Collect for the Second Sunday of Advent

 

 

Second Sunday of Advent

Merciful God, who sent thy messengers the 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 liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy

Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen.

Collect for the Second Sunday of Advent

 

 

Second Sunday of Advent

Merciful God, who sent thy messengers the 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 liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy

Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen.

The Collect for the Second Sunday of Advent

 

Second Sunday of Advent

Merciful God, who sent thy messengers the 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 liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy

Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen.

Surely, it is God who saves me

Canticle 9 The First Song of Isaiah
Isaiah 12:2-6 Ecce, Deus

Surely, it is God who saves me; *
I will trust in him and not be afraid.

For the Lord is my stronghold and my sure defense, *
and he will be my Savior.

Therefore you shall draw water with rejoicing *
from the springs of salvation.

And on that day you shall say, *
Give thanks to the Lord and call upon his Name;

Make his deeds known among the peoples; *
see that they remember that his Name is exalted.

Sing the praises of the Lord, for he has done great things, *
and this is known in all the world.

Cry aloud, inhabitants of Zion, ring out your joy, *
for the great one in the midst of you is the Holy One of Israel.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Surely, it is God who saves me

Canticle 9 The First Song of Isaiah
Isaiah 12:2-6 Ecce, Deus

Surely, it is God who saves me; *
I will trust in him and not be afraid.

For the Lord is my stronghold and my sure defense, *
and he will be my Savior.

Therefore you shall draw water with rejoicing *
from the springs of salvation.

And on that day you shall say, *
Give thanks to the Lord and call upon his Name;

Make his deeds known among the peoples; *
see that they remember that his Name is exalted.

Sing the praises of the Lord, for he has done great things, *
and this is known in all the world.

Cry aloud, inhabitants of Zion, ring out your joy, *
for the great one in the midst of you is the Holy One of Israel.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

On Jordan's Bank the Baptist's Cry

On Jordan's bank the Baptist's cry

On Jordan's bank the Baptist's cry

Announces that the Lord is nigh;
Come, then, and hearken, for he brings
Glad tidings from the King of kings!
Then cleansed be every breast from sin;
Make straight the way for God within;
Prepare we in our hearts a home,
Where such a mighty Guest may come.
For Thou art our Salvation, Lord,
Our Refuge, and our great Reward.
Without Thy grace our souls must fade
And wither like a flower decayed.
Stretch forth Thine hand, to heal our sore,
And make us rise and fall no more;
Once more upon Thy people shine,
And fill the world with love divine.
To Him Who left the throne of Heaven
To save mankind, all praise be given;
Like praise be to the Father done,
And Holy Spirit, Three in One.

 Tune: Winchester New (1690) | Words: Charles Coffin

Draw water with rejoicing

9    The First Song of Isaiah    Ecce, Deus
       Isaiah 12:2-6

Surely, it is God who saves me; *
    I will trust in him and not be afraid.
For the Lord is my stronghold and my sure defense, *
    and he will be my Savior.
Therefore you shall draw water with rejoicing *
    from the springs of salvation.
And on that day you shall say, *
    Give thanks to the Lord and call upon his Name;
Make his deeds known among the peoples; *
    see that they remember that his Name is exalted.
Sing the praises of the Lord, for he has done great things, *
    and this is known in all the world.
Cry aloud, inhabitants of Zion, ring out your joy, *
    for the great one in the midst of you is the Holy One of Israel.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
    as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

23 October 2011 ~ Sermon ~ "prophets of a future not our own"

The Rev. Peter M. Carey
Sermon at Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Greenwood, Virginia
23 October 2011

Comings and goings.  Beginnings and Endings.  Birth and death.  Gains and losses.

Our lives are full of them.  Just when we think things are moving quite well, that the status quo is a pretty good thing, we encounter a bump in the road, a twist of fate, a rough patch.  Just when we think we have a handle on something, a new challenge emerges.  Remember when you were young, and you moved your way through elementary school, and you reached the top grade in your school?  You were the big dogs.  You were the ones that others had to look up to?  And then, you moved on to Junior High, or Middle School, and all of a sudden, you were at the bottom again.  And then this pattern happened over and over.  You were the top in the band, and then you were moved up to High School Band.  You were the captain of your team, and then you were moved to Varsity.   You were All-State, and then you were “riding the pine” at college. 

It continues in our lives, we get comfortable, we get to thinking that we have a handle on things, and then the handles change, and we have trouble holding on.  Recently I was reminded by a wise mentor that we are often moved by God into places and spaces that are over our heads.  We like to think that we move from one place to another while relying on our strengths and gifts, and that our acquisition of “skill sets” will lead us to new challenges that we are prepared for. 

Alas, we are most often NOT prepared for what we are about to be confronted with.  Who is really prepared for parenting? Who is really prepared for a new job?  Who is really prepared for that new stage in our lives?  Who is really prepared to say goodbye? 

We gain experience, and we gain skills, but most often we are pushed beyond our “comfort zones,” and we are put into positions in which we are over our heads.  So, where to turn?  What might these situations be teaching us? Where do we turn in these situations?  

If you think you might have it bad, just think about the Israelites.  They had labored through 40 years in the wilderness under the strong and wise leadership of Moses.  Moses, who had seen God “face to face” back when he was walking along and a burning bush started talking to him.  Moses had seen God “face to face” and was the only person ever to see God in this way, and live.  Not only that, Moses had ascended the Mount, to return with the Law of God in the form of the 10 commandments.  Moses had actually spent time talking with God, and was most definitely a “man of God” and, even, perhaps a “friend of God,” or at least about as close as a person could ever be a friend of God.

Well, as bad as it had gotten out there in the wilderness, God was still with his people, and the most sure sign of God’s presence was that Moses lead the people with a firm hand, a compassionate heart, and a strong will – while also doing it with what he claimed himself was not a gift of speech. 

But now, now Moses was dying.  Moses could see the Promised Land toward which they had travelled all these many years, but he would not go there, and though he was 120 years old, God would not grant him any more years, and not even a few more days to live to see the Promised Land.  Just when the people were finally being given the goal toward which they had worked all these many years, they were losing their guide, their leader, their mentor, their wise and strong captain along the way.  How would they go on at this point?

Here we see that God is moving the people to a place in which they are over their heads.  The leadership and wisdom of Moses would not be replaced, it couldn’t be.  Moses was the only one who would “see God face to face,” and his leadership was one of a kind.  However, the true guide, the true leader, the true captain in the journey, of course, was not Moses – even as great as he was – but the true guide is God. 

Here, the people, these wandering, intermittently holy people of God, were hopefully reminded that their journey does not rest on Moses’ goodness, or his holiness, or his unique experience of God.   Their journey rests in God’s hands, and God’s promises precede any work by Moses, and God’s promises are deeper than any presence of Moses among the people. 

It is a hard reality to remember, that when things are going well, we often, ironically, find ourselves put into situations that test us not at our points of strength, but at our points of weakness.  This is a kind of humility that is not mere rhetorical modesty.  “Oh, I am not so good at that.”  Rather, this humility is the humility where we are driven to the place where we cannot any longer rely on our experience, our skills, and our strengths.  We are brought to a place where true prayer begins – we are brought to a place where we truly ask for God’s help.  For we cannot do it ourselves.  Often, we can rely on a kind of functional atheism, for we believe (most of the hours of the day) that success depends on our effort.  However, our lives are full of times when we are pushed to the place where we cry out, “help.”  The place where true prayer begins.

The Israelites had lost their earthly guide, but were pushed into the “deep water” where they had to find not only inner strength, but had to turn, ultimately, to God in order to find the strength to go on.  

It helps now and then to step back and take a long view. The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts, it is even beyond our vision.

We accomplish in our lifetime only a small fraction of the magnificent enterprise that is God’s work. Nothing we do is complete, which is another way of saying that the kingdom always lies beyond us.

No statement says all that could be said. No prayer fully expresses our faith. No confession brings perfection. No pastoral visit brings wholeness. No program accomplishes the Church’s mission. No set of goals and objectives includes everything.

This is what we are about: We plant the seeds that will one day grow. We water seeds already planted, knowing  that they hold future promise. We lay foundations that will need further development. We provide yeast that produces effects  far beyond our capabilities.

We cannot do everything, and there is a sense  of liberation in realizing that. This enables us to do something, and to do it well. It may be incomplete but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord’s grace to enter and do the rest.

We may never see the end results, but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker. We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs.

We are prophets of a future not our own.

Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero of El Salvador (1917–1980)

A Future Not Our Own, Archbishop Oscar Romero

A Future Not Our Own

It helps, now and then, to step back
And take the long view.
The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts,
It is beyond our vision.
We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of
The magnificent enterprise that is God’s work.
Nothing we do is complete,
Which is another way of saying
The kingdom always lies beyond us.

No statement says all that could be said.
No prayer fully expresses our faith.
No confession brings perfection.
No pastoral visit brings wholeness.
No program accomplishes the church’s mission.
No set of goals and objectives includes everything.

This is what we are about:
We plant seeds that one day will grow.
We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise.
We lay foundations that will need further development.
We provide yeast that produces effects beyond our capabilities.

We cannot do everything
and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that.
This enables us to do something,
and to do it very well.
It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way,
an opportunity for God's grace to enter and do the rest.

We may never see the end results,
but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker.
We are workers, not master builders,
ministers, not messiahs.
We are prophets of a future not our own.

Bruce Springsteen - American Prophet?

Bruce Springsteen
True Patriot!

View the 60 Minutes interview video HERE.




_________________________________________________

I'm a week late on this post, but if you missed the 60 Minutes interview with Bruce Springsteen, you need to check it out HERE. A few excerpts are below; he rocks!!!! (on so many levels!)

Are rock stars serving as our most public prophets these days? Bruce seems to be calling our nation back to its original dream, its original mission and reason for being. In this interview, he mentions that things like wire-tapping and torture are not "American" but are "anti-American." His sense of where we are is insightful and fascinating. Rather than just blasting the war, and blasting the Bush Administration, he raises the question of whether we have moved off-course from our tradition -- he is rooted, deeply, in the best of the American tradition ... like the prophets of old, he may be calling us back to our original "covenant," ...

I wonder if the Church would be as willing to raise these questions as our rock stars? (and, in so many ways, represent the Church....his critique points at our politicians but also at me!)

_____________________________________________

(CBS) It's hard to picture, but Bruce Springsteen turned 58 last month. His breakout hit, "Born
to Run," is 32 years old. While rock stars his age are content to tour with their greatest hits, Springsteen launched, last week, what may become his most controversial work as a songwriter.

Even now, Springsteen is an artist in progress, having moved from stories about girls and cars to populist ballads that echo the dust bowl days of Woody Guthrie. Springsteen has put all that together now in his first tour with the E Street Band in four years. As correspondent Scott Pelley reports, he has returned to full-throated rock and roll, and a message that's sharper than ever, damning the war in Iraq, and questioning whether America has lost its way at home.

---

Springsteen told 60 Minutes his concert is part circus, dance party, political rally, and big tent revival. "You're the shaman, you know? You're the storyteller. You're the magician. The idea is whatever the ticket price, we're supposed to be there to deliver something that can't be paid for. That's our job," Springsteen says.

"You have got to be, wild guess, worth somewhere north of 100 million dollars. Why are you still touring? You don't have to do this," Pelley remarks.

"What else would I do? You got any clues?" Springsteen asks. "Got any suggestions? I mean, am I going to garden? Why would you stop. I mean, you play the music and you know, grown men cry. And women dance. That's why you do it."

"It's good to be a rock star," Pelley says.

"I would say that yes it is," Springsteen says. "But the star thing I can live with. The music I can't live without. And that's how it lays out for me, you know. I got as big an ego and enjoy the attention. My son has a word, he calls it 'Attention Whore.'"

"But you have to be one of those or else why would you be up in front of thousands of people, you know, shaking your butt. But at the same time, when it comes down to it, it's the way it makes you feel. I do it because of the way it makes me feel when I do it. It gives me meaning, it gives me purpose," Springsteen explains.

"Some of the pieces in the new record are gonna be considered controversial. Give me a sense of what you think has to be said. Why are you still writing?" Pelley asks,

"It's how I find out who you are, and who I am, and then who we are. I'm interested in that. I'm interested in what it means to be an American," Springsteen says. "I'm interested in what it means to live in America. I'm interested in the kind of country that we live in and leave our kids. I'm interested in trying to define what that country is. I got the chutzpa or whatever you want to say to believe that if I write a really good about it, it's going to make a difference. It’s going to matter to somebody." See the rest of the transcript from the video HERE.

"Be joyful though you have considered all the facts" - Wendell Berry

Manifesto:
The Mad Farmer Liberation Front

by Wendell Berry

Love the quick profit, the annual raise,
vacation with pay. Want more
of everything ready-made. Be afraid
to know your neighbors and to die.
And you will have a window in your head.
Not even your future will be a mystery
any more. Your mind will be punched in a card
and shut away in a little drawer.
When they want you to buy something
they will call you. When they want you
to die for profit they will let you know.

So, friends, every day do something
that won't compute. Love the Lord.
Love the world. Work for nothing.
Take all that you have and be poor.
Love someone who does not deserve it.
Denounce the government and embrace
the flag. Hope to live in that free
republic for which it stands.
Give your approval to all you cannot
understand. Praise ignorance, for what man
has not encountered he has not destroyed.

Ask the questions that have no answers.
Invest in the millenium. Plant sequoias.
Say that your main crop is the forest
that you did not plant,
that you will not live to harvest.
Say that the leaves are harvested
when they have rotted into the mold.
Call that profit. Prophesy such returns.

Put your faith in the two inches of humus
that will build under the trees
every thousand years.
Listen to carrion - put your ear
close, and hear the faint chattering
of the songs that are to come.
Expect the end of the world. Laugh.
Laughter is immeasurable. Be joyful
though you have considered all the facts.
So long as women do not go cheap
for power, please women more than men.
Ask yourself: Will this satisfy
a woman satisfied to bear a child?
Will this disturb the sleep
of a woman near to giving birth?

Go with your love to the fields.
Lie down in the shade. Rest your head
in her lap. Swear allegiance
to what is nighest your thoughts.
As soon as the generals and the politicos
can predict the motions of your mind,
lose it. Leave it as a sign
to mark the false trail, the way
you didn't go. Be like the fox
who makes more tracks than necessary,
some in the wrong direction.
Practice resurrection.

Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front" from The Country of Marriage, copyright © 1973 by Wendell Berry

Mentor Bloggers.... on Episcopal Cafe Blog

Two of my mentors from VTS, Roger Ferlo and Kathy Staudt have blog posts on the Episcopal Cafe Blog.


Dr. Ferlo wrote yesterday here about the "Anonymous Apostles" who have arrived at Virginia Theological Seminary for the beginning of a new academic year at VTS. Since this arriving class is 'replacing' my own class of 2007, I was very interested in his reflections. Also, it seems like only yesterday that I was beginning my academic work at VTS, struggling through introductory Koine Greek and wondering what this whole seminary thing would be! Read Roger's post here.


Dr. Staudt wrote today here of the teacher, theologian, writer, and prophet Verna Dozier who died just a year ago today. I was a big fan of Verna Dozier's as well, having read her book, The Dream of God several times. Kathy writes well about Verna Dozier's wonderful ministry and her great presence. Read her post here.