Advent 3B
Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11 VITW with Susan Presely and Max Hazell
Special Guest Diann Bailey, Senior Pastor of First Church of Suffield, CT
Psalm 126, Richard Bruxvoort Colligan, Psalmimmersion.com, @pomopsalmist, Patreon
1 Thessalonians 5:16-24, Nicole Cox, #pastorbesties, YouTube Channel
Musician: Jennifer Knapp and Margaret Becker, “Coventry Carol” from their album Hymns of Christmas, jenniferknapp.com, @Jennifer_Knapp, JenniferKnappMusic
Musician: Heatherlyn, “When I Dream” from her album Storydwelling, heatherlynmusic.com, @heatherlynmusic
ABCs of Christmas interactive Christmas Service by the Young Clergy Women Project
John 1:6-8, 19-28
Initial Thoughts
Still no birth story
Star Wars...the light and the darkness - ancient themes reaching far back before the Gospel of John and even raised up today
Be careful when demonizing “the dark”
Not anti-Jewish
what to do with verses 9-18? The lectionary focuses on John. Verses 9-18 are focused on Jesus. Depends on what you want your focus to be- I think you could easily go either way on this one, but be careful you don’t try to fit too many sermons in one.
John has been regulated to Advent and Jesus has been regulated to Christmas. both have a place in each season - do not pigeonhole John in Advent or cut Jesus out entirely
Bible Study
Questioning of John
In contrast to Jesus’ later revelations - “I am” the bread of life, resurrection, way, truth, and life, etc, John repeated says, I am NOT
John is NOT the I AM
“There is and only can be one Messiah, one “I AM”, and one God.” Karoline Lewis, John, p.27
Separated John from Jesus (this was a major issue for the early church)
Both preached about the coming Kingdom
Both preached about repentance
Both were killed by the political authorities
v. 6-8: Connects the prologue of John (and the eternal pre-existence of Jesus as the Word) with Jesus as the Word made flesh (v.14)
Contrast vs 14 with v. 6
Jesus = Word made flesh
John = man sent from God
v. 19-28: Reflecting on John’s testimony
John’s testimony is vs. 9-18
John is not Jesus, John is not the Messiah, a prophet or Elijah - John IS the voice.
Before Jesus says “I am…”, John is saying “I am not”
John is always pointing to Jesus, to the light
John knows who he is and who he isn’t - this is an important lesson for pastors or people who are trying to be everything to everyone
John is not the baptist here but the witness
“Polemic against the followers of John the Baptist is not, however, the sole function of these passages. They also serve to emphasize the importance of the one about whom John gives his testimony. Indeed, John’s authority appears to consist of his honest denial of exalted titles for himself in favor of pointing the way to Jesus.” (Beverly Gaventa, Texts for Preaching, Year B p. 29)
Advent Pageant (Barbara Brown Taylor)
One man show - John (who isn’t even baptizing or saying much of anything in this Gospel)
John has nothing but himself and his witness
Meister Eckhart, “God is found in the soul not by adding anything but by subtracting.” (Quoted by Barbara Brown Taylor in Feasting on the Word: Year B, Vol. 1)
Thoughts and Questions
“As the church waits during the season of Advent, participating in the birth of the infant Jesus, it needs to recall the startling fact that Jesus continues to make his appearance in ways that are surprising, unexpected, even unwelcome. The gentle baby of the Christmas story shortly becomes the One who challenges the religious authority, overthrows the Temple’s status quo, offers the people teachings that make little or no sense, dismisses his own family, and finally provokes the suspicion of the government.” (Gaventa, p. 30)
Are we called to be Christ or to be John? Are we to be the light of the world- allowing the divinity within us to transforming those around us or are we called to point to the light of Christ when we see it at work around us? Why not both?
What does it mean to be a voice preparing the way of the Lord? How do we testify to God enfleshed among us? If we are the body of Christ, then are we not also the Word become flesh? Can we see and proclaim the presence of the divine in one another?
In Jesus is true (or eternal) life - see verse 4. John is testifying to what it means to live in the light of Christ. How do we witness to our transformation in the light - see 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28 (or just look below in the show notes). Be the Christ in Christmas - let the light shine through you
John is the witness - what does it mean to witness to the Light?
How to give a personal first hand account of an experience of the Divine (Jan Schnell Rippentrop on workingpreacher.org quoting Marshall Ganz)
Ganz’s Testimony Framework--Translation for Christian assembly
the story of self -- what God has done with me/how I have known God
the story of us -- what God does with us/how we have known God
the story of now -- what God is up to now
Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11
INITIAL THOUGHTS
RCL skips v. 5-7 which is an interesting choice. Skipping those verses
Isaiah 61:5-7 admittedly puzzling portion of this passage.
Describes a situation where the tables are turned. The Israelites, who had been the foreign people in a foreign land, would now rule over those who had ruled over them.
Feels a little like retribution, which is an ugly side of what the prophet is talking about - and seems to contradict verse 8’s call for justice.
This is one of those occasions where the sanitizing of the scripture by the Lectionary is probably okay - these two verses can lead to a pretty long wormhole.
Instead of retribution perhaps this is about a new creation where foreigners can stay (they aren’t killed or enslaved like the last time Israel returned to the promised land) and where the wealth of the nations is shared with all, not simply enjoyed by those at the top (at the expense of the most vulnerable)
BIBLE STUDY
Context of Trito-Isaiah (chapters 56-66)
“The general setting for Trito-Isaiah is Jerusalem and the community described by Haggai and Zechariah, that is, about twenty years after the latest part of Deutero-Isaiah and perhaps even later; in 60:13 the temple has been built and it is only necessary to adorn it. However, the situation in the country has certainly not improved; it remains critical because of the high incidence of crime in some areas and of incompetence in others, the immediate result of which is that the righteous suffer. For this reason God has shown judgment by continually postponing the fulfillment of his promises.” (J. Alberto Soggin, Introduction to the Old Testament, p. 393)
“Those who returned to Zion sadly did not experience the fulfillment of Second Isaiah’s brilliant promises of prosperity and peace and joy… What happened to the brilliant promise of light proclaimed to the exiles by Second Isaiah? Are we dealing with failed prophecy? Is Second Isaiah’s taunting of the gods of other nations coming back to haunt Israel? The answer to that question depends on how one understands biblical prophecy…. It is misleading, however, to identify the truth of those pronouncements with a mechanistic unfolding of the details contained within the threats and promises, for this is to trivialize the office of prophet. The prophet did not locate the essence of their calling in providing clairvoyant abilities but in fostering obedience to God’s covenant among the people.” (Paul Hanson, Interpretation: Isaiah 40-66, p. 187))
Literary Context
Isaiah 60-61 are “often thought of… as the core of Trito-Isaiah, [chapter 60] picks up the motif of transcendent light from Second Isaiah and transforms it into an enthralling poetic vision of Zion magnificently restored.” (Robert Alter, The Hebrew Bible, v. 2 The Prophets, p. 822)
Recalls Isaiah 42:1 “But here is my servant, the one I uphold; my chosen who brings me delight. I’ve put my spirit upon him, he will bring justice to the nations.”
This is near the beginning of 2nd Isaiah, after God allows the other gods to present their case. The raising of The Servant is an important theme in Isaiah (one that gets picked up by early followers of Christ)
“By applying the words to describe the Servant of the Lord in 42:1 to a new time and situation, some person or group here seems to be claiming the inheritance of the office of that important figure in Second Isaiah’s prophecy. We noted in commenting on the our Servant Songs the presence of considerable ambiguity regarding the figure of the Servant, both as to identity and to whether reference was to an individual or community, We concluded that the ambiguity was intentional and that the Servant was set forth as a model for both the individual and the community that in faith and obedience accepted the calling to be agents of God’s reign of compassionate righteousness.
The “me” is intentionally ambiguous.
Foreshadows Jesus’ words in Luke 4. In his first public appearance, he reads this passage from the Isaiah scroll. Declares that “today this Scripture has been fulfilled just as you heard it.”
Everyone laughs because this is his first sermon, and people want to throw Jesus off a cliff afterwards, but the crowd doesn’t get angry with him reading and saying this. They get angry when he reminds them that the good news is for others, and not just for them.
The messiah/”anointed one” will:
Comprehensive list
Good news to poor
Healing of brokenhearted
Release for captives
Year of the Lord
Forgiveness of debts
Freedom from slavery
Vindication of God
Comfort to those that mourn
Sustenance to Zion
Crowns replace ashes - Glory replaces mourning
Joy replaces mourning
Praise instead of discouragement
All of these things are still timely.
Shift from what “he has sent ME to do…” to what “They” will do in verse 3.
They will be called Oaks of Righteousness, planted by the Lord.
They will rebuild the ancient ruins
They will restore formerly deserted places
They will renew ruined cities.
Who are “they”? It is the restored people in verses 1-3.
“Those workers, the ‘they’ of v. 4, are the oppressed, the brokenhearted, the captives, the prisoners, those who mourn. That is, the subjects and agents of the promised rebuilding are those who have been defeated.” (Beverly Gaventa, Texts for Preaching, Year B, p. 22).
The THEY who will rebuild are the same ones who were defeated. This is a communal transformation. People will take part in their own restoration.
This should tell us a little about charity. It is one thing to bandage wounds. It is another to work with people who can be a part of their own transformation. Be willing to take the risks of partnership, and relinquish power of privilege.
Restoration of the people, the cities, the Temple, and God are all connected. There is no compartmentalizing.
THOUGHTS and Questions
“Reading the book of Isaiah from a postcolonial Imbokodo perspective in South Africa today impels the readers to consider the following tenets: historical restitution, African identity politics, and the struggle for socioeconomic survival. Black South Africans in post apartheid South Africa are, like the Jewish deportees in Babylon, in exile. Moreover, post apartheid liberation is not as blissful as anticipated.” (Makhosazana K. Nzimande, The Africana Bible, p. 144)
The period of exile as described in Isaiah is analogous to the state of black people in South Africa. During apartheid, they were in exile. After apartheid, things weren’t as wonderful as they had hoped. This experience reflects the experience of the Judahites as described by the prophet.
This could easily be said of black people in a racist America. Emancipation did not restore Zion. The end of Jim Crow did not restore Zion. The election of a Black President did not restore Zion. Still though, there is a hope that God alone can restore.
The context of this passage is apparent broken promises and disappointment. The people thought that the end of the exile would bring prosperity and a new day. Yet this hasn’t happened. There is a deep struggle over rebuilding the Temple, rebuilding the city walls, and providing for all the people. There is continued upheaval and crime. Regardless of who is to blame - civil leaders, religious leaders, or outside forces - the situation that was promised seems to be far off. Does this sound familiar? We gather in Advent in the midst of broken promises and disappointment.
Personal - the relative/friend who let you down, the bleak prognosis, struggling finances, the new marriage that just isn’t working…
Corporate - political party, government, job - almost always fails.
Spiritual - When is Jesus actually coming? How long must we wait?
The “me” is intentionally ambiguous. Is the ‘me’ Isaiah? Is the ‘me’ the Messiah? Is the ‘me’ Jesus? Is the ‘me’ anyone who has fought for justice? Is the ‘me’ me? The answer to all of these questions is “YES.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
Initial Thoughts
Great stuff for Joy Sunday - Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete is Latin for “rejoice.”
Gaudete Sunday was designed to be a pause from the penitence of the rest of Advent. While the rest of Advent was for prayer, fasting, and penitence, Gaudete Sunday was a reprieve to celebrate the joy of redemption.
Bible Study
Oldest Text in the New Testament (ca 51) Undisputed Paul.
In 1 Thes 4, Paul asserts that the coming of the Lord is near. Like many Pauline epistles, this is dealing with the fact that the coming of Christ has been delayed. So the question remains: “How shall we live?”
Thessalonica was deeply entrenched in Greco=Roman politics and religion leading to the persecution of the early church. Church members faced oppression and even death for their beliefs
Looks ahead in hope-out of the current persecution and pain toward the second coming of Jesus and the liberation from suffering
Very early in the church, so it is not thoroughly developed theologically as some other letters. Most of the letter deals questions about those who die before Christ comes again, and how to live in a time of expectancy.
“Jesus not only delivers from the coming wrath, but God enables believers, in their present lives, to be faithful to the holiness into which God calls them” Monya A. Stubbs, Women’s Bible Commentary
Opening refrain
Perhaps a recitation of how the early church was to order itself. There is a similar form in the Didache and the intentional alliteration in the Greek (each of these lines begins with a “pi” or the Greek sound for “p”) seems to lend itself toward memorization and recitation. (Beverly Roberts Gaventa, Interpretation: First and Second Thessalonians)
Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. Give thanks to God in everything
There is no time to pause from rejoicing, praying, and giving thanks.
Proclaims a total shift in attitude, lifestyle, and mindset - not just a schedule for the day.
Provides a way to wait - Active waiting that is not just about passing the time until Christ comes, but includes an actively countercultural way to live.
These are the marks of the Christian community. The ability to rejoice, pray, and give thanks marks not only the life of the followers, but also forms the model for worship as a community. It is both a personal way of life and a model for how to be the Church.
The sign that the Holy Spirit is with the people is in their ability to live joyfully, pray, and give thanks, as seen in the breaking of the bread and sharing the love feast.
Don’t Quench the Spirit
Is this even possible? Perhaps. While God’s spirit may “find a way”, we know that God works with us, in relationship with us, not as a domineering force breaking us to God’s will.
One way God’s Spirit guides us is through the words of the prophets - How do we keep from quenching the power of the Spirit? Don’t despise the prophets - listen to them.
Test everything - “The words offered as prophecy must not be swallowed whole, but must be subjected to the community for its discernment.” Beverly Roberts Gaventa, Interpretation: First and Second Thessalonians
Sanctification
Wesley Alert: Sanctification is one of Wesley’s three facets of grace. It is the grace that moves us “onward to perfection.” It is the grace that moves us toward generosity, kindness, and peace.
v. 22 “Avoid every kind of evil” or “Abstain from every form of evil” has been used to justify legalism. This is part of the basis for historic abstention from cards, dancing, drinking, movies, and all sorts of other things.
Daniel Wallace concludes that despite this traditional understanding of the text, that Christians should have a “ robust faith and a life of enjoyment of God and of the good gifts he bestows on us. In conclusion, 1 Thess 5:22 is apparently talking about staying away from false teaching and has nothing to do with lifestyle per se.“
The reminder to “do not despise the words of the prophets, but test everything, hold fast to what is good,” sounds like a word of encouragement to a people hearing many messages.
In a cacophony of false teaching, it is important to use the Holy Spirit to discern what is true.
Suggests that there were many preying on the new community - possibly surrounding issue of delayed parousia. As a response to these teachers, some might have shut themselves off from any teachers.
V. 23 - You cannot do this on your own - only God can do this in you
If you feel like this isn’t possible, if the weight of the world seems to heavy, the darkness looks too bleak, the grief too overwhelming - remember you aren’t in this alone - this is a message to a whole community and it is God who will sanctify us, granting us the strength, resilience, and joy to keep going, keep forgiving, keep loving, keep rejoicing.
Remember in all things- God is faithful and God will do this.
Spirit, soul and body- the work of sanctification is not only about the spirit, but about your whole being.
“The shape of Christian life is not contoured in measured apportionment-onepart to work, one part to prayer, or some other recipe for spiritual fulfillment-but in unreserved and all-consuming self-giving.” William Brosend, Feasting on the Word: Year B, Vol. 1
Teaching of Paul is to live life joyfully, not to close yourself off to the world, but to be a part of the world, but transformed by Christ. The power of God in the Spirit is on display in the way people live with one another.
In other words - do not cut yourself off from all joys, but also do not allow yourself to be depraved in every craving. Either side of the extreme falls short of God’s intention for the life of a believer.
THOUGHTS and Questions
Be Christ in Christmas. The best way to keep Christ in Christmas is to be Christ in Christmas for others. Rejoice, pray, give thanks. If this is your mindset, there is no way that Christ can be taken out of your Christmas. “Nothing can take Christ out of Christmas as long as I strive to Be Christ in Christmas.
What is our “Gospel within the Gospel”? What are the underlying truths by which we will “test everything”? For me (Eric) it is the greatest commandments (Love God, Other, and Self) - what is it for you? What is it for your community? What is the solid rock upon which you and your community will stand?
How is this different from fundamentalism? Where is the flexibility and humility in such belief?
The prophets and the teaching of Christ go hand in hand. Discerning the truth is done in community, with the Holy Spirit. Discerning false prophets is no easy task, but should be done through the lens of “The God of peace.” “The working of the Spirit in the form of prophecy is not to be quenched, but neither is it immune to scrutiny” (Beverly Roberts Gaventa, Interpretation: First and Second Thessalonians, p. 85).
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING AND GET IN TOUCH:
Thanks to our Psalms correspondent, Richard Bruxvoort Colligan (psalmimmersion.com,@pomopsalmist). Thank you to Scott Fletcher for our voice bumpers, Dick Dale and the Del Tones for our Theme music (“Miserlou”), Nicolai Heidlas (“Sunday Morning”,"Real Ride"and“Summertime”), Paul and Storm (“Oh No”) and Bryan Odeen for our closing music.