Christmas Sermon 2014

(Luke 2.1-20)

Do Not Be Afraid

            What a great message we hear - yet again tonight - from the angels. "Do not be afraid" comes, so often, as the first thing that an angel of the Lord says as soon as they have made themselves known to someone.

            Now, many of us may enjoy a supernatural being just popping in to say hello. However, many of us may have more of a cultural than a biblical understanding of angels. Culturally, we think of tree-toppers, 'guardian' angels, greeting cards, etc. Some of us - and I'm talking about myself here - have collections of dust-collecting 'angels' on a display shelf. They're lovely.

            But they're not biblical. Biblical Angels are a little - well - intimidating. They are described as having lots of eyes, lots of wings, lots of faces. Usually: 4 heads, 6 wings, long legs, and a distinct purpose. They're not just floating around looking to brighten your day; if they're here it's to do God's work, to deliver God's message.

            So. These are angels as the people of the bible understood them. These angels are wondrous, amazing beings: impressive, imposing, intimidating. These are the angels saying: "Do Not Be Afraid."

            We hear this message all throughout the scriptures: Back in Genesis, God's messenger says to Abraham, and Hagar, and Isaac, and Jacob: "Do not be afraid" and then promises them the great blessings of comfort and peace. The prophets Isaiah, and Daniel, Jeremiah, and Zechariah often speak of the messenger from God saying to "Do not be afraid" as they are assured that God is with them, guiding and supporting their ministries.

            Then, of course, we hear this over an over again in our Christmas story. An angel of the Lord appears and says "Do not be afraid!"

            The angel Gabriel appears to Mary and lets her know that she has found favour with God, is become the bearer of God's son; an angel appears to Joseph in a dream, and tells him to go through with his marriage to his virginal yet pregnant betrothed; more angels appear to the shepherds in the field, and tell them that there is good news of great glory for all the people. "Do not be afraid," they all say. Ha! Too late! Their very presence is startling, it's fearful. It's an 'Oh boy, why me?!' experience.

            Mary's at home. And she's by herself, which means she's in the inner room. This was for her protection, of person and reputation. She's betrothed; no man other than her intended (with chaperone) or her immediate relatives are allowed to see her. So she's probably planning supper, embroidering her wedding dress, something domestic. And in pops Gabriel; not just any angel, but one of the best known of God's messengers.

            Joseph is in bed; asleep and also distraught. He's had his fiancee announce her pregnancy- his fiancee, who he's never been alone with, is pregnant. Awkward, to say the least. And he decides to save face with her father and to save her life, and he decides to quietly end the relationship; likely this means he'll have to move to maintain his own reputation. And decision made, an angel of the Lord comes to him in a vision.

            The shepherds tonight - well, these poor folks are out in the fields. They live in the fields - migrant workers, as it were, pulling a night shift. Poor, uneducated, average folks, trying to make a living, staying in groups so as to be a bit safer, a bit less isolated, able to help each other out should the need arise. They're watching their sheep, who are not penned, they're out grazing - and therefore vulnerable. So, the shepherds are keeping a close eye on the fields to make sure all is safe, that nothing is trying to sneak in. And suddenly an angel of the Lord stands before them.

            "Do not be afraid!" the angels say to them all. Too late, as we hear. Mary was 'much perplexed'; Joseph was stunned, the shepherds were terrified.

            Now, I've often considered that this greeting, this "Do not be afraid" was the result of the appearance. I'VE imagined a POP noise, a different smell, a prickling of my skin - my entire body would have a reaction to this sudden ethereal appearance. So "Do not be afraid" would be fitting, almost a message of "SORRY, didn't mean to frighten you there."

            And yet: that one line also conveys so much more. Because the angels are there for a purpose. They're not just there because they're bored and looking for someone to chat with, or because they have nothing else to do. They're not there by accident, or random coincidence. They are there - at that time, in that place, speaking to those people - for a very real, very important reason: they have news to share.

            And it's not minor news: it's big, important, life-changing news. It's news that is going to make everything different, for the folks involved and for the world around them. Mary: going to be a mother; of the Holiest child. Joseph: going to be the support necessary for Mary in that ministry. The shepherds: called to be witnesses and local information source to the event, beyond the earthly parents.

            BIG news. GOOD news. Of GREAT Glory. To ALL the people. The world will now be different; salvation is at hand, the Messiah is here, the Lord. Everything is going to be different. Nothing will be the same.

            Now, if the people of these scriptures were anything like the people of today, and I suspect they were, they aren't necessarily too keen on change. Especially big change, change that is beyond their control.

            And this news that they have heard is definitely bringing change. It may be difficult, it may be dangerous, it may be confusing and unsettling. And it IS happening, no doubt about it.

            So. Big stuff is about to happen, that will change the course of the world for all times. And these few folks have been told that they are involved in bringing about that change. It's intimidating, terrifying, overwhelming for them - just as it would be for any of us.

            So "Do not be afraid" is exactly what they need to hear. In the midst of great change, our people in the story really need to hear that comfort.

            Do not be afraid, Mary, that you will be responsible for bringing the physical Son of God into the world. Do not be afraid, Joseph, that you will be responsible for teaching and upbringing of that child, not your own, while also supporting his mother. Do not be afraid, shepherds, that there are mystical things happening in your region, about which others will doubt when you tell them.

            "Do not be afraid" the angels say, because God is with you. Do not be afraid because with God, all things are possible. Do not be afraid because with God, you are never alone. Do not be afraid because with God, all people may have hope - and light - and abundant life - and joy.

            What a message from the angels. "Do not be afraid" is not just an immediate response to the situation, but a comfort for the future as the mystery unfolds. It becomes something to which all the people can hold on and trust in, knowing that they are now first-hand witnesses to God's glorious work. Do not be afraid; even if it feels uncertain and fearful and as though this is not headed to Good News - do not be afraid, because God is here. With us. Emmanuel.

            Is it any wonder that everyone gathered around is amazed? Everyone, by the way, were likely Joseph's family and friends; they were all headed to the same place for Quirinius' census. And we all know how family and friends gather when a child is born! So there they all are. Gathered, in awe, in admiration, in thanksgiving, at the babe. And Mary is telling them that the angel of the Lord came to her. And Joseph is telling them that the angel of the Lord came to him. And then these shepherds, who have no connection to the family, have never met these people, who have nothing to gain by sharing their story - also confirm that the angel of the Lord came to them as well.  

            And so these ordinary people are now engaged in extraordinary ministry. The opportunities may be fearful, but the possibilities are astounding. Mary: a new mother, delighting in the life - that light of the world - that she has borne; Mary sits, pondering these words in her heart. Joseph: a new father, caregiver and protector for this earth-changing life; Joseph stands by, proud and loving. The shepherds: still average people, not even known by name, the shepherds go back to their work and lives as before, yet knowing that everything in the world just got better; the shepherds glorify and praise God for all they had seen and heard.

            And so the story is told: and ministry is encouraged. Those angels continue to speak to all who might listen; and they speak to us today. Do not be afraid, they tell us. Do not be afraid when your plans are changing, because when it is God's will it turns out okay. Do not be afraid when life gets overwhelming, because God will support you. Do not be afraid when you are living your average, ordinary life, because it is through people like us that God's message is shared.

            So do not be afraid: instead, be amazed at the good things God has done. Celebrate being part of the family of God. Delight in knowing that we are part of 'all the people' that this news has been brought for. Be moved and changed by the gift that has truly been given us this night: the good news of great joy is here for you, and for the world, for all time.

            Do not be afraid: for God, our Emmanuel, is with us.

Sermon, Advent 4

            Advent is a great season to pause, reflect, pray, prepare. It's also a season where things can happen very, very quickly. We're jumping from story to story, trying to fit it all into these 4 weeks. There are beautiful themes and messages this season, and trying to apply these messages to our own lives - well that's part of the challenge, isn't it? That's why we have to dedicate time and energy and prayer to fitting ourselves into the message of Advent.

            And so we try to understand the message of the scriptures, and think of how it fits in our own contexts; we think of how we fit into the story to make it our own, to embrace it fully. For if we do not make the story our own, how on earth can we live it out in our own lives and ministries?

            So today we have the great story of the Annunciation. It all starts off with Gabriel showing up for a little conversation with Mary. There she is, young girl, in pops a celestial being who tells her that she is VERY special, VERY important - so much so that the favour of the Lord is upon her.

            Yowsers. This is huge! This is astonishing! This is perplexing! Gabriel, with his long history of revealing and explaining God's word to humankind, says that Mary is the chosen girl. I'd be slack-jawed, silenced, barely able to keep it together. Possibly, Mary was too. It's no wonder that Mary "pondered what sort of greeting this might be."

            Of course, we know that it will be good news - because we know the story. But imagine yourself, at the time, being visited by a messenger of God, who tells you he's got some big news for you. Would you listen? Would you interrupt with questions? Would you run away in terror? Would you even notice the gift of good news being brought?

            There's a challenge - acknowledging the good news that is right before us. Because there IS good news - all around - when we're willing to hear it. Yet how often do we in our lives hear good news, and stop to think about it? How often do we see the opportunity to receive a message of God - or let's go one step further, to share a message of God - and we just reject it in order that we can go along our day? When was the last time that we saw something, or someone said something to us, that seemed to strike a chord in our hearts, and decided to ponder on the greeting? I wonder if sometimes we disregard messages from God because we're so busy with other things, our lives are so filled with other noise, that we simply block out the capacity to listen and hear.

            So maybe that's the first message from Mary today: that there are always messages coming to us from God, that we can hear new things, if we are willing to.

            Then - the ball drops. The messenger announced, he now announces the message. MARY IS PREGNANT.  Mary: a young girl, unmarried, virginal, is pregnant. Expecting. Mother-to-be. Now, that in and of itself is a miracle. Every pregnancy, every new life, every anticipation of a new beginning: that's good news. That's life-changing news.

            Now add to that the weight of the child she is carrying - not pounds and ounces, mind, but the ancestry and responsibility of this tiny, not-yet-bump of a baby. "He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end."

            Admittedly, I think every mother-to-be believes (rightly so!) that their child is the most spectacular, best, most amazing child ever. As they should. But imagine having that opinion confirmed - right from day one - and not just by a spouse, sibling, best friend - but by God. Gabriel has barely reached punctuation in telling her that she will conceive this child, and he's now telling her that the child is to fulfill the scriptures, be known as God's own child, that he will be the chosen one, the messiah, the salvation for the people of Israel. That's what was understood by the people when they spoke of the throne of David and the House of Jacob. So Mary knew full well the implications of this pregnancy even as Gabriel was announcing it to her.

            And so, our story continues with Mary's response to the heavenly messenger. A very lovely, calm, statement: "How can this be, since I am a virgin?"  But what if Mary was not, in fact, calm and composed. What if her tone was more frantic: "HOW CAN THIS BE?!?!? I AM A VIRGIN! Let's unpack that into a modern (censored) teenager. My father will kill me just for being pregnant! My fiancé will reject me for being unfaithful! I'm not ready for this! I haven't got what it takes to do this! I haven't done what I would need to! That's NOT my plan! There's no way I can do this! NO!"

            I'd imagine that's something like what I might have said if I had been in Mary's place.

Putting myself into the story here, I imagine that's what I say sometimes when God is giving me a new opportunity for ministry. 'Try something new?! Nope, I'm sure I couldn't. Be a part of something exciting but challenging? Nope, that's outside my comfort zone. Change my life because God has decided my circumstances should change? Nope, pick someone else, someone better, someone holier. I'm not ready, I'm not able, I don't want to.'

            Aside from sounding like a petulant child, it also sounds horribly unfaithful, doesn't it? Yet time and again I can recognise in my own life   opportunities that I have walked away from, that I have felt unworthy or unable to attempt. I wonder if we all have done, at some point: individually and collectively. Are we letting earthly fear hold us back? I'll let you ponder that as Gabriel rebuts Mary.

            He says: "the Holy Spirit will come upon you." Obviously Gabriel has said this with more than human words, because that really sounds like a terrible pick-up line. And so - with that divine authority, let's be honest: that's a great way to end a debate. 'Sorry, Mary, love, it's just how it is. This is holy; this is decided; this is happening. No amount of your arguing, denying, debating, is going to get you out of this. It's God's will. It's a work in progress. You're part of that work. You'll be moved, challenged, stretched beyond your previous bounds. And it will be good, and you will thrive - if you accept this as your ministry.'

            Phew! what could a girl say to that? This is holy. This is happening. She can either accept it, embrace it, live it - and celebrate it for the new and exciting possibilities that it offers - or she can sulk, and it will happen anyway.

            This story reminds us that we too, when faced with change, have the same options. We can fight against it, but if it is God's will, it will happen. And how we respond to that is our choice: but who among us would want to still fight? Who among wouldn't rather look joyfully into the vibrant life God is bringing to us and through us? When God says to us that the Spirit is present, that the opportunities are fantastic, that the reality is Holy, wouldn't we too delight in accepting this news, knowing that God's love and grace will direct us and comfort us even through the earthly difficulties we might face?

            Then we hear such wondrous words of comfort - presumed, assumed, known - spoken aloud: "nothing is impossible with God." Nothing! The darkest times will come to light - because God wills it. The tears on earth will be wiped away - because God wills it. The limitations of this life, of this situation, of this reality - they're not limitations to God; when God wills it, it will happen. Gabriel is wanting Mary to hear this truth so much so that he shares an example: even her cousin Elizabeth, who is old and barren, is 6 months pregnant. Old and pregnant! Because nothing is impossible with God. And no one doing God's work is alone. Mary will have Elizabeth, Elizabeth will have Mary.

            And Mary believes. Yet another great lesson for us: to believe that nothing is impossible with God. How might our lives be different if we believed that? What opportunities might we engage in if we truly believed that? How could we reach out to our communities if we trusted in that? What challenges would we overcome if we embraced the truth in those words: NOTHING is impossible with God. Stressed? Hopeless? Troubled? Trust that God will look after you, that God will send you the messages and supports that you need: nothing is impossible with God.

            So our announcement story today is exciting. It's engaging. It's a story that begs to live in our hearts and our minds, to be lived out in how we connect with the world around us. It's a story that wants for us to listen to what God is speaking to us; it invites us to walk toward opportunities in faith, rather than away from them in fear. It's a story that compels us to seek the Holy in our lives and be guided by the movement of the Spirit. it's a story that assures us that though change is intimidating and overwhelming, it can bring forth new life to the world, when we trust in the promise of God's amazing power and lean on the supports that God has given us (both to use, and to be). It's a story that inspires us to go bravely into the world, accepting and embracing our ministries, saying boldly to God and to the world: "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word."

Sermon, Advent 2

We have some GREAT material in the scriptures today. It’s exciting – it’s energizing – it’s Advent 2, which means:  John the Baptist Sunday!!

Okay, maybe I’m a wee bit more excited about this than most. The truth is, I love John the Baptist Sunday.  I always have. I’ve always been moved by the story of him being the frontrunner, as it were, for the Good News.

And today we get to hear the start of that. That’s actually how Mark starts us off: “The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” What a great intro, right? As far as first lines go, that’s gripping. GOOD NEWS. It starts now.

And here’s an interesting point about this line. This is the beginning. Bible quiz: where does it say “This is the end of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” Nowhere. Because the good news does not end. It’s ongoing. It’s still with us. The good news, once started, can not be ended.

Good news indeed! I could stop there, but John’s coming up, and I’ve just mentioned I’m keen. So! Continuing in our short gospel passage, we then get taken back into history, to the prophet Isaiah.

See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way; the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,' Hmm. Now what would that sound like today. Maybe… “I’m going to send out my expert consulting theologian for you folks. He may preach a little different than what you’re used to, but he’ll help direct your work to make sure it’s God’s ministry that you’re doing. Right? Sounds good, yes? Thanks Isaiah. Helpful.  

Except: wait, what? MY work? OUR work? Isaiah is saying that this great messenger is only a messenger, that the real task is up to US? Whoa. I thought that was supposed to be done already, by somebody else? We’ve just got the easy part of following, right?

Wrong. Isaiah tells us that the voice from the wilderness will tell US to prepare the way of the Lord, and make God’s paths straight. Not the messenger, not the chosen one, us. The messenger is just there to remind us of this task, to get us ready for what’s coming.

Suddenly, not so easy. Because it challenges us: what is MY ministry? What is MY task? What can I do to help make the coming of the Lord easier? How can I remove any stumbling blocks or barricades in God’s path? How do I do this for myself? For my family? For my church? For my community?

Eesh. Lots of work. When we hear it this way, “Prepare the way of the Lord” just became an awful lot more difficult – though also more rewarding, of course – than “Prepare the way of the perfect family get-together on 25^th December.”

 Again – this could be a point where I could stop talking, where we could enter into a time of silent reflection: How can I prepare the way for God’s arrival? But – again – we still haven’t gotten to John.

So let’s do that now. John. John the baptizer. John, the cousin of Jesus. John, with a long family history that we have all heard: dad’s Zechariah, mom’s Elizabeth. John who leapt for joy in his mothers’ womb when her cousin Mary showed up and announced that she was pregnant. John’s got a good thing going: good family, good home, good finances.

And yet: he leaves all of that. Leaves his wardrobe, leaves his bedroom, leaves his servants, leaves his regular meals. And what does he do? Wanders, in the wilderness. In his context, this means the dessert. Snaggling anything he can to eat, so bug protein and honey carbohydrates. Wearing smelly clothes, unshaven, bee-stung, dreadlocks, malnourished, horrible feet, a nasty sunburn, perpetually thirsty. Not really pretty. And he stands in rivers on a regular basis. Not just any river: The Jordan. The great river, which was known in that day to be a great garbage dump. Some of that refuse was probably stuck into the tangled camel hair.

Attractive? No. Priviledged? No. The kind of person you would want at that perfect family get-together? Unlikely.

And yet. THIS is the man who is God’s messenger. THIS is the man who is going to make Isaiah’s prophesy come true. THIS is the man who is going to shake the world into spiritual awakeness, to the end that they can be ready when God himself shows up in front of them.

THIS is the man – the smelly, nasty-looking man – who is delivering a message SO BLESSEDLY POWERFUL that it draws people to him. It makes people forget what he looks like – what he smells like – what he sounds like – what his hands feel like. They don’t care about all of that, because of what he has to say. People are coming to him from all over the whole countryside just to hear him speak.

And he’s not even saying “It is I! IAM that great I AM of scripture!” No – he starts off simple. Calm. Faithful. “I’ll baptize you with water” he says – much as anyone can baptize you with water; and it’s all about changing your heart and trusting in forgiveness of sins. “But one is coming after me: an amazing one, who will baptize you with the Holy Spirit. I’m not even good enough to be the lowest of the lowly slaves to him. But he’s coming, so get ready.“

Imagine hearing that message, from that messenger. What power, what conviction, what faith John must have exuded. And inspired! He knew his role, he knew his ministry; and he was faithful to that. He also knew that part of that ministry was sacrifice: look at all he was willing to give up. He went against the flow, walking away from culture and family and comfort, delivering a message that the people had all heard before, a message that the authorities didn’t want him to be repeating. And yet he did – he did all of this, for the love of God. And he did all of this to tell other people, whom he’d never even met before, to get ready.

This was John’s ministry, to be that bringer of news – like a quick phone call saying company’s on it’s way. He wasn’t telling people how to do the work, even, just that they had to figure out what their ministry was, what God was calling them to do, and to do it – so that they and their families and communities, would be ready for the coming of God. John’s not the one doing the work, he was telling other people to do it: like a consultant, a divine consultant.

And we know that many people heard his words, and took them seriously. We know that many of these people were baptized, and took that baptism seriously. We know that many of them went on to share the good news themselves, just as John had done, even if meant taking them outside of their comfort zone. We know many of them welcomed Jesus, and did all they could to assist him in his journey and ministry. And we know that many people to this day have done their part to continue in that tradition.

We know that to this day, John’s message is a powerful, poignant one, one that inspires and encourages and empowers. It humbles, it builds up, it helps people to focus on preparing for God’s coming again.

So knowing that, I think our challenge today is to be careful listeners; we are invited to hear this message today with new ears, and to make it our own. We are invited to have these words from Isaiah and from John directed into our hearts as a personal message from God. The messenger has come to prepare our way: our work is now to prepare the way of the Lord. So how will we do that? What are we willing to give up, to sacrifice? What tasks are we willing to undertake? How are we going to go against the flow, against culture, against the norm, in our willingness to serve God?

I don’t have the answers – because that’s between you and God. But I encourage you to spend some time thinking and praying on it. What is God calling you to do? How is God inviting you to prepare the way, as we prepare for the birth of the Christ child? How far will you leave your own comfort zone to enter the ministry zone?

I don’t know. I’m not even sure myself – I know I wouldn’t go as far as John did, but I also know that God isn’t asking me to go that far. I do know, though, that however and wherever God is calling me – us – you – we do not go down that path alone. Because that path has been prepared for us – by God, and by those who have gone before us. And when we do go down it, we go with God – by God’s grace, with the Holy Spirit, in the comfort of Christ. We go down that road just as John went into the wilderness; in hope, in trust, in faith.

I pray we might all be as faithful in our own callings as John was. It’s how "the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God," will continue.

Sermon, Advent 1

“In those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.”

Wow, what a great way to start the gospel reading today! Good news? Sounds more like dark news! And, let’s be honest, dark news is NOT what we want to hear. It’s not what we’re looking for.

Realistically, if we want dark news, all we have to do is look to the world around us. The newspaper, the television, the internet – there’s darkness there, and we don’t have to search very hard.

Suffering? Check. Greed? Check. Hatred? Check. Violence? Check. Darkness? Check.

Darkness is there in our own lives, too. Self-doubt? Anger? Depression? Temptation? Check, check, check.

It can be tough, to know that the darkness is there. And when we start thinking about that darkness, to realize that it’s so uniquely ours. What is darkness for one of us may not be too terrible for another: Wine with supper? A treat for one person, a taunt for the alcoholic sitting beside them. The “never-fail” recipe that just flopped? Inconsequential for one person – there’s always peanut butter in the cupboard!, but just another in a long line of failures for someone else already struggling. An argument with a neighbor? A simple misunderstanding to be rectified for one person, a horrible, hate-filled personal attack for another.

Darkness. It’s there, it’s personal, it’s real. And it’s as though it knows just how to affect each of us individually, in the worst possible way. It can take root; subtly, gradually, incrementally, until we ourselves start to believe it. We start listening to that negativity; we become captive to it, until we realize that we ourselves are now carrying that darkness with us, everywhere we go. When we have that day when start to believe that the darkness is so pervasive that it might just be unstoppable.

“In those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.”

BUT. What if we don’t have to give in to the darkness? What if we choose not to? What if we can change our perspective to respond to the darkness not with reluctant acceptance but with defiant determination? What if we decide to deny that darkness a home, to reject its advances?

Well –we can. We do. We have exactly what we need to do it. But how?

I’ll take a quote from Nadia Bolz-Weber for this one – she’s an edgy Lutheran pastor from Denver. And I mean edgy – girl’s got a potty-mouth worse than mine, more tattoos than I have, and could probably bench-press me without breaking a sweat. And she says, in her book “Pastrix”, “defiantly shout back at this darkness, “I am baptized,” not I was but I am baptized.” She even once challenged her congregation to see their own darkness  “not as powerful and unstoppable but as desperate and vulnerable.” 

(Read next paragraph from book)

I am baptized. I am a child of God. I am forgiven, loved, chosen. I have been – as Nadia says – named and claimed – to be Christ’s own forever. In our baptismal sacrament this is where the very mark of the cross is placed on our heads in the blessed oil. I am even given the very thing I need most during my baptism – the light of Christ. “Receive the light of Christ” our service says, “to show that you have passed from darkness into light.” In some places, people even receive candles –lit from the paschal or Christ candle – so that they can have a physical reminder of that inextinguishable light.

“Let your light so shine before others that they may see your good works and glorify your father in heaven.”

And so we are encouraged to know it – not just in our minds, but in our hearts and souls: I am baptized. I am a child of the light.

Does it mean I always get it right? Definitely not! I’m human, I make mistakes. But I also take those baptismal vows seriously, and I return to them again and again and again.

And I know that the light of my baptism gives me strength. It gives me the strength to meet the challenges of my day to day life with conviction and commitment. It gives me the will to endure the darkness that creeps in. It gives me the confidence of knowing that I am prayed for not just the day of my baptism but other days as well – and it gives me the encouragement to pray for others.

I am baptized. I am Christ’s. I am strong enough to overcome the darkness; not on my own, but with the power of Christ’s light that was given to me at my baptism.

And when we hear that, when we trust it, when we believe it, well THAT, my friends, is a spiritual awakening. It’s a realization and acceptance and embracing of that light. It’s being shaken into a new way of thinking, of doing, of being: it’s a way that shouts defiantly to the darkness, a way that denies the darkness any grip. It’s an awakening to living this life more fully IN the light – in the grace and peace and that is possible, in the infinite love and joy that can only come from the true source of light. It’s an awakening to know that this gift is always before us, all we have to do is choose to live it.

So let’s do just that. Let’s live the light, and share the light. Let’s be awake to what it means to be a baptized community, to be light to the world. Let’s live out the response when the newly baptized receive those candles: “Let your light so shine before others that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Let’s have our actions shine that light into the world, banishing the darkness from every corner.

Let’s start anew – Advent is the start of the new liturgical year, so let’s kick it off the best possible way: “new day, new joys, new possibilities.” Let’s start the new year by finding new opportunities to live our faith to the fullest. Let’s start the new year choosing to be fully awake: “for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.”

May the strength of our baptism keep us awake in the light of Christ.