This post was originally published on December 11th, 2020 in the Christ Church E-Crier.

Advent; remain watchful--wash hands, sanitize, and mask up.

As we look towards Christmas with great expectations and joy, I would like to remind you that Jesus came to us at a time of great despair. The once-proud nation of God, the very nation God vowed never to destroy, in shame dwelt. They were a nation without power--the Romans controlled them. Of course, the Temple existed, priests offered sacrifices, and hymns of praise were sung. To many such rituals were a testament to the covenant that God made with Abraham and Sarah. God had promised to protect them, but Roman rule testified to the failure of such protection. 

What else could repair that covenant but people's acceptance of their sins? It is for this reason that John the Baptist's message could not be ignored. If you return to God in repentance, God's grace will restore the covenant. This restoration of the covenant won't come about through sacrifices or claims to be descendants of Abraham and Sarah but through the acceptance of human rejection of the love of God. 

The prophets spoke of this time as the day of the Lord--the day when God's reign will be restored on Earth. Who can ignore the desire for peace and life in a time of great suffering? 

Most of us may not understand what it means to be colonized by other nations. All colonized nations live in shame. Their life is dictated by the colonizer. Yes, it is their native or motherland, but the native land that is not theirs--it belongs to the power that claims authority over them. In such situations, a small elite group betrays their own by working with the colonizing powers to subdue the colonized, while charismatic characters bring the hope of liberation by threatening the elite and the powers that be. So it was with the Jewish communities. But did they really get what they expected on the day of the Lord? Yes, but not the one they expected; the baby King.

We are living at a time of great expectations. 300,000 fellow Americans have died, and another 100, 000 is projected to die before the Biden Administration takes over. We are excited about the FDA approved Vaccine, but it will not stop the infected from dying. Yes, the powerful will get the most expensive healthcare and survive the pandemic. But most of us won't even have access to the vaccine until later in the year.

Like to the Jewish communities, the most effective protector is amidst us--wash hands, sanitize, and wear masks. The CDC Director has repeatedly told us that masks are the most important protection against COVID 19 even better than the vaccine. We may not like masks and sanitizer, but they will save us from this deadly virus. It is Advent; remain watchful--wash hands, sanitize, and mask up.

Our Christmas pageant will be on December 20, please reach out to Michele Cohn or Erin Jensen if you would like your children to participate.

December 27 is our Virtual Carol Service. Can you or your family sing a Carol, kindly send me a note.

Interested in leading daily Virtual Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer, Compline, or Night Prayer on Zoom? Please send me an email. 

Please join us for our Sunday service at 10 am. I will be preaching.

In Christ,
Kk