Theme: the Proclamation of John the Baptist

Pastor’s Notes for 2nd Sunday in Advent, B Date: 12/7/14 Theme: The Proclamation of John the Baptist Bible Ref’s: Isaiah 40:1-11; Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13; 2Peter 3:8-15a; and Mark 1:1-8.

Prayer of the Day Stir up our hearts, Lord God, to prepare the way of your only Son. By his coming strengthen us to serve you with purified lives; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Brief Sermon Outline: “The Promise of Peace” Focus Statemnt: The world seems more than one candle brighter now as we look towards Christmas.

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 1:7)

1. It’s the time of Christmas cards/letters. I know we struggle to get out an annual letter to all our rela- tives & friends, maybe you do too. The pace of modern life is crazy enough but Christmastime can put us right over the edge. We hear the prophet’s words, “Comfort, comfort now my people…” but comfort seems millennia away; the only realistic hope of enduring peace on our tombstones (RIP). 2. Here is part of the deeper mystery of Advent. Each week we focus on a different aspect of what Christ brings silently to the world at Christmas: the first candle is hope, then peace, joy and love. 3. But what we discover in our attempt to keep the light of Christ’s advent burning in our hearts/minds is that the candle’s light begins to flicker soon after we light it. We light the first candle of hope, & perhaps that very afternoon we’ve forgotten re: the hopefulness of God full of grace/truth hidden in baby Jesus, in his rural ministry to the blind/lame/poor/oppressed, even in his death on the cross. 4. Our hope flickers soon after the candle is lit, we get distracted from living out the hope hidden in us b/c fear, suffering, guilt or excuses start smothering it. If by chance we make it to Wed. evening vespers, we have a hard time with the peace & quietness of that excruciatingly long half-hour. 5. We hear the canted words “Jesus Christ is the light of the world” and the people respond “the light no darkness can overcome.” “Stay w/ us Lord, for it is evening…” & folks respond “and the day is almost over.”“Let your light scatter the darkness” & the people respond “and illumine your church.” 6. Ancient echoes that bring comfort & peace into a darkened world for those who can “keep awake” as Jesus urged his disciples in last Sunday’s gospel. Now today is the 2nd Sunday in Advent & we have lighted the candle of “Peace.” Again, the flame is likely to start flickering as soon as we light it. But maybe out of the repetition of it, or perhaps a growing conviction in us that Christ in the H.S. indeed does come to us full of grace & truth in the daily ordinary stuff of life: water, bread & wine… 7. Maybe just for reasons beyond understanding (for reasons that are a mystery to us) that candle of hope seems to shine a bit brighter for us today, a bit stronger…it dawns on us, like it did for the author of 2Peter, that “the Lord is not slow re: his promise [of hope to the world in Christ thru the Holy Spirit]…but is [being] patient with [us]… not wanting any to [feel bereft or hopeless] but all to come to [repent of their crazy busy, sleep-deprived lives that bury them in fear, exhaustion & guilt. 8. The world seems more than one candle brighter now as we look towards Christmas—and the next candle is “Peace.” I’m beginning to like St. Scholastica more and more. On Friday we received this lovely Christmas card with artwork by professor of English Patricia Hagen (it has sheep gazing up at a starry sky w/ the word “Peace” stretched out across it & a star resembling the Bethlehem star. 9. Such are often the ways of God across the dark, starry expanse of our lives: bits of light here and there that mysteriously shine thru beyond comprehension until certain moments when suddenly a word like Hope or Peace comes to mind as the best way to express what God is up to in our lives. 10. But what shone brightest for me in this card was the verse (a prayer really) written inside by Sister Mary Rochefort, the associate vice president for Mission Integration at St. Scholastica: “May God’s love echo from our hearts this Christmas, spreading a mantle of peace over all creation.” 11. I pray tonight, as you quietly gaze up into the heavens of northern MN, I hope you’ll perceive that mantle of peace stretching across the sky & across the starry expanse of your life. Not only did the heavenly host declare it to the shepherds at Jesus’ birth, “Glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth peace among those whom he favors!” (Luke 2:14), Jesus breathed it as a promise into the atmosphere of his final days on earth: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.” (John 14:27) Keep awake; peace has come! May “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, …guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7) Amen

Hymn of the Day: “Comfort, Comfort Now My People” (LBW #29)

Children’s Sermon The Word (Isaiah 40:1-11) Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God. 2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the LORD’S hand double for all her sins. 3 A voice cries out: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. 5 Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” 6 A voice says, “Cry out!” And I said, “What shall I cry?” All people are grass, their constancy is like the flower of the field. 7 The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the LORD blows upon it; surely the people are grass. 8 The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand forever. 9 Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good tidings; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings, lift it up, do not fear; say to the cities of Judah, “Here is your God!” 10 See, the Lord GOD comes with might, and his arm rules for him; his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. 11 He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep.

(Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13) 1 LORD, you were favorable to your land; you restored the fortunes of Jacob. 2 You forgave the iniquity of your people; you pardoned all their sin. Selah 8 Let me hear what God the LORD will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts. 9 Surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land. 10 Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other. 11 Faithfulness will spring up from the ground, and righteousness will look down from the sky. 12 The LORD will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase. 13 Righteousness will go before him, and will make a path for his steps.

(2Peter 3:8-15a) But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. 9 The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and everything that is done on it will be disclosed. 11 Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, what sort of persons ought you to be in leading lives of holiness and godliness, 12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set ablaze and dissolved, and the elements will melt with fire? 13 But, in accordance with his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home. 14 Therefore, beloved, while you are waiting for these things, strive to be found by him at peace, without spot or blemish; 15 and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation.

(Mark 1:1-8) The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2 As it is written in the prophet Isaiah, “See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way; 3 the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,’” 4 John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. 8 I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

Sermon Notes The meaning of Christ’s coming is “hidden” in the symbol of the Advent wreath. The candle of “Hope” lighted last Sunday may have begun to flicker for you this past week. But today our hope shines a bit brighter as a second candle of “Peace” renews our faith in the promises of Emmanuel. On the Advent wreath above, draw in the bright flames of hope and peace. Not only did the heavenly host declare it to the shepherds, “Glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth peace among those whom he favors!” (Luke 2:14), Jesus breathed it as a promise into the atmosphere: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.” (Jn. 14:27) Keep awake; peace has come!