13 Dec - The Light Is Coming

Philippians 4:4-7, Luke 3:7-18

What’s different about this Sunday than the other three Sundays of Advent? I’m wearing pink. We lit the pink candle. Today is Gaudete Sunday, a day midway through a penitential or preparatory season. It is a reminder that light is coming, light is there, that God is with us and, in particular today, to be joyful and filled with gladness. And how did it get the name Gaudete Sunday? From the Latin; it starts Gaudete in Domino semper:

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say rejoice; let your forebearance be known to all, for the Lord is near at hand; have no anxiety about anything, but in all things, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God.



Sound familiar? It was the Epistle from today.

When I was thinking about these readings, a phrase came to me: Rejoice, rejoice, you brood of vipers! Because the first lesson is all about “rejoice” and the second lesson is about “rejoice” and then the line that everyone remembers from the gospel is “you brood of vipers!” I think that’s okay because John is actually spreading good news, even though he calls us a brood of vipers. He prepares us by challenging us to repent and to be humble. How does he do this?

John Pilch writes: “What is an American believer to make of the Baptizer’s exhortations? Greed, selfishness, and abuse of power and position are still with us.” Indeed they are. So prepare and be humble. Prepare by repenting, by living by the ethical code that John sets out for the crowds and the tax collectors and the soldiers; in that way you show that we’re preparing; we show our good works – the fruits.

John’s humility shows up in that he discerns the hearts of those around him as thinking: “Hey! Is this the Messiah?” He responds: “No. I am but the one who’s been sent to prepare the way. One far, far greater than me is coming.” Also he humbles himself by not withholding baptism. He baptizes with water to help prepare us and help us to be humble.

This time of year sometimes the light, the joyfulness, the gladness can be overwhelming and, for some, be unwelcome. Some have experienced a loss…of someone important to them, of a job and the last thing that they want to do is rejoice. And you know what? That’s okay! I’m reminded of what Bishop Lee said in his sermon to us five weeks ago: “grief is the price we pay for love”. In experiencing the love, we’ve had the joyfulness and the gladness and we can rejoice in that, even within the grief. Let the memories of the joy seep in.

Today is about a reminder of the light coming.

Try to let it in, remembering that God is with us always.

And for that…that is something for which we can indeed rejoice.

Peace,

The Rev. M.E. Eccles, LPC