There are things that are frightening…on going realities in the midst of following Jesus.  When circumstances silence call, when external motion camouflages the constant presence of Christ, there is no peace.

He brings more than the absence of conflict…for a fact He predicted that He came not to bring peace but a sword, but the peace he gave was not as the world gives.  The world only offers the rationalist its portions.  ”All you touch and all you see, is all your life will ever be”- so goes the Pink Floyd line from Dark Side of the Moon.  Jesus offers more…a peace that is not bound by moments, not measured in circumstance, it is transcendent.

It comes quietly but ends up being the very nature of the kingdom.  What else could the Prince of Peace lead to but peace?  So we are given peace, we are to live peace, and peace will win out…even over war (nations will not learn war again, the prophet writes).

 —-ED MARCELLE 

Teaching: Matthew 4 & Mark 14

Advent Reading: Luke 1:26-38

Birth of Jesus Foretold

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”

And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy – the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For  nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. ”I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.

 

Advent Prayer:: Erika and Lauren Groff read a great prayer as part of Advent this past sunday. Here is the text::

Holy One, there is something I wanted to tell you, but there have been errands to run, bills to pay, arrangements to make, meetings to attend, friends to entertain, washing to do…and I forget what it is I wanted to say to you,and mostly I forget what I’m about, or why.
Eternal One,there is something I wanted to tell you,but my mind races with worrying and watching, with weighing and planning, with rutted slights and pothole grievances, with leaky dreams and leaky plumbing and leaky relationships I keep trying to plug up;and my attention is preoccupied      with loneliness, with doubt, and with things I covet;and I forget what it is I wanted to say to you, and how to say it honestly or how to do much of anything.
What I wanted to ask is for peace enough to want and work for more, for joy enough to share, and for awareness that is keen enough to sense your presence here, now, there, then, always.
-reprinted from the poem THERE IS SOMETHING I WANTED TO TELL YOU in the book GUERRILLAS OF GRACE (c) 1984 by Ted Loder, admin. Augsburg Fortress Publishers. Used by special permission of Augsburg Fortress Publishers. The book is available at www.augsburgfortress.org

 

Film Project::

 “He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.   [Isaiah 2:4]