{"id":2295,"date":"2023-12-24T10:30:00","date_gmt":"2023-12-24T15:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/twochurches.org\/?p=2295"},"modified":"2023-12-26T08:39:01","modified_gmt":"2023-12-26T13:39:01","slug":"let-it-be-with-me","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/twochurches.org\/index.php\/2023\/12\/24\/let-it-be-with-me\/","title":{"rendered":"Let It Be With Me"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Year B (Advent 7 \u2013 A 7-Week Advent)<\/em>
 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16
 Psalm 89:1-4, 19-26
 Romans 16:25-27
 Luke 1:26-38<\/p>\n\n\n\n

May the words of my mouth O God\u2026  speak your truth\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It may take only a little bit of preparation to do most things\u2026  but when it comes to some other things\u2026  it may take a lot of preparation\u2026  it took some preparation to get things ready for this morning\u2026  it began early in the week when I read this morning’s readings\u2026  and several commentaries about them\u2026  it continued on Wednesday\u2026  when I met with nine clergy of other denominations to discuss them\u2026  and over the next few days as I saw some underlying connections between them\u2026  it continued as I returned to my desk over and again to type out some thoughts\u2026  it continued last evening when I made sure my alarm was set\u2026  and then today\u2026  after I woke up a few hours ago\u2026  to wash the sleep out of my eyes\u2026  on the outside with water\u2026  and on the inside with coffee\u2026  I ironed my shirt and lay out my clothes\u2026  checked my email\u2026  then I made some final edits to this sermon\u2026  and made sure each page printed\u2026  so that I don’t go from p. 2 to p. 4\u2026  and wonder where p. 3 is\u2026 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It took some preparation\u2026  for the parts and pieces of this morning’s bulletin to come together\u2026  for Jill and Kathy to select the music\u2026  and for Mary Ann to play it through a few times\u2026  for Bobbie and Shelley to set the Table and check the candles and thaw out some communion bread\u2026  and for John to make sure the Mevo camera software was up-to-date and working\u2026  it took some getting ready for Kevin and Bobbie to review their readings\u2026  and for Polly to bake and prepare for the coffee hour we’ll share\u2026  it took some getting ready\u2026  just as it did for many of you from Holy Trinity to prepare for tonight’s Christmas Eve service\u2026  It may take only a little bit of preparation to do most things\u2026  but when it comes to fewer other things\u2026  it may take a lot of preparation\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In our reading from 2 Samuel\u2026  David decides that its not right that he lives in a house made of cedar\u2026  while the Ark of God resides in a tent\u2026  maybe he’s feeling guilty\u2026  and so he makes up his mind that he’s going to build a house for God\u2026  but God challenges David\u2026  saying that in the vast sweep of Israel’s history from the Exodus until now\u2026  God has never complained about not having a house\u2026  so why build one now\u2026  and further\u2026  God makes clear\u2026  that while David will not build a house for God\u2026  God will make David into God’s house\u2026  and through him\u2026  his kingdom will be made sure forever\u2026  ]  and you may remember that David’s son Solomon built the first Temple\u2026  built it over about seven years\u2026 with its inner Holy of Holies\u2026  where the Ark of the Covenant finally rested\u2026  ]  it may take only a little bit of time\u2026  a little bit of preparation\u2026  to do most things\u2026  it may take a lot of time to get ready for other things\u2026  but it may take more time than we’d like\u2026  to do really singular things…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this morning’s Gospel\u2026  known as The Annunciation\u2026  the angel Gabriel comes to Mary\u2026  ] the text says that God sent Gabriel to tell Mary that she would conceive and bear a son\u2026  now we know that it’s Gabriel\u2026  but he never introduces himself to her\u2026  he never names himself the way he does to Zechariah just a few verses earlier\u2026  when Gabriel appeared to Zechariah and told him that his wife Elizabeth would bear a son\u2026  who he would name John\u2026  and because Zechariah questioned the angel\u2026  saying\u2026  How will I know that this is so\u2026  for I am an old man\u2026  and my wife is getting on in years<\/em>\u2026  because he questioned God’s messenger\u2026  he lost his voice until the prophecy came true\u2026  but let’s notice\u2026  that Mary doesn’t ask\u2026  Why<\/u> is going to happen<\/em>\u2026  why have I<\/u> been chosen<\/em>\u2026  she questions what is said\u2026  the way Zechariah questioned\u2026  she asks\u2026  but how can this be\u2026  since I am a virgin<\/em>\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Katie Kirk\u2026  at St. George’s College in Jerusalem writes\u2026  that in Nazareth today\u2026  two separate holy sites commemorate The Annunciation\u2026  and in the Holy Land\u2026  when there are two sites associated with the same event\u2026  they’re almost always competing sites\u2026  two different communities which claim their stretch of land has the only place where a given story really happened\u2026  but not quite so with The Annunciation\u2026  one site is near an ancient well\u2026  and the other is just down the hill in the traditional location of Mary’s house\u2026  and that’s because one tradition tells the story this way\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first time Gabriel appears to Mary is when she is gathering water at the well\u2026  ] when he starts his announcement\u2026  Mary is so startled that she runs all the way home…  and some versions add that Gabriel pursues her to her house\u2026  eventually making it all the way through his announcement\u2026  at which time Mary says\u2026  Let it be with me\u2026  according to your will<\/em>\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now in Latin\u2026 Mary’s\u2026  Let it be<\/em>\u2026  is fiat<\/em>\u2026  it’s a word that appears in the Angelus<\/em>\u2026  a Roman Catholic devotion commemorating Jesus’ incarnation and which includes the Hail Mary\u2026  but in this traditional story\u2026  there is a power differential between God\u2026  present in this angel\u2026  and a newly engaged\u2026  small-town\u2026  young woman\u2026  who is scared\u2026  and we know that in English at least\u2026  the word fiat<\/em> almost always means\u2026  a decree\u2026  an order\u2026  an edict\u2026  it refers to something done under some degree of coercion\u2026  but in Genesis 1 the same word is used in\u2026  Dixitque Deus fiat lux<\/em>\u2026  when God said\u2026  Let there be light<\/em>\u2026 an expression of God’s gentle moment of bringing\u2026  of being light into creation…  and not one of coercion\u2026  and in her moment of cooperation\u2026  in her own moment of being\u2026  Mary is co-creating with God to create light within her\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Children often cannot wait for Christmas day\u2026  Why is it taking so long\u2026  I want my presents now<\/em>\u2026  but we understand that God plays the long game\u2026  and is patient beyond our ability to measure\u2026  now take a big step even further back\u2026  consider the eons that have passed before the coming of Christ\u2026 for over thirteen billion years God was able to wait for that coming\u2026  ] notice that God\u2026  imagine what that moment of Christ’s coming was like for God\u2026  God eternal and outside of time\u2026  God within and patient over time\u2026  and even in our Eucharist prayers\u2026  we affirm that it was\u2026  in the fullness of time<\/em>\u2026  that God came to us as Jesus\u2026 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Author Madeleine L’Engle writes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the irrational season<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

when love blooms bright and wild.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Had Mary been filled with reason<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

there\u2019d have been no room for the child.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It may take only a little bit of preparation to do most things\u2026  but it may take more time than we’d like\u2026  to do really singular things\u2026  and all we have to do is look at what’s going on today in Bethlehem\u2026 to be reminded of just how much we need a Savior\u2026 so what are we preparing for\u2026  and how long are we willing to wait for it\u2026  let’s remember\u2026  it’s not we who make a dwelling place for God\u2026  but God who makes us into God’s dwelling place\u2026  all we have to say\u2026  is\u2026  fiat<\/em>\u2026  Let it be with me… according to you Word<\/em>\u2026  our waiting is almost over\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Year B (Advent 7 \u2013 A 7-Week Advent) 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16 Psalm 89:1-4, 19-26 Romans 16:25-27 Luke 1:26-38 May the words of my mouth O God\u2026  speak your truth\u2026 It may take only a little bit of preparation to do most things\u2026  but when it comes to some other things\u2026  it may take a lot of preparation\u2026  it took some preparation to get things ready for this morning\u2026  it began early in the week when I read this morning’s readings\u2026  and several commentaries about them\u2026  it continued on Wednesday\u2026  when I met with nine clergy of other denominations to discuss them\u2026  and over the next few days as I saw some underlying connections between them\u2026  it continued as I returned to my desk over and again to type out some thoughts\u2026  it continued last evening when I made sure my alarm was set\u2026  and then today\u2026  after I woke up a few hours ago\u2026  to wash the sleep out of my eyes\u2026  on the outside with water\u2026  and on the inside with coffee\u2026  I ironed my shirt and lay out my clothes\u2026  checked my email\u2026  then I made some final edits to this sermon\u2026  and made sure each page printed\u2026  so that I don’t go from p. 2 to p. 4\u2026  and wonder where p. 3 is\u2026  It took some preparation\u2026  for the parts and pieces of this morning’s bulletin to come together\u2026  for Jill and Kathy to select the music\u2026  and for Mary Ann to play it through a few times\u2026  for Bobbie and Shelley to set the Table and check the candles and thaw out some communion bread\u2026  and for John to make sure the Mevo camera software was up-to-date and working\u2026  it took some getting ready for Kevin and Bobbie to review their readings\u2026  and for Polly to bake and prepare for the coffee hour we’ll share\u2026  it took some getting ready\u2026  just as it did for many of you from Holy Trinity to prepare for tonight’s Christmas Eve service\u2026  It may take only a little bit of preparation to do most things\u2026  but when it comes to fewer other things\u2026  it may take a lot of preparation\u2026 In our reading from 2 Samuel\u2026  David decides that its not right that he lives in a house made of cedar\u2026  while the Ark of God resides in a tent\u2026  maybe he’s feeling guilty\u2026  and so he makes up his mind that he’s going to build a house for God\u2026  but God challenges David\u2026  saying that in the vast sweep of Israel’s history from the Exodus until now\u2026  God has never complained about not having a house\u2026  so why build one now\u2026  and further\u2026  God makes clear\u2026  that while David will not build a house for God\u2026  God will make David into God’s house\u2026  and through him\u2026  his kingdom will be made sure forever\u2026  ]  and you may remember that David’s son Solomon built the first Temple\u2026  built it over about seven years\u2026 with its inner Holy of Holies\u2026  where the Ark of the Covenant finally rested\u2026  ]  it may take only a little bit of time\u2026  a little bit of preparation\u2026  to do most things\u2026  it may take a lot of time to get ready for other things\u2026  but it may take more time than we’d like\u2026  to do really singular things… In this morning’s Gospel\u2026  known as The Annunciation\u2026  the angel Gabriel comes to Mary\u2026  ] the text says that God sent Gabriel to tell Mary that she would conceive and bear a son\u2026  now we know that it’s Gabriel\u2026  but he never introduces himself to her\u2026  he never names himself the way he does to Zechariah just a few verses earlier\u2026  when Gabriel appeared to Zechariah and told him that his wife Elizabeth would bear a son\u2026  who he would name John\u2026  and because Zechariah questioned the angel\u2026  saying\u2026  How will I know that this is so\u2026  for I am an old man\u2026  and my wife is getting on in years\u2026  because he questioned God’s messenger\u2026  he lost his voice until the prophecy came true\u2026  but let’s notice\u2026  that Mary doesn’t ask\u2026  Why is going to happen\u2026  why have I been chosen\u2026  she questions what is said\u2026  the way Zechariah questioned\u2026  she asks\u2026  but how can this be\u2026  since I am a virgin\u2026 Katie Kirk\u2026  at St. George’s College in Jerusalem writes\u2026  that in Nazareth today\u2026  two separate holy sites commemorate The Annunciation\u2026  and in the Holy Land\u2026  when there are two sites associated with the same event\u2026  they’re almost always competing sites\u2026  two different communities which claim their stretch of land has the only place where a given story really happened\u2026  but not quite so with The Annunciation\u2026  one site is near an ancient well\u2026  and the other is just down the hill in the traditional location of Mary’s house\u2026  and that’s because one tradition tells the story this way\u2026 The first time Gabriel appears to Mary is when she is gathering water at the well\u2026  ] when he starts his announcement\u2026  Mary is so startled that she runs all the way home…  and some versions add that Gabriel pursues her to her house\u2026  eventually making it all the way through his announcement\u2026  at which time Mary says\u2026  Let it be with me\u2026  according to your will\u2026 Now in Latin\u2026 Mary’s\u2026  Let it be\u2026  is fiat\u2026  it’s a word that appears in the Angelus\u2026  a Roman Catholic devotion commemorating Jesus’ incarnation and which includes the Hail Mary\u2026  but in this traditional story\u2026  there is a power differential between God\u2026  present in this angel\u2026  and a newly engaged\u2026  small-town\u2026  young woman\u2026  who is scared\u2026  and we know that in English at least\u2026  the word fiat almost always means\u2026  a decree\u2026  an order\u2026  an edict\u2026  it refers to something done under some degree of coercion\u2026  but in Genesis 1 the same word is used in\u2026  Dixitque Deus fiat lux\u2026  when God said\u2026  Let there be light\u2026 an expression of God’s gentle moment of bringing\u2026  of being light into creation…  and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2296,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[25,297,98],"class_list":["post-2295","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sermons","tag-advent","tag-annunciation","tag-waiting"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/twochurches.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/annunciation-smaller.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/twochurches.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2295","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/twochurches.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/twochurches.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/twochurches.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/twochurches.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2295"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/twochurches.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2295\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2297,"href":"https:\/\/twochurches.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2295\/revisions\/2297"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/twochurches.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2296"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/twochurches.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2295"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/twochurches.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2295"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/twochurches.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2295"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}