"Seeing a Great Light"

It is a pleasure to welcome you to our Christmas festival celebration.  Christmas is a time of promise, hope, and joy.  Our children from All Saints’ and La Iglesia Luterana have set the scene for our celebration in this year’s Christmas pageant.  La Iglesia Luterana is a Spanish speaking congregation that worships here on Sunday afternoons.  The children are wonderful, and on behalf of all of us I thank them for their presence and participation.  May this season be one of peace and happiness, and may God’s love and blessing be with you.

In the Gospel of Luke we heard that "an angel of the Lord stood before [the shepherds], and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid; for see -- I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people.'"

This year and every year we enter anew into the story of Jesus' birth.  It is more than simply coming together to sing the glorious hymns and carols of the season, or to read the Biblical texts and recount the events that happened so long ago.  We are by being here, by listening to the stories about walking in darkness and seeing a great light, by retelling the account of Joseph and Mary traveling to Bethlehem to be registered and then giving birth in a manger because there was no vacancy at the inn, by singing carols and hymns of praise, by participating in a communion meal of bread and wine, -- we are, by all these things, entering into the events of the past as though they were happening now. 

What we are doing brings our history as Christians into the present and makes that history a living drama of our human condition two thousand thirteen years after the fact.  This story of Christ's birth is our story; we are like the shepherds who were visited this night by the angel of God bringing good news of hope and great joy for all people.

On this Christmas Eve, as we worship in this sacred space the night deepens and the hours will soon extend into the dawn of a new day.  The night is quiet and still.  There is a silence that embraces us.  "Silent Night, Holy Night," the dark silence that will surround us later in our service, is a prelude to the new light that will shine throughout our Christmas celebration.  It is a light of new life and hope for all people.

As the Prophet Isaiah said, "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness -- on them light has shined."  The light that shines through the darkness is God's gift of the Incarnation.  It is the Word that has become flesh, God who has taken the form of a human being, born as an infant destined to live and minister to those who exist in the dark shadows of society. 

The light shining through the darkness, the Incarnation of God, is about God's Son living as we do through the life cycle of birth, growth, maturity, death and resurrection to new life.  As one of the Christmas collects says, may we "who have known the mystery of the true light on earth also enjoy him perfectly in heaven."   It is the light breaking through the darkness that reminds us that life is precious and fragile, relationships are of greatest importance, and love, compassion and justice are worth having and sharing. 

The Rt. Rev. Steven Charleston, retired President and Dean of the Episcopal Divinity School, has suggested that we wrap ourselves up in Christmas and “once again enjoy those visions of angels and shepherds and the manger and the baby in the straw and the animals and Mary and Joseph and keep it exactly the way it's always been….  For this one special day, let us relax into the peace that is holy and into a time where time itself seems to stand still and the winds and tides of change are held back with the sounds of angelic voices drifting through a starry, cold night.”

The true meaning of Christmas is the story of our lives and the drama of God's creation.  Birth, life, and death are the realities of our human experience.  They are also the realities of God.  God, acting in the birth of Jesus, bestows the promise of eternal life and the rebirth of innocence, love, compassion and hope for peace and justice.  This is "the good news of great joy for all the people."  May God's radiant presence, the light shining through the darkness, be a blessing for you this Christmas and always.  Amen.

The Holy Way

In this season of Advent we continue waiting, watching, and preparing with hopeful expectation for the coming of Christ at Christmas.  What do we hope for and expect this year?  What are we looking for in Advent, the coming of Jesus this Christmas?  Are we looking for a good time with our families and friends?  Are we looking for a joyful service with the children’s Christmas pageant and our worship on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day?  Are we looking for gifts that others will give to us?  Are we looking for satisfaction from others to whom we will give presents?

Jesus would answer, “Yes” to all of this, but then he asks a more important and far-reaching question, “What are you looking for?  A prophet?  Someone to promise you a better life for everyone in the days and months to come?”  Jesus says “Yes” to all of this.  And then he adds, “Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.”

Matthew’s Gospel tells us that Jesus spoke to the crowds and asked, "What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind?  What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces.”  Was this the level of their concern, or was there something more?  Jesus continued his questioning and then told them they had gone out to see something more than a prophet.

What the Gospel wants us to know is that Jesus is more than a prophet; he is the Messiah who fulfilled the words of the prophet Isaiah.  Isaiah said that God “will come and save you.”  What did this mean?  It meant that  “the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy….A highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Holy Way…the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. “

This prophetic theme and the fact that Jesus is the expected Messiah is what Matthew’s Gospel is all about. Matthew builds his case by reporting that when John the Baptist was in prison and heard what Jesus was doing he wanted to know whether Jesus was the Messiah.  Who was this Jesus?  Was he the Messiah, the one anointed by God, or did he and his followers have to wait for someone else?   To answer his question John sent his disciples to find out.  Jesus then told them, "Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me."

Think about this.  What the prophet Isaiah said would happen was really coming to pass.  This was big news.  It was revolutionary.  Now, over 2000 years later, in our own time, look around at our neighborhoods, our cities, state, and country and ask whether diseases are healed and whether the poor have good news brought to them. What would make life better for everyone?  What can we do to fulfill the prophet’s description of “the Holy Way?”  How do we build that highway so everyone “shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away?“  Jesus ministered to the poor, the bereaved, the downtrodden, the sick, and all who suffered because of oppression and discrimination. 

The biblical scholar Walter Brueggemann has said, “Advent is about readiness to acknowledge, receive, and participate in the revolution that clusters around Jesus. The word from the epistle of James is to have patience. That is not passivity, but it is resolve to stay with it, to watch for the possibility, and not to settle for fatigue, resignation, or cynicism.  The ‘patience’ in James means to continue in ‘joy and gladness,’ with no ‘sorrow or sighing.’”

Our season of Advent is about getting reading for a new day of equality and opportunity for everyone.  It requires both patience and endurance, and it demands that we have an expectation that life will improve for all who are oppressed and marginalized in our society.  As we read in today’s Psalm, “Happy are they whose hope is in the LORD their God; Who made heaven and earth, the seas, and all that is in them; who keeps his promise for ever; Who gives justice to those who are oppressed, and food to those who hunger. The LORD sets the prisoners free; the LORD opens the eyes of the blind; the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down; The LORD loves the righteous; the LORD cares for the stranger; he sustains the orphan and widow, but frustrates the way of the wicked. The LORD shall reign for ever, your God, O Zion, throughout all generations. Hallelujah! “

May our Christmas celebration coming so quickly renew our hope and expectation that the Lord who lifts up all who are oppressed may reign for ever in the lives of all people.  Hallelujah!  Amen.

Abound in Hope

This season of Advent is a time to abound in hope.  We renew our hope for the coming of Christ at Christmas bringing new life filled with justice, peace and compassion for all people.  It is the season of God becoming human, the Word made flesh so we may know that life can and should be better for the people in every nation, and of every race, and religion.

In the November 14^th issue of our e-Parish Messenger I wrote about the new Diocesan logo.  The Bishop’s staff created the logo to reflect our Christian vision of hope and the expectation that things will get better for the people of Rhode Island.  My interpretation of the logo is this: the anchor grounds us theologically as the people of God, water reflects our baptism in ministry and service, the wave is about the tensions we live with between present-day reality and God’s ever evolving new creation, and the Cross represents Christ’s resurrection to new life.  The logo focuses on who we are as the Episcopal Church in Rhode Island, and it inspires us to fulfill the mission of the Church “to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ.” It is an image of hope, a fitting theme for this season of Advent that we all may abound in hope.

The passage we read from Paul’s Letter to the Romans is about hope.  Paul wrote, “Whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope.”  He also quoted the prophet Isaiah, "The root of Jesse shall come, the one who rises to rule the Gentiles; in him the Gentiles shall hope."  Then he offered a blessing, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

John the Baptist in proclaiming a call to repentance expressed hope for a new day. “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”  It is a call to turn away from older ways of being and doing things and turning toward a new day of embracing hope and salvation.  God’s promises are about to be fulfilled, the kingdom of heaven has come near, a new day is on the horizon.  It is time to abound in hope.  John said, "I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals.  He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

An important way to abound in hope is to recall some of the more trying and tragic times in history through which we have struggled and out of which comes an expectation of hope for a better life for those in need.  Last Thursday the world lost an important leader and freedom fighter for civil rights, compassion, and respect for the dignity of all people.  Nelson Mandela was instrumental in ending apartheid in South Africa, and he inspired people everywhere to embrace our common humanity.  We give thanks for his life knowing that he abounded in hope in the midst of a time of great injustice. 

Closer to home last Monday I participated in a conference call with a few colleagues who are

working to develop a publication to honor the 50^th anniversary of the death of Jonathan Daniels.  

 Jon was a seminary classmate of mine who, in 1965, spent a semester on leave from seminary to work for voter registration and integration in Alabama.  While there, he along with several others was arrested and jailed for six days.  When released they walked over to a cash store in Hayneville, Alabama.  As they neared the store, a special deputy named Tom Coleman came out of the store, exchanged a few words, and then fired a shotgun at the group.  Jon was killed as he stepped in front of a black girl to save her life.  Coleman was tried by a jury of white males and after just 45 minutes of deliberation was found not guilty by reason of self-defense.  The young girl whose life was saved is Ruby Sales who is a graduate of Episcopal Divinity School and founder of the SpiritHouse Project in Atlanta, Georgia.  The SpiritHouse Project is “an intergenerational network of diverse people who work for racial and social justice.”

Jonathan Daniels is remembered each year on the Episcopal Church calendar on August 14^th.  His name is listed in the book of contemporary martyrs at Canterbury Cathedral, England.  The commemorative project for the 50^th anniversary of Jon’s death intends to examine some of the lessons we have learned.  Jon was greatly moved by a passage in the Gospel of Luke.  It was the Song of Mary the Magnificat, “From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name…. He has scattered the proud in their conceit.  He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly.  He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty…. He has remembered his promise of mercy.”

Several questions are being considered in developing this commemorative project:  What is the relationship between martyrdom and social justice?  What is the role of the Church?  What about the unfinished work of racism and other oppressions?  What is happening among today’s movements for social justice?  Several people will be asked to submit essays in response to these questions.

Before he took a leave from seminary Jon had a fieldwork assignment here in Providence.  His ministry in South Providence and was focused on civil rights, voter registration, and equality.   Our Diocese is now launching the Jonathan Daniels House to carry on this work.  The mission of Jonathan Daniels House is to honor Daniels by planting a new community committed to continuing the work of service, justice and reconciliation that he lived and died for.  A more complete description of the program is to be announced soon and college graduates from the national Episcopal Service Corps will be in residence to serve in some nonprofit social agencies.  May we all abound in hope for the new life we celebrate at Christmas.  Amen.

Walk in the Light of the Lord

It’s hard to believe, but it is already the first of December.  The year has gone by very quickly, and now everyone seems to be hurrying to prepare for the Christmas holidays just three weeks away.  What are we to make of all the frenetic energy of this time of year?  People everywhere are rushing to buy presents in stores or on-line, planning holiday travel, buying wreaths and trees, and ordering their Christmas ham, turkey or goose, whatever is part of their tradition or custom.

There is a certain darkness to all this.  It is not that the days are short and the nights are long; the problem is that so much of our energy consumes us with things that have little or no ultimate meaning.  We are so preoccupied with playing the materialistic and consumerist game that we fail to ask what this new season we call Advent is really about.  We need to reclaim this season of the Christian year for what it means.  It is all about waiting, watching, and preparing with expectation and hope for a new day for us and for all people everywhere.

Advent not only marks the beginning of the Christian year, it is a time of watching and waiting for the coming of the Messiah, God as a human person, born as we are into life on this earth, born to live, grow, love, suffer and die just as we all do.  It is the incarnation of God, Christ’s birth among us; and we are to prepare for it with a sense of joyful anticipation.

Advent is the season of the shortest and darkest days of the year.  Outside it is more often dark and gray than it is shiny and bright.  We adorn our church with the dark purple colors of Advent.  We hear the gospel account of Jesus telling the disciples and us to be awake and ready, "for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming."

This coming will be a source of light and hope.  As Paul stated in his Letter to the Romans, “Let us lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light."  To dramatize the coming new light, we light an additional candle on the Advent wreath each week.

The Prophet Isaiah said that in the days to come all nations should be prepared for something extraordinary.  “Let us go to the house of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths…. Nations shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; one nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again.”  Peace, nonviolence, and justice will reign. “Let us walk in the light of the Lord.”

Isaiah’s is an amazing proclamation calling for an end to fear, war and terror.  Our world is filled with divisions, both secular and religious, social and economic, so that any possibility of peace and justice seems remote and unlikely.  Isaiah’s is an audacious and revolutionary claim.  Yet, in the midst of all this, Isaiah’s words are prophetic, “let us walk in the light of the Lord.”

We are, however, living in darkness when it comes to hearing these prophetic words and then acting on Jesus’ statement to his disciples that we must prepare and “be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.”

Paul echoes this theme telling us that we should “lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.”  He elaborates on what this means: “let us live honorably…not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy.  Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.”

The Rev. Catherine A. Caimano, Canon for Regional Ministry in the Diocese of North Carolina, has written, “Our faith is about how Jesus Christ, born into this world as a small spot of light in the darkness, helps us to believe… that love and forgiveness and redemption and hope have a part in every choice we make…. To put on the armor of light is to rejoice that we have marched right into this darkness and found that we are not alone.  We will not be left in our suffering; we will be met with hope and peace and love in the moments that we dare to take off the kinds of armor that the rest of the world seems to demand that we wear -- cynicism and defensiveness and isolation and fear.

“The moment that we bare our true hearts and true souls is the moment that we find we are suddenly clothed with the kind of joy that all the other sparkle of this season can’t even begin to imitate. That’s when we put on the party that is Christmas -- not before our time to truly prepare.

“So for these four weeks, we put on the light, one small candle at a time. We remind ourselves to take off those things that we do not need and wrap ourselves in the warmth of what is coming -- the light of the world, slowly, appearing when we most need it.”

Isaiah’s vision of peace and justice is a wonderful image to sustain our hope for the community of nations.  We can ponder the events of this time of year and reflect upon the source of reconciliation among all people including ourselves in unity with God.  The possibility for reconciliation is always present, and Isaiah's time-honored instruction transcends time and space.  We can hope for justice when we allocate funds for education, health care, and the welfare of the poorest citizens in our midst.  We are to be ever vigilant, watchful, and full of expectation and hope for the days to come.  So let us walk in the light of the Lord.  It is the Incarnation of God.  Amen.