Tornado Warning!

Tornado Alert!

We begin our worship this morning with our prayers for our friends in Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas and Tennessee. Lives have been lost, homes destroyed and this holy season has been changed forever for thousands. Our prayer life includes generosity, so I encourage you to give to the Episcopal Relief and Development Fund or other such relief organization.

Cindy and I have been in the midst of Tornados. One such time we were at Dallas International flying home from a swing out west to visit Michael, our #3 son. Our cell phones are equipped by default with a notification system when severe weather is close. As we stood at the gate waiting for our plane to take us home, hundreds of cellphones went off around us including our own sounding like a cacophony of smoke alarms. Tornado warning! 

It was most disconcerting.

We were herded off to another gate and hustled onto another plane, and still there were flashes of lightning, and a dark foreboding cloud cover. I checked the radar on my cell phone. It did not look like good flying weather. Then, wild west style, our pilot announced that we were taking off and that we were likely to run into a bit of turbulence. “Buckle up” says he! We headed around the worst of it over the Gulf of Mexico and then onto Boston. It was a wild ride.

I found myself sensing the nearness of God, and praying most devoutly for safety. And here I am still, to talk about it.

Interestingly, in today’s Gospel we flock to John the Baptist, because we sense our nearness to God and our vulnerability. Then he snaps at us “you brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” 

To press his point, he says; “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.” And the crowds asked him, “What then should we do?”

The Baptizer’s answer is fascinating, and actually quite reassuring;  “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.” Tax collectors asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?” He said to them, “Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.” 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.”

What John prescribes is only reasonable. He requires of us a life befitting repentance and what he asks for sounds much like common decency. Be generous, share what you have with others and especially with those in need. Be honest, tell the truth, be done with fraud and extortion. Most if not all of us live that way anyway. We always have and we always will. 

Mind you, in those days there were some who were greedy. They looked away from the poor and the needy. There were those who wouldn’t know the truth if they fell over it. And as to fraud and extortion it would appear that, in those days there were those who took that to an art form. 

To tell the truth, there is some of all that going on right here in River City. 

What then of Repentance? You may rejoice in it! Neither John nor Jesus are asking any more of you that a life built on honesty, integrity, generosity and faith.

The people were thrilled with this good news and thought that perhaps John was the Messiah. But John set them straight; “I baptize you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” Then John added this warning; “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.”

The early church taught in its very first teachings in a booklet we now know as Didache (Greek; “the Teachings”); “There are only two ways; the way that leads to life and the way that leads to death.” John suggests to us a generous, honest, and faithful life as the way to the nearness of God. Greed, lies, fraud and extortion will only distance ourselves from the Holy One. 

Today’s Collect calls on God to “stir up his power” among us. John’s words are meant to stir us up. My priest loved calling this day in the Church Year “stir up Sunday”.  The Gospel often calls on us to “stir things up”. 

It is in this same spirit that the prophet Zephaniah calls out to us; “Sing aloud, O daughter Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, the Lord, is in your midst; Do not fear; do not let your hands grow weak. Your God, is in your midst, he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love; The Holy One will deal with all your oppressors at that time and will save the lame and gather the outcast, and God will change their shame into praise in all the earth.”

This is the Sunday of Joy in Advent. When you light this Rose candle you announce the nearness of God and your Joy as God approaches. That tender, little Baby in a manger surrounded by the animals whose breath takes the chill out of the evening air sleeps in Heavenly Peace. What a lovely tableau. 

But one moment, please. Be on your alert. There is a Tornado warning and many of our friends are suffering from terrible devastation. And I needn’t remind you or must I? It is no time to let your guard down about the Pandemic. 

Ours is the world John came to and Jesus was born in. There was a great deal of sin in those days. There is ample still but you and I are called to live lives worthy of the Church which is the Body of Christ. 

And so we pray with church in Philippi these words from today’s second reading;

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

In the Name of God; the Most Holy, Undivided, and Everlasting Trinity. Amen

Fr Paul

(Below are the readings for the Third Sunday of Advent and my highlights upon which I have based today’ sermon.)

The Collect:

Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us; and, because we are sorely hindered by our sins, let your bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.

Old Testament: Zephaniah 3:14-20

Sing aloud, O daughter Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem! 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. On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands grow weak. 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 as on a day of festival. I will remove disaster from you, so that you will not bear reproach for it. 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. 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.

Canticle 9 — The First Song of Isaiah (Isaiah 12:2-6)

Surely, it is God who saves me; *
     I will trust in him and not be afraid.
For the Lord is my stronghold and my sure defense, *
    and he will be my Savior.
Therefore you shall draw water with rejoicing *
    from the springs of salvation.
And on that day you shall say, *
    Give thanks to the Lord and call upon his Name;
Make his deeds known among the peoples; *
    see that they remember that his Name is exalted.
Sing the praises of the Lord, for he has done great things, *
    and this is known in all the world.
Cry aloud, inhabitants of Zion, ring out your joy, *
    for the great one in the midst of you is the Holy One of Israel.

Epistle: Philippians 4:4-7

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Gospel: Luke 3:7-18

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? 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. 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.” And the crowds asked him, “What then should we do?” In reply he said to them, “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.” Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?” He said to them, “Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.” 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.”

As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, 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. 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.” So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.