Homily
by The Rev. Marcia McRae
St.
John’s Episcopal Church, Bainbridge, GA
29
Nov. 2015,
Advent 1 Year C:
Jeremiah
33:14-16; Psalm 25:1-9; 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13; Luke 21:25-36
As
we greet this Advent season, this season of anticipation, we say
goodbye to this Thanksgiving weekend & ask:
Q:
Why can't you take a turkey to church?
A:
They use fowl language!*
* Joke is from a cracker like this at left, which our family enjoys popping open at holidays to find jokes & prizes inside.
Life would be dismal without laughter. Without laughter, life would be unhealthy. One good belly laugh raises the immune system for 3 days, as I learned long ago at a stress awareness workshop in Tifton.
* Joke is from a cracker like this at left, which our family enjoys popping open at holidays to find jokes & prizes inside.
Life would be dismal without laughter. Without laughter, life would be unhealthy. One good belly laugh raises the immune system for 3 days, as I learned long ago at a stress awareness workshop in Tifton.
The
joy we express in laughter dispels despair & shines light into
dismal places, shines light & God's grace into distressed lives &
fearful hearts.
Jesus
says in our Gospel today: There will be distress among nations &
people will faint from fear. We hear much distress & fear daily
in the news: fleeing refugees & harrowing events like Friday's
standoff & deaths in Colorado. In our news we hear less about the
hope, joy, love & courage that we hear in our scriptures today.
This
range of emotions from dismal expectations to hope & joy reminds
me of our blessed Thanksgiving visit in Washington, D.C., where the
weather was perfect for outdoor dining, & where we paid attention
to the news & were alert but not fretful about our surroundings.
Plus
we enjoyed a beautiful trek there & back home under blue skies &
fluffy clouds, seeing glorious rolling green hills surrounded by deep
blue mountains, sleek horses, peaceful cattle grazing on hillsides
near bright evergreens & other trees some with shiny yellow
leaves still clinging. Red barn roofs & white silos peak above
hilltops. Artwork of red & green apples painted on a water tower
speaks of the quality of life & creativity of people. Ooooo.
We
dip down a hillside. At the shadowy, monochromatic looking bottom, I
see rusting remains of bygone days. A large sign points the way to
Dismal Hollow. The contrast is as stark as what we hear in the news &
the hope you & I have in Jesus.
Jesus
frees us from “Dismal Hollow”. Jesus calls us to be change
agents, to carry on his work freeing our brothers & sisters from
“Dismal Hollow” beyond our red doors. How do we do this work? How
do we brighten dismal lives? The “how” varies among us according
to our God-given gifts. The “how” remains grounded in God's love.
Beautiful
Brothers & Sisters, you do do
what Paul hopes for the Thessalonians, as
we hear today.
You DO respond so that the Lord makes you increase & abound in
love for one another & for all. That's why it is easy for me to
do what Paul does: “abound in love for you”.
You
are
a beautiful, love-overflowing Body of Christ. You ARE change agents
for our Brothers & Sisters living in “Dismal Hollow”.
Sometimes it helps to be reminded of this to remain strong in the
Lord & confident in your work as agents for positive change.
God's
love & guidance through the Holy Spirit will strengthen you so
that you do not faint from fear & foreboding as you do the work
God gives you to do: the work to rescue our brothers & sisters
held hostage in “Dismal Hollow”.
May
God strengthen you in holiness.
May
you remain strong in sharing God's love.
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