Advent 2016 Reflections

Week 1: “The Day and Hour are Unknown”, by Dr. Heather A. Hamilton, Director of Music
Week 2: “No More Hurting”, by Rev. Alison J. Buttrick Patton, Pastor
Week 3: “Distracted”, by Dana Johnson, Director of Children’s Ministries
Week 4: “A Father’s Kindness”, by Thomas Burke, Seminary Intern

Week 1: The Day and Hour are Unknown
by Dr. Heather A. Hamilton

“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Human One. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away.”
– Matthew 24:36-44

That is how it will be at the coming of the Human One. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Human One will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

“One will be taken, and one left…” Which one do you think you would be? Would you have been on the ark with Noah? These are such scary thoughts of uncertainty. We need strong faith to help us through these times.

Be ready! The Human One will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

Advent for me is a time literally to get ready, just as the scripture warns us. The choir carefully prepares songs for Advent that reflect the excitement and uncertainty of the birth of Jesus. Simultaneously, we are planning carefully for the birth of Jesus. So we get all excited that Christmas Day is almost here and then sing songs with lyrics that say HE’S HERE while it is still Advent; we are still waiting. We have that unsure feeling built into our music planning. Then, when Christmas Eve and Christmas Day arrive, it is wonderful! Festive music is sung by soloists, duos, trios, quartets, and congregation. Christ the Babe is Born.

Keep Watch! Look around and see the lights, displays in the stores, and decorations on people’s houses. Every time you see Christmas lights and it causes you to panic or to get annoyed, think this, “He is coming. All will be well!” It is glorious that so many are anticipating the birth of Jesus. Let us be glad and sing…

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, And ransom captive Israel, That mourns in lonely exile here, Until the Son of God appears. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

Week 2: “No More Hurting”
by Rev. Alison J. Buttrick Patton

“They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.”
– Isaiah 11:9

This morning I heard that hate crimes are up 50% in New York City this month. I learned that a young transgender woman who grew up in Westport was killed in the Ghost Ship warehouse fire in Oakland, CA.

I read that Black inmates are statistically much less likely to be granted parole than are white inmates in the state of NY. I spoke with a parishioner who is struggling with chronic back pain. I prayed for a man who is mentally ill. Then I read these words from the prophet Isaiah. “They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain.”

So how do I get to that mountain, I wondered? Maybe God could ping me the address to enter in my GPS? I’d post it on FB. I’d tweet it. Surely it would go viral and everyone would drop what they’re doing to head for the summit. Surely, everyone would get in line to live in a place where no one gets hurt, a place where our hearts might finally cease to break. Surely, finding such a place is more urgent than finishing the Christmas shopping, or untangling the Christmas lights, or corralling the kids for one more Christmas photo card? Just point the way, God.

Unless, of course, God has already done so, and we just aren’t ready to follow. Maybe our intentions are as tangled as those pesky Christmas lights. Here’s the rub: Isaiah isn’t just promising that we won’t be hurt. He says that on God’s holy mountain no one will cause hurt. Am I really ready to pull all my punches? To hang out with my enemies? To forgive and not to curse those who have harmed the people and communities I love?

If I’m really, really honest with myself, the answer is probably “No.” I am angry at the man who yanks a hijab off the head of a passing Muslim woman; and at the stranger who yells at the Vietnamese man to ‘go back to Mexico.’ I am angry at the system that makes safe, affordable housing inaccessible to artists and at public officials who behave like bullies. I want justice. In fact, I believe that we’re called to be justice-seekers and healers and community builders, with one eye focused clearly on the troubles of this world, and the other fixed on that peace-filled future promised by the prophet Isaiah.

However, I suspect that the fight for justice only gets us half way there. Sooner or later (and it may take us awhile), we need to trade in our justice for God’s mercy. We need to turn over all the hurt and anger to God and trust that God will transform our dismay into something life-restoring for everyone. We may never make it to that mountain on our own. The good news is: God will bring the mountain to us. That’s what I’m waiting for this Advent, and every Advent. Come, Immanuel, come.

O God: Fill us with knowledge of You; teach us to heal and not to hurt. Keep our adversaries safe from harm. And save a spot for every one of us on your Holy Mountain, because we all need it. Amen.

Week 3: “Distracted”
Dana Johnson, Director of Children’s Ministries

The Desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.
– Isaiah 35:1-2

I didn’t really know anything about Isaiah when I read this passage. And, honestly, my first thought was that I wouldn’t have known what a crocus was, or the joy of seeing one bloom after a long, dark winter if we hadn’t moved from California 23 years ago. But, that’s just a distraction. Oh yeah, a distraction, the greatest of devices in my toolkit for managing children.

I’m sure you can relate, whether you’ve seen it in your own children or been a witness in a random public venue. The child is on the verge of a meltdown, and the caregiver is negotiating with the intensity of a hostage crisis professional, offering one after the other of intriguing visions for the child to focus on so they will let go of the desire, completely out of their reach, that is throwing them over the edge. Once in a while, you hit on the right scenario and get immediate respite. Other times, it takes 25 tries before you get it right.

The tension is intense, and the relief at finding the solution is palpable, emotional and physical. And, as adults, we can relate to the build-up of tension and the reprieve. The only thing that differentiates us from the 4 year old having a meltdown is our ability to conjure, on our own, that feeling of relief, of joy, that we felt in past, uncomfortable situations of indomitable waiting. I’m starting to understand that, just like I need to keep my senses in tune for God moments, I need to intentionally manage my impatience. I can summon images and feelings of joy that will help me get through the wait. I can tune in to God’s gifts and employ a universe full of distractions. And, I think that’s what the pink candle in the Advent Wreath is all about. In my mind, at least, Joy is not any more special than Peace or Hope or Love. But, Joy gets it’s own color candle during Advent to distract us and to serve as a tangible reminder of the personal and collective memory that we can tap into.

If Isaiah was living in the 8th century BC, then it seems as if distraction has been a popular tool for a very long time. Waiting for something that we really, really want hasn’t gotten any easier. So the goal, then, is to figure out what we should focus on for our distraction and to make a conscious effort to choose beauty and love, like the first crocus in spring.

Dear God, Thank you for Love, Peace, Hope and Joy and the power to focus on what’s important.

Advent Reflection – Week 4
“A Father’s Kindness” – Thomas Burke, Seminary Intern

…An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” … When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife.
– Matthew 1:20-21, 24

The Gospel reading for the fourth week of Advent comes from Matthew. Matthew looks at Jesus’ birth from Joseph’s point of view, unlike the Luke text which tells Mary’s story. Not to take away from the mother of God, but I want to take this opportunity to focus on Joseph.

Christmas is when we celebrate the incarnation of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. God became human so they we could know him. But Jesus wasn’t just born a thirty year old man with the ability to preach and perform miracles. He had to, as Luke puts it, “grow in wisdom”. A big part of growing up is what we learn from our fathers.

When Joseph learned that the woman who was to marry him was pregnant, he was kind enough to honor the contract that bound him to Mary. His faith in God allowed him to listen to the angel in his dream, who told him to stay with Mary. Other characters in the Bible don’t always listen to the voice of God. But Joseph did.

It’s hard to raise children. I owe my parents a tremendous debt for their love and kindness, which allowed me to grow in wisdom. For Jesus to grow into the man He did, he must have had an amazing father: an exemplar for how to love and treat others in life.

We don’t hear much about Joseph after this. During Jesus’ ministry it doesn’t seem like he’s around. All we do know is that when God asked Joseph to have faith, he did. As an Israelite male, that meant teaching his son the Torah and instilling an ethical code of right and wrong and justice for the oppressed.

This advent season, we should take a lesson from the Holy Family, a family that is just as complex as our own. We should look to each and every one of those who love us and appreciate them for shaping how we interact with the world. Joseph teaches us to be kind and understanding of those we love. Let us not forget to love those closest to us in the year to come.