Advent III 12/17/23
The Still Point
A Time of Meditation and Reflection
The Third Sunday of Advent:
Gaudete Sunday
... At the still point of the turning world. Neither flesh nor fleshless;
Neither from nor towards; at the still point, there the dance is,
But neither arrest nor movement. And do not call it fixity,
Where past and future are gathered. Neither movement from nor towards,
Neither ascent nor decline. Except for the point, the still point,
There would be no dance, and there is only the dance...
T.S. Eliot, Burnt Norton
Peace on each one who comes in need;
Peace on each one who comes in joy.
Peace on each one who offers prayers;
Peace on each one who offers song.
Peace of the Maker, Peace of the Son,
Peace of the Spirit, the Triune One.
Opening Prayer
Come, O come Emmanuel, you are the way, the truth and the life; Come, living Savior, come to your world which waits for you. Hear this prayer for your love’s sake. Amen.
The Gospel John 1:6-8,19-28
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, “I am not the Messiah.” And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the prophet?” He answered, “No.” Then they said to him, “Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’” as the prophet Isaiah said. Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. They asked him, “Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?” John answered them, “I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal.” This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing.
Poem: “Blessed are you who bear the light” by Jan Richardson
Blessed are you
who bear the light
in unbearable times,
who testify
to its endurance
amid the unendurable,
who bear witness
to its persistence
when everything seems
in shadow
and grief.
Blessed are you
in whom
the light lives,
in whom
the brightness blazes—
your heart
a chapel,
an altar where
in the deepest night
can be seen
the fire that
shines forth in you
in unaccountable faith,
in stubborn hope,
in love that illumines
every broken thing
it finds.
Meditation
What does it mean to "testify to the light"? Scholars and commentators tell us that Jesus is "the light" to whom John the Baptist refers. Jesus himself says later: "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life." (John 8:12). So why does it matter for Jesus to be the light of the world, and for John to testify to the light?
Let's suppose that the word "light" describes a means of awareness. In the time of John the Baptist, the darkness of night was a frightening time, a time when thieves crept around camps, beasts mercilessly preyed upon the vulnerable, and the world could not be seen for what it truly was. In the darkness of a first-century night, light birthed awareness and understanding. To be the light, then, was to be the embodiment of truth and knowing. So, for John the Baptist to testify to the light was for John to testify to a deep soul-knowing of universal truth.
It's a precious gift to know a person who really truly sees who we are, who knows us with a deep soul-knowing. To be in relationship with someone who sees us like that, and more, whom we see like that...well, that looks a lot like love. What happens when we get quiet and really start paying attention to the people around us, noticing what they enjoy, what excites them, what saddens them, what makes them weary, what gives them life? What happens when we notice the gifts that shine forth from the people in our lives, their strengths, their lights, their wisdom, the ways they bless the world? It could be that when we notice the light shining in one another, when we name the gifts born of that light, we are speaking the name of Jesus as he shines forth from each face.
Questions for Reflection
When has someone testified to, or told the deep soul-knowing truth about, the Christ-light that lives within you? When has someone noticed a gift or a blessing, and named it? When have you testified to the light you saw in another person?
Sometimes the light shines on dark places in our lives we don't want to see for ourselves, or reveal to others. Is there a painful shadow you have been holding on to, not letting the light in? This season of Advent could be a gentle time to invite a little healing light to grow there, whenever you feel ready.
Where are the places in your life, in our community, in our world, that are longing for a little light to begin shining? Let us name these places in prayer, and pray for the light we know as the Christ to illuminate our selves, St. Andrew's, our city, our region, our nation, and the whole world. "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them light has shone." (Isaiah 9:2)
Prayers
We bring before God someone whom we have met or remembered today
We bring to God someone who is hurting tonight and needs our prayer
We bring to God a troubled situation in our world
We bring to God, silently, someone whom we find hard to forgive or trust
We bring ourselves to God that we might grow in generosity of spirit, clarity of mind, and warmth of affection
We offer our thanks to God for the blessings in our lives
We name before God those who have died.
Gracious God, you hear all our prayers: those we speak aloud, those we hold in our hearts, and those prayers for which we have no words. Hear the prayers of your people, and grant them as may be best for us, for the sake of your holy name. Amen.
Accept our thanks for all you have done, O God. Our hands were empty, and you filled them.
May Christ’s holy, healing, enabling Spirit be with us every step of the way, and be our guide as our road changes and turns, and the blessing of God our Creator, Redeemer and Giver of life be among us now and remain with us forever. Amen.
Reflections this Month offered by Katie Schmidt
Cover art this Week: You Are The Light of the World, by Robbie Quinn
