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The Sunday Blast for week 2 of Advent (12-10-2023) focuses on the theme of FAITH, and it reminds us of the prophetic story of the angel Gabriel’s visit to Mary. Mary and Joseph’s actions and journey in faith remind us of our own journeys seeking renewed and deeper faith.
As a reminder: there will be a Christmas Eve service at the Chapel at 5 pm. We will have a traditional service of lessons and carols very much like last year! If you are in the area, please consider coming. Of course, weather permitting!
Before reading this Sunday Blast, read the Parable of Forgiveness (Matthew 18:21-35). And this week, please say this prayer excerpt from St. Francis a few times. Our world sorely needs it.
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
Amen.
First, I want to say this about our “Prayer List” in the Sunday Blast. Our virtual community has people near and worried about Canadian wildfires. Our virtual community includes people with family and friends in war-torn Ukraine. Our virtual community consists of people in the Adirondacks who have been affected by lightning and rain. And our virtual community has friends who live in the Southwest US where the high temperatures have broken every record in sight. So, you can see your prayers for this community are real and needed!
Finally – Our Sunday Blast Introduction. Gratitude, giving thanks, is something we always say in church. Living in a secular world, faithful believers try to find avenues to bring what we claim to believe in church out into the day-to-day of our lives once we go out of the church doors. Not an easy task! In a world often filled with challenges and distractions, it’s crucial that we take time to reflect on the blessings we have and the importance of cultivating a heart of gratitude. This week we will begin discussing “Gratitude,” and in Chapel this Sunday we will read Psalm 86:8-12 and Luke 17:11-19. Let’s open our hearts to hear what the Spirit is telling us as we walk a little way down this path together.
On what we now call Palm Sunday, Jesus rides on a donkey’s colt while crowds lay palm leaves on His path to Jerusalem. In Biblical times, royalty would ride on a donkey during periods of peace, rather than a horse, which was associated with war. When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, it is believed that He fulfilled Old Testament prophecy that a king would come in peace and humility.
PS: for those of you who would like scripture for each day of Holy Week, I can recommend the following from the Gospel of Mark:
- Palm Sunday, Mark 11:1-11, Jesus and his disciples enter Jerusalem on a colt, and the crowds spread their cloaks and palm branches on the road, shouting “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
- Monday of Holy Week, Mark 11:12-19: Jesus curses a fig tree for not bearing fruit and cleanses the temple by driving out those who were buying and selling goods.
- Tuesday of Holy Week, Mark 11:20-25: Jesus teaches his disciples about the power of faith and the importance of forgiveness while using the withered fig tree as a lesson.
- Wednesday of Holy Week, Mark 14:1-11: The religious leaders plot to kill Jesus while he is anointed with expensive perfume by a woman at the house of Simon the leper, and Judas Iscariot agrees to betray Jesus to the authorities.
- Thursday of Holy Week, Mark 14:12-16: Jesus instructs his disciples to prepare for the Passover meal, and they follow a man carrying a jar of water to a house where they prepare the meal in an upper room.
- Good Friday, Mark chapters 14-15: The Last Supper; the arrest, trial, and crucifixion of Jesus; Jesus is buried.
- Saturday: Mark says nothing about Saturday, and so we turn to the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds to find these three events on three separate days: Friday – “suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried”,
- Saturday – “He descended into hell”, Sunday – on the third day He rose again from the dead.”
- Sunday, Mark 16:1-8: Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome visit Jesus’ tomb and find it empty, and a young man in a white robe tells them that Jesus has risen from the dead and will meet his disciples in Galilee, causing fear and amazement among the women.
