Christmas 2009

Those of you who have shared life most closely with me these past few years know that I am strongly of two minds about this time of year. I have always loved Christmas. David's love of Christmas also magnified my enjoyment of the season. Our anniversary is a few days before Christmas. The last chapter of our lives together started in November of 2006. The tumors on his brain began to impact his balance first... The days and weeks passed and speech and sight were diminished. We were in and out of the hospital through December. He asked to come home on Christmas Eve. We spent the next few days with the laptop balanced on his lap watching DVDs of "Joan of Arcadia."

This is the third year since living these events first-hand and while I am making progress living into a place that will allow me to move on with my life, David is so much a part of who I am that at times it is difficult to distinguish myself from the memories of him. This is not indicative of twisted co-dependency. It is a relic of two people who shared the best and worst of life for more than 11 years. So do not pity me. The choice David made to share part of his life journey with me has enriched my life in more ways than I will ever be able to tell. I do miss him but mostly it is the good times, not the difficult times that I remember - even during this time of year.

I was thinking today of the memorial service we held for David. Here is some of what I wrote about him. I share it today because in so many ways David's life embodied the spirit of Christmas.

David was always thinking of the folks in his life and that made him a great Christmas shopper because he was shopping all year. He would see something that was right for someone and would put it away for months until an occasion arrived to give it to them. Frequently the occasion would be “I saw this and I thought it would be great for you.” Debbie, David’s sister was saying just yesterday how there were times when nothing arrived for her birthday or Christmas because David had not found the right thing… but something would arrive sometime later in the year that was “just perfect for her.” David was like that. He would not get you something just because it was time to get you something and something had to do… There was always a motivation behind his gifts.

My sister sent me a note a couple of days ago and she said:

I have been thinking all day about the wonderful man David was. He was such a wonderful sweet friend. The surprise gifts for my girls, I will think of him any time that I see them in one of the beautiful old timey hats he sent, or any of the jewels, or see any of the beautiful Hat boxes...And most recently, even with him as ill as he was, the precious gift of the music boxes, with all of his time and special personal touches on them.

David had many talents that facilitated his kindness and generosity. He was very crafty and creative. He was always making something better than when he found it. He knows I love music and pianos. One Christmas he bought a piano shaped music box for me but it wasn’t good enough the way it came. He wanted there to be an actual keyboard on the music box and so he took some balsa wood, cut keys to the scale of the music box, painted them and built a keyboard and lined the back of it with a piece of black cord. All 88 keys were there, black and white, and correctly arranged. David even knew which of the dogs would like to be covered on winter nights and which did not. Every night he had a ritual of telling the dogs goodnight and tucking them in - each to their preferences. Sarah covered, Grace not, Beau only the tip of his snout covered and Jacob and Maggie would be up on the bed. Even on nights when he didn’t feel well he didn’t forget the dogs.

David also loved to cook and to bake. I remember one time when he decided to make jambalaya for the first time. I do not think there was an occasion other than to bring friends together for a meal. He made it 100% from scratch. He made the rue and he worked on that meal all day long. There was a full house that night eating the wonderful food. Before I met David I do not think I had any idea that buttermilk pie existed. He mentioned something about a buttermilk pie one day and I made a face and some comment about how disgusting would that be. Needless to say I am a buttermilk pie devotee now. It is one of the best things I have ever eaten. After my Aunt Mary passed away, David found her coconut cream pie recipe in a cook book from the ladies auxiliary and he started making it for me because he knew how much I love that pie and how it reminded me of someone whom I love dearly. He was always baking at Christmas and once he managed to finagle the recipe for his mother’s jam cake from her that delicious jam cake replaced homemade biscotti as a gift that he would make for friends during Christmas.

Speaking of Christmas it would be impossible to talk about David without talking about his love of Christmas. He did not care much for the commercialization of the holiday but he loved decorating for the season, the music, and he loved angels. David has angels of every shape and fashion. Several of us will remember a trip to Asheville when David found a three foot tall angel that was on deep discount due to damaged wings. David knew he could repair that. As many beautiful things did, the angel had “called his name” and so he had to have it. His crafty magic soon made the angel whole and beautiful again.

...

There are a million little things about David that bear stating here but I hope you get the picture. David was thoughtful, kind, loving, giving, warm-hearted, fun, reserved, mischievous, quiet; but words alone can not sum him up. We each have our own memories of David or we would not be here today. Today, in many respects is about us and about having confirmation that David’s transition from this life to the next is real. People have so many ways to view the passing of loved ones. WH Auden wrote:

Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.

Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead
Scribbling on the sky the message He Is Dead,
Put crêpe bows round the white necks of the public doves,
Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.

He was my North, my South, my East and West,
My working week and my Sunday rest,
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;
I thought that love would last for ever: I was wrong.

The stars are not wanted now: put out every one;
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun;
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood.
For nothing now can ever come to any good

Auden starts off so well. For almost three full stanzas he seems to “get it.” But, if I may be so bold, he goes wrong from the last three words of stanza three. Don’t get me wrong. Many of us probably feel that we simply cannot be consoled in our grief and therefore not even the majesty of God’s creation will be enough to bring us cheer. I don’t think David saw life that way. I think David had a quite high opinion of Nature and God’s capacity to heal, console, build up, and remind us that what faces us now IS natural and just as Winter leads to Spring then so too does Death lead to Life. Those of us who know David and his Leo nature know that he will want us to morn him appropriately – after all he was king of the jungle :-) But I think we can also take comfort in the belief that he would want us to continue to live – to find great joy in Nature, in Quiet, in Company, and in Solitude.

Another way to view this is to remember these words from the book Tuesdays with Morrie in which Morrie a man who lives for years with the effects of Lou Gehrig’s disease states:

As long as we can love each other and remember the feeling of love we had, we can die without ever really going away. All the love you created is still there. All the memories are still there. You live on – in the hearts of everyone you have touched and nurtured while you were here.

Death ends a life, not a relationship.

Death does end a life, not a relationship. But the relationship must continue changing after the death of a loved one - even as it changed during their life. The relationship must change because those of us here continue to grow, learn, live, and change. About now you may be wondering how I am going to bring this diatribe back around to Christmas... While none of us is perfect, David held the spirit of Christmas in his heart and life throughout the year. It had a profound impact upon who he was. It touched the lives of those around him. It is sometimes a difficult thing to do but it seems to me that this is the call to us for all of our lives - to give without counting the cost, to be peace-makers, to be hopeful, to be joyful, to love and to let our lives grow from a place of love rather than selfishness. Were these not traits modeled for us by Jesus? Christmas marks the birth of Jesus but Jesus did not remain a babe in a manger. Apologies in advance to those who hold to the literal idea of virgin birth, but most of what made Jesus special was not the events of his birth... it was the life he lived and the example set even through the events of his death.

Sometimes insight can be gained by holding the extremes of an idea in mind... With that in mind I read the Lectionary passages for today and I wonder - When it is time for someone to write my eulogy what will they say? Will I have lived with Christmas in my heart throughout the years. Clearly there have been periods of my life when I did not - but on balance will I have planted more seeds of Hope, Peace, Joy, and love than my actions have run counter to those ideas?

The lectionary passages today are the Isaiah prophecy - a message of HOPE to a people living in a difficult time... a song of praise that embodies HOPE and JOY... a passage from Titus that offers the promise of PEACE for those who model their life upon the life of Christ... and the Nativity story from Luke... Enjoy!

Isaiah 9:2-7

9:2 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.

9:3 You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as people exult when dividing plunder.

9:4 For the yoke of their burden, and the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian.

9:5 For all the boots of the tramping warriors and all the garments rolled in blood shall be burned as fuel for the fire.

9:6 For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

9:7 His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.

Psalm 96

96:1 O sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth.

96:2 Sing to the LORD, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.

96:3 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples.

96:4 For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; he is to be revered above all gods.

96:5 For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the LORD made the heavens.

96:6 Honor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

96:7 Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.

96:8 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts.

96:9 Worship the LORD in holy splendor; tremble before him, all the earth.

96:10 Say among the nations, "The LORD is king! The world is firmly established; it shall never be moved. He will judge the peoples with equity."

96:11 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it;

96:12 let the field exult, and everything in it. Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy

96:13 before the LORD; for he is coming, for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with his truth.

Titus 2:11-14

2:11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all,

2:12 training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly,

2:13 while we wait for the blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

2:14 He it is who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds.

Luke 2:1-14, (15-20)

2:1 In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered.

2:2 This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria.

2:3 All went to their own towns to be registered.

2:4 Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David.

2:5 He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child.

2:6 While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child.

2:7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

2:8 In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.

2:9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

2:10 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:

2:11 to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.

2:12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger."

2:13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,

2:14 "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!"

2:15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us."

2:16 So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger.

2:17 When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child;

2:18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them.

2:19 But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.

2:20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Third Sunday of Advent 2009 - Joy

"If you aren't outraged you're not paying attention." Perhaps you have seen this bumper sticker. Perhaps on this Third Sunday of Advent you find yourself feeling as though a sense of joy is so distant as to be unattainable. After all, the season is ramping up to full frenetic pace. There are meals to prepare. There are parties to host. There are parties to attend. There are gifts to buy. The malls are crowded with people that certainly do not seem to be filled with joy and just TRY finding a parking space at the mall. These things are very real and present to many of us.


Perhaps you are contemplating the season with the backdrop of multiple wars weighing heavily on your mind and soul. You may disagree with the wars for any number of reasons and therefore feel deep outrage. You may agree with the motivation of the wars and / or the desired outcome yet also be attuned to the grief of the family and friends of those wounded or killed in these wars.

Some of us are facing illness of one type or another in either ourselves or our families. It is true that there are times in all of our lives where joy seems to be far away. There are times when it is difficult to even bear the joy of others around us. Yet it seems that even in these times there is something that will come along in the midst of all that weighs us down and we find ourselves surprised by joy. We hear our favorite song. We get a note or a call from a loved one. We are refreshed by the crisp wind or reinvigorated by a warm cup of coffee or tea on a cold afternoon. The world briefly fades away and time is suspended as we are held by one that we love.

It is a Holy Mystery that we humans can experience multiple emotions at once. Perhaps it is this mystery that JK Rowling had in mind when she had Ron Weasley say "One person can't feel all that at once, they'd explode." So it is with us. We can hold multiple contradictory feelings in our heart, mind, and soul concurrently - and yes sometimes we may feel that we are about to explode. We have been created as complex creatures. It is possible to be both outraged and joyful. Perhaps the secret is to find a way to let some emotions motivate the change for which you work in the world - and let others more strongly influence how you go about that. Changing the world usually requires influencing other people. Is it not easier to hear a message that is imbued with undercurrents of joy than with the strident screeching of outrage?

The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines Joy as "the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires. / The expression or exhibition of such emotion." I have a deep appreciation of this definition because it highlights that Joy can come from either the realization of or the anticipation of what one desires. I also appreciate that the object of desire may not be material. This definition also seems to invite the question of whether part of experiencing joy is a matter of adjusting ones expectations - not so low that life becomes so self-focused as to not contribute to the life of others but to be open to the blessings all around us each moment. I love the way that Martin Buber expressed this idea in his small book The Way of Man According to the Teaching of Hasidism:

There is something that can only be found in one place. It is a great treasure, which may be called the fulfillment of existence. The place where this treasure can be found is the place on which one stands.

...

We nevertheless feel the deficiency at every moment, and in some measure strive to find -- somewhere -- what we are seeking. Somewhere, in some province of the world or of the mind, except where we stand, where we have been set -- but it is there and nowhere else that the treasure can be found.

...

The Baal-Shem teaches that no encounter with a being or a thing in the course of our life lacks a hidden significance. The people we live with or meet with, the animals that help us with our farm work, the soil we till, the materials we shape, the tools we use, they all contain a mysterious spiritual substance which depends on us for helping it towards its pure form, its perfection. If we neglect this spiritual substance sent across our path, if we think only in terms of momentary purposes, without developing a genuine relationship to the beings and things in whose life we out to take part, as they in ours, then we shall ourselves be debarred from true, fulfilled existence. it is my conviction that this doctrine is essentially true. The highest culture of the soul remains basically arid and barren unless, day by day, waters of life pour forth into the soul from those little encounters to which we give their due; the most formidable power is intrinsically powerlessness unless it maintains a secret covenant with these contacts, both humble and helpful, with strange, and yet near, being.

This quote also calls out the need to be attuned to holiness all around us. It also brings to mind the writings and work of Joseph Campbell and the admonition to "Follow your bliss." It seems that in following one's bliss that one stacks the deck toward being attuned to the mystery of life through which we walk. I think it is especially important that we each follow our bliss and honor the fact that we are not all called to do or be the same thing. This truth is well expressed by Rabbi Zusya who said

In the world to come I shall not be asked: "Why were you not Moses?" I shall be asked: "Why were you not Zusya?"

With these thoughts as backdrop I turn to one of our Lectionary passages for today:

Philippians 4:4-7

4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.

4:5 Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near.

4:6 Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

4:7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

My prayer for all of us especially on this Third Sunday of Advent is that regardless of our circumstance - regardless of the things which weigh us down - regardless of how real these things may be and regardless of how dark life may seem from time to time - that we will be open to the blessing which comes upon us where we stand. I pray that we will be open to the joy of the time we have together. And when our earthly time with a loved one has passed that we will find ourselves breathless with the joy brought by the remembrance of the life we shared.

The balance of our readings today call to mind the reasons that God's people have to be joyful:

Zephaniah 3:14-20

3:14 Sing aloud, O daughter Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem!

3:15 The LORD has taken away the judgments against you, he has turned away your enemies. The king of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; you shall fear disaster no more.

3:16 On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands grow weak.

3:17 The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing

3:18 as on a day of festival. I will remove disaster from you, so that you will not bear reproach for it.

3:19 I will deal with all your oppressors at that time. And I will save the lame and gather the outcast, and I will change their shame into praise and renown in all the earth.

3:20 At that time I will bring you home, at the time when I gather you; for I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes, says the LORD.

Isaiah 12:2-6

12:2 Surely God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid, for the LORD GOD is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation.

12:3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.

12:4 And you will say in that day: Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known his deeds among the nations; proclaim that his name is exalted.

12:5 Sing praises to the LORD, for he has done gloriously; let this be known in all the earth.

12:6 Shout aloud and sing for joy, O royal Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.

Luke 3:7-18

3:7 John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

3:8 Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our ancestor'; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham.

3:9 Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."

3:10 And the crowds asked him, "What then should we do?"

3:11 In reply he said to them, "Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise."

3:12 Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, "Teacher, what should we do?"

3:13 He said to them, "Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you."


3:14 Soldiers also asked him, "And we, what should we do?" He said to them, "Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages."

3:15 As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah,

3:16 John answered all of them by saying, "I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

3:17 His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."

3:18 So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.

The Second Sunday of Advent 2009 - Love

I am still working on this one...

First Sunday of Advent 2009 - Hope

I have always appreciated the opening of Frank Herbert's Dune:

A beginning is the time for taking the most delicate care that the balances are correct. This every sister of the Bene Gesserit knows. To begin your study of the life of Muad'Dib, then take care that you first place him in his time: born in the 57th year of the Padishah Emperor, Shaddam IV. And take the most special care that you locate Muad'Dib in his place: the planet Arrakis. Do not be deceived by the fact that he was born on Caladan and lived his first fifteen years there. Arrakis, the planet known as Dune, is forever his place.

And so it is not only with great story telling. The beginning of most things is the time to ensure that the balances are correct - that there is a common understanding - that definitions are shared. With this in mind, let us examine the meaning of a few key words relevant to this season and specifically to the First Sunday of Advent.

The word "advent" (not capitalized) refers to the coming into being of something (the advent of the 21st century) or of something coming into use (the advent of the automobile). The word "Advent" specifically refers to both the time starting four Sundays before Christmas as well as the birth of Jesus Christ (the Incarnation - the Word made flesh). Given these definitions it is fitting that the advent of the Church year is marked by the Season of Advent.

The Advent Wreath is a tradition shared among many different Christian religious practices. The wreath is made of evergreen boughs, has four candles around the wreath and a large candle in the center. The meaning of the four candles around the wreath varies by tradition. The center candle is usually referred to as the "Christ Candle" and represents our belief that Jesus Christ is the light calling us to a new way of living. The meaning of the four candles varies depending upon the Church tradition. I usually think of them as representing Hope, Love, Joy, and Peace. This is by no means universal. The candles are also seen as representing Hope, Christ as The Way, Joy, and Peace or Prayer, Penance, Preparatory sacrifices / good works, and the Sunday of Rejoicing (Gaudete Sunday). There are those who say that these four candles were initially just a countdown of the four Sundays before Christmas. Given this variation in the traditions of the larger Church it is possible - even likely that I will focus on something during these reflections that does not mesh with your tradition. I pray that this is not seen as an opportunity for dismissal, rather an opportunity to engage, share ideas, and post your beliefs and opinions.

The meanings we assign to the candles of the Advent Wreath are representative of one of the primary challenges of religion in general - confusing tradition with Truth. There is an entire reflection on that topic that I am sure will be written at sometime but not today. I ask only that as you read this that you seek some seed of truth that may be contained herein.

So all this being said - I will focus the balance of this reflection on Hope. Hope is defined by the Merriam-Webster online dictionary as "to cherish a desire with anticipation; Trust; to desire with expectation of obtainment; or to expect with confidence." We can see here that Hope is very different from a wish. A wish is more a desire - sometimes for something that is unattainable such as wishing to be able to live a part of one's life again. The key difference, it seems to me, is that a wish lacks expectation whereas hope is built upon expectation.

Given these definitions it seems a good fit that the theme for the First Sunday of Advent in many traditions is "Hope." In this context in the short term we expect the coming of Christmas. In our larger tradition we expect the coming of The Kingdom of God. With this in mind, let us turn to the scriptures for this year.

Jeremiah 33:14 - 16:

33:14 The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah.

33:15 In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.

33:16 In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this is the name by which it will be called: "The LORD is our righteousness."

Okay so first of all this is an Old Testament passage - a Scripture from the Jewish tradition. It is interesting to me to reflect upon the idea that Christianity is impossible to understand without a firm understanding of Jewish faith and history. To understand this passage we need to remember that the book of Jeremiah comes out of the period of Jewish history when Judah fell to Babylon and many Jews were exiled to Babylon while others fled to Egypt. Given this background, I understand this passage to be the promise that God will restore Israel and that a descendant of David will rule once again. The prophecy gave the Nation of Israel the hope of a restored relationship with God.

If we let this light shine upon our second passage for this Sunday we see the theme of Hope shine through as the expectation that God forgives and protects those who learn and follow God's Ways.

Psalm 25:1 - 10:

25:1 To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul.

25:2 O my God, in you I trust; do not let me be put to shame; do not let my enemies exult over me.

25:3 Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame; let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.

25:4 Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths.

25:5 Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long.

25:6 Be mindful of your mercy, O LORD, and of your steadfast love, for they have been from of old.

25:7 Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for your goodness' sake, O LORD!

25:8 Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in the way.

25:9 He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.

25:10 All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his decrees.

1 Thessalonians 3:9 - 13:

3:9 How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy that we feel before our God because of you?

3:10 Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you face to face and restore whatever is lacking in your faith.

3:11 Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you.

3:12 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.

3:13 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.

1 Thessalonians is believed to be the earliest existing Christian text written about twenty years after The Crucifixion. What must it have been like to be a member of the church at Thessalonica in those early years after the death of Christ? Generations of Jews had lived the promise of the coming of the Messiah. Many believed Jesus of Nazareth to be that Messiah. To have lived during the period when Jesus was alive and ministering must have been an amazing and uplifting time for believers - to have been followed by the Crucifixion had to have been disheartening. Many believed that The Messiah would come to establish His Kingdom on Earth. For Jesus to die without major changes in the geo-political situation must have been devastating for many. Is this the reason that Jews do not recognize Jesus as The Messiah?

What courage it must have taken to remain a member of the Christian faith in those times - to adhere to a practice of "you have heard it said love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you..." (Matt 5:43/44) and a faith based upon Love. This passage foreshadows the theme of the Second week of Advent as Paul offers a prayer that they will increase and abound in love for one another - and for ALL. What a departure the suggestion of loving even those who were not members of their community must have been... And how difficult is it for us to love those whom we see as being the outsider even today - but again that is a meditation for another time.

Christian tradition comes full circle with the final passage for this Sunday.

Luke 21:25 - 36:

21:25 "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.

21:26 People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

21:27 Then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in a cloud' with power and great glory.

21:28 Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."

21:29 Then he told them a parable: "Look at the fig tree and all the trees;

21:30 as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near.

21:31 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near.

21:32 Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place.

21:33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

21:34 "Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day catch you unexpectedly,

21:35 like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth.

21:36 Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man."

In this passage, Jesus points to a time to come and feeds the expectation - the Hope of the time when the Kingdom of God is established.

Reflecting upon these passages leads me to reflect upon my own life. I recognize times when I have lived my life wishfully - hoping that things would be something that they cannot be. There were times when David was ill that I wished with all my being that his cancer would be cured. I realized even in the midst of that wishful thinking that it was probably not going to happen. The initial diagnosis was Stage 4 - in upper and lower lobes of both lungs and mets to the brain and bone. There may be those of you who read this and believe that perhaps I simply lacked faith that God could / would heal David. If that is true for you then I admire you for your belief but that is not how I view things.

I do not believe in deus ex machina. Well actually, I do believe in deus ex machina... I do believe that God has worked through the hands of scientists and doctors and that there are a great many times when healing happens because of these dedicated people who have spent their lives researching and developing treatments and cures for diseases - but to date there is no hope for a cure with this initial diagnosis. What I do not believe in is the invisible healing hand of God working miracles such as healing in situations such as these. It is not what I observe to happen and until such time that the human hands of God working in the labs discover a cure for cancer I believe it is rational to place hope elsewhere - that God's grace, expressed through the love and support of friends, family, church, doctors, nurses, and all caregivers is sufficient to see us through such difficult times.

Hope is active. Hope is desire with expectation. Hope is a call to action. My hope was that through the experience of living with the situation that David and I would grow closer, would care for each other more than we ever had before, and that somehow the energy would be there for the living of the next moment, the next, and the next. You see, HOPE means not giving up - even when you know how the story is going to end. What joy could there be in life if the moment that we each realized that we too were going to die we stopped investing in making life better - we ceased to act upon the call to be the Hands of God in the world?

My prayer for all of us is that we will not live wishfully rather that we will all live HOPEFULLY, expectantly, and that this hope propels us into action such that the way we live brings the Kingdom of God on Earth ever closer - one act of loving kindness at a time.