The Rev. Javier Almendárez Bautista reflects on Isaiah 35:1-10: “Translation is not an easy task. It’s difficult enough to do between two spoken languages; you can grab the nuance of things if you are familiar enough with the culture and the context. But it’s another altogether when it comes to languages spoken long ago….”
The Rev. George Adamik contemplates the season of Advent: “We really cheat ourselves when we think that Advent is just these four weeks to get us ready for Christmas. Advent is really that and beyond. It’s a season that invites us to look to the fullness of creation, the fullness of who we can become. In a sense, Advent is the Alpha looking towards the Omega.”
The Rev. Candy Snively discusses Isaiah 2:1-5 and the beginning of Advent: “Maybe we’ve depended a little too much on God transforming our spears and swords while we’re still swinging them, instead of laying them down long enough to make a few plowshares. But Advent is a time to repair what is broken, to heal what is hurt. It is the time to remember the work we need to do on our lives, our spirits, and our hearts.”
During this timely feast of Christ the King, the Rev. Carr Holland reflects on the vulnerability and compassion of Jesus (Luke 23:33-43): “There’s very little reflective listening in the actors who bring about Christ’s death. The passion and death of Christ is driven by fear, deep human fear. Fear of the potential loss of power, fear of the divine Other’s expectations, fear of an expectation that we can grow more tender and less harsh. Fear that we will lose something.”
The Rev. Javier Almendárez Bautista considers what we can learn from the prophet Isaiah during uncertain times (Isaiah 65:17-25): “Our history is also long and complex, and we too may be facing a sense of uncertainty and insecurity.”
As we near the end of our stewardship campaign, Fr. George reflects on who we are as a parish community, where we are, and where we’re headed. Remember to pledge, and thank you for your support of St. Paul’s and its ministries.
The Rev. Carr Holland considers Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10): “In this political season, we can find Zacchaeus. In fact, we can find several of them. Someone who has prospered and you’re not sure by what means, how they have come by their wealth, and the level of their morality. Zacchaeus was despised by others, his own people, though he was rich. He had no place, so he was viewed by some as outside of God’s grace and care. Maybe we don’t all know his feeling of alienation, but many of us know what it’s like to come to a moment when we realize what we have held as important suddenly is not.”
The Rev. Javier Almendárez Bautista discusses Joel 2:23-32: “I’ve been thinking about water lately. Human beings, of course, are full of it. Its strength relies so heavily on its weakness. It is weak enough to roll off our hands, yet strong enough that it can creep through crevices of rock and stone and break them apart.”
Fr. George considers Jesus’s call to “pray always” in Luke 18:1-8: “Often, when we hear the word ‘praying,’ we think of saying prayers, but prayer has a broader meaning, especially in this time of incredible conflict.”
Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7
Earlier this week I bought plane tickets to go visit my parents in Portland Oregon. I am excited to see my family here soon. One of the things I miss about my parents’ home is a minor, insignificant thing … the smell of fresh-brewed coffee….