Walter Anderson's Horn Island Triptych
Letting God outa' the Box
St. Philip's Jackson MS
Episcopal Diocese in Mississippi
All Saint's Los Angeles, my Plunge parish
Church of the Atonement, my Chicago Parish
Fun & Free Dog ecards
Spread the Love around
The Episcopal Church
The Anglican Communion
The Hunger Site...a click a day gives food
The Stations of the Cross Online
A couple of fun Irish Clergy comedies from the BBC
Father Ted
Ballykissangel
A Prayer For Peace:
O God, you made us all in your own image
and redeemed us throught Jesus your Son:
Look with compassion on the whole human family;
take away the arrogance and hatred
which infect our hearts;
break down the walls that separate us;
unite us all in the bonds of love and peace;
and work though our stuggle and
confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth;
that, in your good time, all nations
and races may serve you
in harmony around your heavenly thone;
we ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Wyatt Waters' Turning Angel
Walter Anderson's Sinbad and the Roc
Wyatt Waters' Halo Goodbye
The Crucifix in All Saint's Church L.A.
Sebastian, Professor of Unconditional Love
Monday, December 22, 2003
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The Twelve Days of Christmas
On the 1st day of Christmas my true love gave to me...
A Partridge in a Pear Tree
The partridge in a pear tree is Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, whose birthday we celebrate on December 25, the first day of Christmas. In the song, Christ is symbolically presented as a mother partridge that feigns injury to decoy predators from her helpless nestlings, recalling the expression of Christ's sadness over the fate of Jerusalem: "Jerusalem! Jerusalem! How often would I have sheltered you under my wings, as a hen does her chicks, but you would not have it so . . . ." (Luke 13:34)
On the 2nd day of Christmas my true love gave to me...
Two Turtle Doves
The Old and New Testaments, which together bear witness to God's self-revelation in history and the creation of a people to tell the Story of God to the world.
On the 3rd day of Christmas my true love gave to me...
Three French Hens
The Three Theological Virtues: 1) Faith, 2) Hope, and 3) Love (1 Corinthians 13:13)
On the 4th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...
Four Calling Birds
The Four Gospels: 1) Matthew, 2) Mark, 3) Luke, and 4) John, which proclaim the Good News of God's reconciliation of the world to Himself in Jesus Christ.
On the 5th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...
Five Gold Rings
The first Five Books of the Old Testament, known as the Torah or the Pentateuch: 1) Genesis, 2) Exodus, 3) Leviticus, 4) Numbers, and 5) Deuteronomy, which gives the history of humanity's sinful failure and God's response of grace in the creation of a people to be a light to the world.
On the 6th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...
Six Geese A-laying
The six days of creation that confesses God as Creator and Sustainer of the world (Genesis 1).
On the 7th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...
Seven Swans A-swimming
The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: 1) prophecy, 2) ministry, 3) teaching, 4) exhortation, 5) giving, 6) leading, and 7) compassion (Romans 12:6-8; cf. 1 Corinthians 12:8-11)
On the 8th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...
Eight Maids A-milking
The eight Beatitudes: 1) Blessed are the poor in spirit, 2) those who mourn, 3) the meek, 4) those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, 5) the merciful, 6) the pure in heart, 7) the peacemakers, 8) those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake. (Matthew 5:3-10)
On the 9th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...
Nine Ladies Dancing
The nine Fruit of the Holy Spirit: 1) love, 2) joy, 3) peace, 4) patience, 5) kindness,
6) generosity, 7) faithfulness, 8) gentleness, and 9) self-control. (Galatians 5:22)
On the 10th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...
Ten Lords A-leaping
The ten commandments: 1) You shall have no other gods before me; 2) Do not make an idol; 3) Do not take God's name in vain; 4) Remember the Sabbath Day; 5) Honor your father and mother; 6) Do not murder; 7) Do not commit adultery; 8) Do not steal; 9) Do not bear false witness; 10) Do not covet. (Exodus 20:1-17)
On the 11th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...
Eleven Pipers Piping
The eleven Faithful Apostles: 1) Simon Peter, 2) Andrew, 3) James, 4) John, 5) Philip, 6) Bartholomew, 7) Matthew, 8) Thomas, 9) James bar Alphaeus, 10) Simon the Zealot, 11) Judas bar James. (Luke 6:14-16). The list does not include the twelfth disciple, Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus to the Romans.
On the 12th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...
Twelve Drummers Drumming
The twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle's Creed: 1) I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. 2) I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. 3) He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. 4) He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell [the grave]. 5) On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. 6) He will come again to judge the living and the dead. 7) I believe in the Holy Spirit, 8) the holy catholic Church, 9) the communion of saints, 10) the forgiveness of sins, 11) the resurrection of the body, 12) and life everlasting.
I have always loved this carol. I borrowed this explaination from a website that credited it to Dennis Bratcher...thanks Dennis. Over the years, the seeming non-sense of the carol was never explained to me, but it always seemed to hold richer meanings. I find Brather's explainations fascinating and spiritually enlightening. Now, when some form of the carol pops up, no matter how retchedly arranged, in a mall, airport, commercial, or restaurant, I hear the deeper meanings coming through. By sharing it, I hope it may be of some benefit to someone else.
Fr. Bill 8:44 AM
Monday, December 01, 2003
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Advent 1 Year C
The Collect
Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Zechariah 14:4-9
On the day of the LORD his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives, which lies before Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley; so that one half of the Mount shall withdraw northward, and the other half southward. And you shall flee by the valley of the LORD's mountain, for the valley between the mountains shall reach to Azal; and you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of King Uzziah of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with him.On that day there shall not be either cold or frost. And there shall be continuous day (it is known to the LORD), not day and not night, for at evening time there shall be light.On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea; it shall continue in summer as in winter.And the LORD will become king over all the earth; on that day the LORD will be one and his name one.
1 Thessalonians 3:9-13
How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy that we feel before our God because of you? Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you face to face and restore whatever is lacking in your faith.Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you. And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you. And may he so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.
Luke 21:25-31
Jesus said, "There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in a cloud' with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." Then he told them a parable: "Look at the fig tree and all the trees; as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near.
My Sermon:
In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit
Today marks the begining of the season of Advent
Advent is often seen as a period of tension and waiting. A period that is seen as in between “already” and “not yet”. For Our Savior Jesus Christ has “already” come but has “not yet” come again. Advent also begins a new church year and is a time of preparation for the celebration of Christ’s first coming as well as an opportunity to plan for Christ’s coming again.
Today’s reading from Zechariah feeds the feeling of advent as a time in between by offering an image of the Mount of Olives splitting under the feet of the Lord and a wide valley forming between. The prophet’s vision directs our focus to this valley of time in-between, but it will not last…the Lord will come. Zechariah vision want us to flee from living in a time in between and wants us to focus our attention of the time to come…when the Lord will come.
In First Thessalonians, Paul is addressing a congregation that is also living in a time of Advent. People living in the shadow of Christ’s first coming and in the light of anticipation in His coming again. Today’s portion of Thessalonians sounds like a half-time pep talk by a coach in a football game. Paul congratulates the Thessalonians for all their acceptance of Christ and the love they have in their hearts, yet prays for the increase of love and faith.
Paul, while acknowledging what has already happened, directs God’s people to focus on the light in the love yet to come.
And, finally in the Gospel of St. Luke, Christ tells us that this time of advent will not be easy. "There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.”
These signs that Christ describes, can be the signs of living in a time in between already and not yet And we can become so caught up in these signs and in the tension and waiting of this time that we can loose our focus and become confused and fear-filled as Christ describes.
Have issues of sexuality, the search of a new rector, the myriad of Christmas traditions
Or, just all that it take to live life in a big city in 2003 distracted us, confused us and filled us with fear?
This Advent can be a time for us to begin anew. A time to not only congratulate ourselves for all the work in faith we have done but also, a time to refocus and pray for all the work yet to come.
As Christ instructs us, we are to stand up and raise our heads, because our redemption is drawing near.
Advent is a time for us to look beyond the time in between and the things that distract and confuse us to see the Son of Man coming in the cloud with power and great glory.
How can advent help us to focus our attention on Christ coming?
We may find some guidance in our advent wreath. We began today’s service by lighting the first candle in our advent wreath. Our candle is a symbol of the light that Jesus brings to us. Our candle is a symbol of the love and warmth that He gives to us and to the whole world. Each Sunday, we will light another candle in our wreath. Just as the light will increase on our wreath, we pray that Christ’s light and love will increase in us.
In Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians, he says just that: “may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you”. Christ loves and cares for us and wants us to love and care for one another.
So amid the tensions and challenges this season brings, Advent is a time to prepare for his coming by looking for the light in the darkness; that is to say, looking for the good in ourselves, our loved ones, our friends, our neighbors and the world around us. Advent is a time to put aside those things that separate us and prevent us from caring for one another. We are called to see the light of Christ flickering in ourselves and each other and opening our heart that God to may increase the Love in our hearts.
Or the restate it in the word of Van Morrison and the Grateful Dead…
Turn on our love lights and let them shine
Fr. Bill 1:03 PM