A few December views of Berkeley Preparatory School!

Day 4 of Advent - "open my eyes"

Day 4 - "open my eyes"

Psalm 119:1-24
Old Testament Lesson
1 Thess. 2:13-20
Luke 20:19-26

When we enter a season such as Advent, and I hear admonitions to be more holy, I sometimes get frozen with the sense that this is just above my power.  There are those people who we have met who embody holiness, who seem to listen to the "better angels of their natures" at all times, and who seem to walk in the ways of the Lord without any stumbling at all.  If you are one of those people, blessings!  I, for one, am not.  I strive to do good, but fail as often as not, and the entering of Advent can remind me just how much work is still to be done.

The Psalmist reflects on the "blameless" ones in psalm 119, saying:

1	Happy are they whose way is blameless, * who walk in the law of the LORD!
2	Happy are they who observe his decrees * and seek him with all their hearts!
3	Who never do any wrong, * but always walk in his ways.
4	You laid down your commandments, * that we should fully keep them.

This vision of the ones whose way is blameless is a vision that the Psalmist is also praying to one day live out in his own life.  You see, God is with us, even if we stumble.  Actually, God is with us especially when we stumble and strive to do the good, to live a blameless way.  Look to the scripture, King David is by no means a blameless figure, yet continues to return to the Lord.  And what of these figures such as Zacchaeus, hated tax collector, and then there is Jesus staying at his house, and enacting Zacchaeus's tranformation and conversion.  So too for us, we strive to be good, to walk in the law of the Lord, but God is with us even when we stumble, and is there to help us along the way.

5	Oh, that my ways were made so direct * that I might keep your statutes!
6	Then I should not be put to shame, * when I regard all your commandments.
7	I will thank you with an unfeigned heart, * when I have learned your righteous judgments.
8	I will keep your statutes; * do not utterly forsake me.

And the Lord does not forsake us, but is carrying us all along, and loves us though we stumble and trip along the journey of Christ.

May your ways be blameless today, and, if not, know that God will deal bountifully with us!

17	Deal bountifully with your servant, * that I may live and keep your word.
18	Open my eyes, that I may see * the wonders of your law.

Blessings and Peace,

~The Rev. Peter M. Carey

Day 3 of Advent "give ear to my words"

Readings for Day 3 of Advent

Psalm 5

Isaiah 1:21-31

1 Thessalonians 2:1-12

Luke 20:9-18

"give ear to my words"

From Psalm 5

¹ Give ear to my words, O LORD; *

consider my meditation.

² Hearken to my cry for help, my King and my God, *

for I make my prayer to you.

The psalmist calls out a rather modern prayer, "give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my meditation," and prays that God might listen to his prayers.  Praying about praying.  As we move into the season of Advent, we might turn to God in prayer and prayer can take many forms.  There are the prayers that we issue in the form of words, such as the Psalmist often does.  "God give me grace!" "God give me patience!"  "God help me!"  "God, I am thankful for all that I have and all that I have."  Words are important, and when we can vocalize our prayers in words, our words become a part of us, and also can become praise and also hope for others.  Prayers of grace and thanksgiving before meals, prayers before a potentially difficult meeting, prayers for safety and a good effort before an athletic competition.  Do we have the courage to offer words of prayer?  Do we have the courage to offer prayers in a variety of contexts?  Do we have the courage to give word to our faith?  Do we have the courage to live out our faith in this way?  St. Francis is reported to have said, "Preach the gospel always, when necessary, use words." Absolutely, I agree.  It can be rather more difficult to live out a theology or a spirituality than it is to write or say a creed.  However, there are also times to speak words of prayer.  

Advent and Christmas can be opportunities for us to give voice to our faith, to actually speak up for "the reason for the season," and to remind people that Christmas is "Christ's Mass" and that it is a recognition of the Incarnation of God becoming Human in the person of Jesus, and also the way this Incarnation lives on today.

Do we have the courage to give voice to prayers that might offer thanksgiving and praise for the "reason for the season"?  I hope and pray that we do.

May Advent continue to offer you blessings,

~The Rev. Peter M. Carey

Day 2 of Advent - "A shield about me"

Day 2 of Advent

Readings from the Daily Office

Isaiah 1:10-20
Psalm 1
Psalm 2
Psalm 3
1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
Luke 20:1-8

"a shield about me"

In Psalm 3, we hear the cry of one who has "many adversaries," but who also turns to the Lord, who abides in the Lord. The Lord is a shield around the psalmist, though surrounded by many adversaries.  The collect in the service of Eucharist for the first Sunday in Advent Sunday had that wonderful line, "cast away the works of darkness and put on the armor of light," and here, today, in Psalm 3 we hear of the shield that the Lord provides.  Who are these adversaries?  Are they real, or metaphorical?  Are they under the powers of "darkness" or are they psychological projections from within us?

For those of us living rather comfortable lives, the notion that there are "many adversaries" surrounding us may move us to consider the metaphorical, or psychological aspects of this Psalm.  However, there are many in the world who live in the midst of enemies, and as we journey on the way of Christ, we may find ourselves doing ministry and presence among adversaries.  As we journey along the adventure of following Jesus, it is likely that we will be standing among those who are encountering injustice, oppression, and even the threat of death.

Even if we don't find ourselves there, we will find ourselves encountering adversaries in our lives, adversaries that may lead us to forget our ethical principles, adversaries that may move us off our moorings.  Where will we turn in these moments?  The collect advises us to "cast away the works of darkness"...and "put on the armor of light."  And the psalmist prays with audacious hope:

But you, O LORD, are a shield about me; *

                                               you are my glory, the one who lifts up my head.

We hope, not because our surroundings give us signs that things will get better.  Rather, we pray and live with audacious, courageous, and stupendous hope that comes from God, that comes through our faith in things that we can't quite grasp. God provides for us, even when we are walking though the darkness, even when we are surrounded by adversaries of various stripes.  God provides a shield for us, God provides an armor of light.  God, in Christ, provides for us - and we are to live audacious, courageous and stupendous lives because of it.  

So, put on your armor of light, consider the shield that the Lord provides.  

Have a Blessed Advent,

~The Rev. Peter M. Carey

Responsibility

"Responsibility is the price of greatness."  -Winston Churchill