THE FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT
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Sunday BibleTalk: December 2nd, 2018
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ADVENT PASTICHE: PRELUDE
Listen!
Listen to the Voice of the Sower!
Attend to the Word
of the Holy One!
"Israel knows nothing,
My people have rebelled against me.
Ox and ass know their owners, but Israel knows nothing;
my people understand nothing...
And so I will send my Seed
to crush the seed
of those who crawl in the dust,
to crush the seed
of those who eat of the dust.
I will send Him
to crush the serpent's head."
Listen!
Listen to the Voice of the Sower!
Attend to the Word
of the Holy One!
And God sowed the Seed
deep into the earth,
deep, deep, deep
into the rich soil
of sure returns,
but some fell on trampled paths,
among rocks and thorns,
to wilt, to die,
scorched by sun,
choked by weeds,
eaten by the birds of the air.
The Word was both heard
and unheard.
The grass withers,
the flower fades,
but God's Holy Seed
remains forever.
Listen!
Listen anyone with ears to hear!
From "Advent Pastiche,"
EAS, 1985
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Greetings, SBT Readers:
I have never believed in rushing the seasons and, in fact, have always waited until the third Sunday of Advent --or later-- to decorate my home for Christmas. This year, however, I broke with tradition. No, my tiny Norfolk pine is still bare and with the exception of a paper star hanging in my window, there is not a sign of celebration around. However, on Thanksgiving Day, when I unexpectedly got to host my family for lunch after a "vegan" restaurant booking fell through, I decided that this would be the time to give my gifts rather than waiting until our next possible reunion at some point in January or even February. With travel plans in place for each of us over the next few months, and with my gifts being "seasonally appropriate," this seemed like a logical decision.
And I don't regret it. Having finished my Christmas shopping for friends and relatives on both sides of the Atlantic, I can now focus on Advent as a season of inner preparation, and quiet reflection. I won't have to deal with jostling shoppers, glittering goods and the grating jingles of "Frosty the Snow Man" or other such holiday favorites. Nor will I have to subject myself to the crass marketing that centers on mindless consumerism and a Christmas without Christ. Come to think of it, this might prove to be one of my "better" Advents.
What I am hoping is that as classes and other professional commitments wind down and I prepare for yet another trip to Malta, that there will be time for stillness and silence -- time to reflect on that first Christmas more than two millennia ago and what it means today, in a world given over to darkness. And reading the signs of the times --those devastating natural disasters that scientists attribute to climate change, along with the rise in hate crimes, violence and warfare-- I will be praying that the Christ-Light will transform our suffering world, healing all divisions and gifting us with that peace that somehow still eludes us.
Advent Blessings!
Elizabeth
PS
Please note that my weekly video reflection,
Sunday Chat
(see below),
is an imperfect production, entirely unscripted and therefore prone to some "rough spots" in terms of clarity, content and expression! Sadly, there's no time for "re-takes"!
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SCRIPTURE REFLECTION
"People will die of fright in anticipation 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. When these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads for your redemption is at hand."
If we don't die of fright because of the proliferation of more and more deadly weapons, the federal government's verdict on climate change might kill us instead. The newly-released
National Climate Assessment
, endorsed by NASA, NOAA and 10 other government agencies, states that, if left unchecked, climate change "could eventually cost the economy hundreds of billions of dollars per year, and
kill thousands of Americans
to boot," completely undermining our lifestyle and leading to the extinction of countless plant and animal species. (
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/a-grave-climate-warning-buried-on-black-friday/ar-BBQ1DzR?ocid=spartandhp).
Moreover, this document, like Pope Francis' encyclical,
Laudato Si',
points to human activity, especially the emission of greenhouse gasses, as the primary cause of climate change. Yes, there is much to be terrified of here -- if not for ourselves, then for our children and their children and generations yet to come, not just in the U.S. but all over the world.
If we have been unfortunate enough to experience natural disasters or if we have been shocked by media footage of the devastation that has ravaged America and other countries in recent years, then we have good reason to be afraid. Moreover, if we are overwhelmed by the numbers of migrants and displaced peoples amassing along our borders and along the borders of other countries, then we have seen nothing yet. This situation is only going to get worse-- compounded by water shortages, food shortages, insufficient housing and the spread of disease. At first it will be the poor who bear the brunt of this, but soon no one will be immune. Without change, global catastrophe is an inevitability.
Advent is the perfect time to reflect on the conversion each of us needs to embrace so that we become part of the solution rather than part of the problem."Going green" is not a political action but a spiritual action. It is an act of gratitude to our Creator, demonstrating love of God, self and others; it demands generosity, selflessness, discipline and a profound care for all living beings. It calls on us to let go of some of our bad habits and creature comforts and to find ways of being good stewards of creation. It challenges us to hope in spite of all the Doomsday predictions and to trust that the God who has called life out of chaos will listen to our prayers and help us in our efforts to save the world -- literally!
Early on his encyclical, Pope Francis writes,
"Rather than a problem to be solved, the world is a joyful mystery to be contemplated with gladness and praise"
(#12). Now is the time for both contemplation and action; it is our moral obligation to repair the world so that God's glory may continue to shine through every strand of the web of life.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
- What are some simple ways in which your Christmas observance could be more "green"?
- What new year's resolutions might you consider to live more sustainably?
- What are the spiritual implications that you associate with climate change?
- Do you have the "will" to save the planet or are you content to merely be a spectator at a horror movie?
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CHRISTMAS GIFT SUGGESTION FOR TEACHERS & PREACHERS
In light of the newly-released government report on Climate Change, my book on the spiritual implications of a green agenda might make a useful gift for people of influence -- namely, teachers and preachers!
Preaching and Teaching Laudato Si'
is not a synopsis of Pope Francis' Encyclical on the Environment, but a simply written primer for those who wish to preach, teach or reflect on the spiritual implications of a green agenda; it is a resource for those of any faith who wish to respond to the Pope's plea for ecological conversion. Though the book is primarily intended for preachers and teachers, it offers basic principles for anyone who wishes to learn more about sustainable living. This little book is not a scholarly work, but a series of reflections meant for every day people who happen to preach, teach or think!
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