice – that of Mary and through this voice he was connected to that Life that was with Mary through the grace of God. One wonders what sorts of stories were told and shared and retold by these two mothers for many years after. ‘A woman’s heart is a deep ocean of secrets’ as Old Rose said in the film ‘Titanic’ (no doubt it will be on offer again this Christmas on TV!). And in the gospel of Luke we are told that ‘Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart’ (Luke 2:19). It is surely the case that she continued to treasure and ponder all these words in her heart for many years before and after her visit to Elizabeth. However, Mary and Elizabeth were not mere mothers behind two great men. Their stories and witness places them as powerful women who challenge doubt, despair and oppression – all recounted after this passage in the rallying cry of the Magnificat.

But there is a sting to this Visitation story. The two unborn babies are destined to suffer and to die: one through beheading for the crime of telling it as it is; the other on a cross for ‘turning the tables’ (literally as in the Temple as well metaphorically).  There was, surely, much heartbreak for both mothers as matters turned out (even if Elizabeth had died by the time her son was executed). Luke quotes Simeon as saying to Mary:

This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too. (Luke 2:33-35)

The joyful encounter between Mary, Elizabeth, Jesus and John ended in tragedy. Or, did it?  That other great feast of the annual Christian calendar is only a little over 3 months away.  In the resurrection we see hope beyond tragedy; life beyond death and renewal beyond decay. Before we get to resurrection there is flight and there is exodus followed by a long journey through barren places. The story of Israel is our story as she wanders around a desert. But, the story of those were not of Israel is also our story because God’s generosity has no limits then or now. Within months of the encounter with Elizabeth, Mary would be fleeing with Joseph and the child Jesus just as thousands are doing this Christmas in various parts of Southern and central Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. And within months of that encounter many children would be massacred in the area around Bethlehem:

‘A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they are no more.’ (Matthew 2:18)

A voice is heard today in Ramah and the surrounding countries. It is one of wailing and loud lamentation as Rachel weeps for her children and refuses, in front of our TV screens, to be consoled.  Sky News may not be picking this up very clearly today as we watch from our comfort zones of Northern Europe and America.  But, millions of dispossessed, terrorised and hungry brothers and sisters are coming our way sooner or later. Let’s do practical things to be open and welcoming towards all. We never know but we might be entertaining angels. Joy might stir within us as it did in Elizabeth when her cousin called in to visit her with Life.

And let’s not forget those nearest and dearest to us, also. We need to cherish, support and love all who are alive and kicking!

I like this song by Amy Grant from the early 1990s:

Breath of Heaven (Mary's Song)

(you can hear it on youtube here)

I have travelled many moonless nights
Cold and weary with a babe inside
And I wonder what I've done
Holy father you have come
And chosen me now to carry your son

I am waiting in a silent prayer
I am frightened by the load I bear
In a world as cold as stone
Must I walk this path alone?
Be with me now
Be with me now

Breath of heaven
Hold me together
Be forever near me
Breath of heaven
Breath of heaven
Lighten my darkness
Pour over me your holiness
For you are holy
Breath of heaven

Do you wonder as you watch my face
If a wiser one should have had my place
But I offer all I am
For the mercy of your plan
Help me be strong
Help me be
Help me

Breath of heaven
Hold me together
Be forever near me
Breath of heaven
Breath of heaven
Lighten my darkness
Pour over me your holiness
For you are holy

Breath of heaven
Hold me together
Be forever near me
Breath of heaven
Breath of heaven
Lighten my darkness
Pour over me your holiness
For you are holy
Breath of heaven
Breath of heaven
Breath of heaven

(1,203 words, above)

In addition to this coming Sunday’s Gospel reading which is common to most Christian churches, the other readings from scripture found in the ‘paired’ Revised Common Lectionary (RCL) of the Church of Ireland for this Sunday are: Micah 5:2-5;  Psalm 80:1-8; and  Hebrews 10:5-10.  In the liturgical cycle of the Roman Catholic Church, for this coming Sunday, the choice of readings is the same as above.

Less is more

“…‘Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.” (Luke 3:13)

Zephaniah 3:14-20

Psalm 146:4-10

Philippians 4:4-7

Luke 3:7-18

 New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. http://nrsvbibles.org

Year C: Third Sunday of Advent, 12 December 2021

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice

....is taken from Philippians 4:4 which is the opening verse of the second reading for this Sunday.

Joy is a difficult thing to define or measure. It is felt more than seen. It is seen more than heard. It is heard more than measured. No market value can be put on joy.

The secret of joy is in trusting (God) and in giving (to others). The Gospel of Luke provides important guidance.

Let's listen again to the Gospel:

'Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise'. (v.11)

‘Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you’ (v.13)

If each of us collected ‘no more than the amount prescribed’ for us the world would be a different place indeed. If only…

Where we are today is on the cusp of a momentous change in the conditions of this mother earth where we have been planted. The call to love our neighbour takes a particular urgency because it means loving our children – the next generation. There is more than weather extremes and rising temperatures and flooding at stake here. We simply don’t know for sure how much or how long it will take but we can be sure of one thing – unless action is taken at global and local levels the future planet and the conditions for those living there does not look pretty. To put it another way, we are consuming one and a half earths. This cannot continue. Eventually, something gives. It becomes a choice of ‘de-growth’ or ‘de-carbonise’ or both. Leaders and peoples can continue to duck and dive on what it takes to begin to fix the underlying causes of environmental degradation but, eventually, the reality and the truth will catch up with us all.

We know that the current patterns of globalisation, trade, consumption and energy utilisation are not sustainable. What are we doing about it? 

Preparing a way for all

“…and all flesh shall see the salvation of God” (Luke 3:6)

Baruch 5:1-9

Benedictus

Philippians 1:3-11

Luke 3:1-6

New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. http://nrsvbibles.org

 Year C: Second Sunday of Advent, 5 December 2021

Last week I highlighted, based on the readings of the first Sunday of Advent, three key points:

1. The need to stay calm
2. The need to remain steadfast in love
3. And the need to keep moving towards our ultimate destination.

This Sunday the focus is on preparation and inclusion.

We live in a radically different culture to the one in which the gospel writer, Luke, lived.  However, as with all four evangelists who wrote for the first or even second generation of early Christians and who faced enormous trials in the first century we also face a world that is often indifferent if not openly hostile.  The sacred writings and stories that later became part of the Canon of Scripture drew on the deep traditions and memories of the Jewish people – forsaken, held in captivity, restored and led forward. 

The prophet Baruch writes of a period of captivity and destruction some 6 centuries before Christ. He tells of a great and glorious future for the chosen people (5:5):

Arise, O Jerusalem, stand upon the height; look towards the east, and see your children gathered from west and east at the word of the Holy One, rejoicing that God has remembered them.

Baruch echoes the prophet Isaiah who foresees a time of liberation and a time when the nations will be gathered and saved.  This links to the arrival of John the Baptist in the desert.  Luke quotes from the prophet Isaiah 40:3-5:

A voice cries out: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.’

‘All flesh shall see the salvation of God’. This is important because the gospel of Luke was, apparently, written for pagans in Greece (that’s us, so to speak).  All flesh – all races, all genders, born or unborn, left or right, straight or gay, ‘religious’ and ‘non-religious’, high-church and low-church, broad church or narrow church, liberal church or conservative-traditional church, all peoples – are called today ‘to see the salvation of God’. The writers of the Biblical books were hung up on the idea of ‘all’.  All are called to salvation. Inspired by John Wesley, many Christians attach special importance to four cornerstones or four great ‘Alls’ of our belonging to Christ:

1. All people need to be saved.
2. All people can be saved.
3. All people can know they are saved.
4. All people can be saved to the uttermost

Are we up to the challenge? Are we ready? Do we care? We can only start with ourselves.  Even if we feel or think that we are not up to the challenge; are not ready and do not care; there is a power and a love bigger than each one of us that is preparing a way through our hearts to joy and a peace and a freedom in the midst of this personal and social wilderness.

As it says in the Benedictus: ‘By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.’ (Luke 1:78-79)

That call and promise is extended once again, through Jesus, to us this morning, in the words of Saint 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 on 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.  (Philippians 1:9-11).

Let this time of waiting and hope which we call Advent mark a new beginning for each one of us!

WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

Further reading: notes and questions, verse by verse (Luke 3:1-16)

Preliminaries

Whereas, in Mark, the opening proclaims the Gospel of Jesus Christ and directly quotes Isaiah,  here in Luke there is a long and gradual warm up with the various stories of Jesus’s conception, birth and childhood. Chapter 3 of Luke is a turning point. This is where the prophecy of Isaiah is proclaimed once again and the baton is passed from John the Baptist to Jesus.

v.1-2:  The political context

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 

What a formidable opening to chapter 3 and prelude to the declaration of John the Baptist! Then, as now, the region in which our saviour and Lord was born was deeply troubled and politically torn. It resembled some well known war-torn region ready to be tipped over into all-out violence at any moment as the ruling colonial authorities dealt cruelly with any uprising. At the same time, there was an air of excitement among the oppressed Jewish people that a Messiah would come before long.  As usual, the religious authorities ducked and manoeuvred to curry favour with the imperial overlords while seeking to maintain control over their own flock. Has much changed?

Note that ‘the word of God’ came to John the son of Zechariah just as it comes to us today through others and in us. Where did John receive the word? Verse two tells us: ‘in the wilderness’.

v.3:  The response of John

He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins..

In every age and place many are called up to go out from where they are and to give witness. John did it his way. His message was very much a preview – like in a film trailer – of what was to follow when his cousin would enter the scene.  The key message is the same – all must turn away from their wrong-doing and experience an inner turning around. It is the same as repentance or conversation. And, it is the call each of us needs to hear again today.

v.4-6:   The witness of the Prophets of old

as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah,‘The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:  “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight,and the rough ways made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”’

Prophecy has more or less ceased since the sixth century before the coming of the Baptist. No wonder many confused John the Baptist with the Messiah or though that Jesus was John come back to life (e.g. see Matthew 14:2).