Christ is Our Light - 2 Epiphany Sermon

2 Epiphany/Year A

January 19, 2020

Isaiah 49:1-7; Psalm 40:1-12; 1 Corinthians 1:1-9; John 1: 29-42

Opening Prayer:

Christ, be our light! Shine in our hearts. Shine through the darkness. Christ, be our light! Shine in your church gathered today. Amen. (Longing for light, #45, My Heart sings out)

We’ve just begun a new season in the church year, the season of Epiphany…a season we often associate with light shining in the darkness, the light of Jesus Christ come into the world, God made manifest in Jesus. We spend all of this season, (a total of almost 8 weeks, including Epiphany Day), listening to the Gospel stories which reveal to us Jesus’ identity, shining light on Jesus as the promised One, the Messiah, the Anointed, Emmanuel, God is with us…Shining light on the One, who seems to enter our lives, at times, suddenly, surprisingly, and with a question too important to ignore… “What are you looking for?”

Our gospel reading today began with John declaring, as he saw Jesus coming toward him, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”, and later on, the next day, John was standing with two of his disciples, again, when Jesus walked by, John exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.

When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, “What are you looking for?”

I got the sense, that when Jesus, turned around to ask his new followers what they were looking for, they were caught off guard for a moment, he probably gave them a bit of a startle, a moment of… Uh…I don’t know how to answer that question just now… But… let me ask you this, Jesus… where are you staying?

Jesus, has their attention now, and eases up the moment, and invites them to come and see…and maybe, just maybe…when the disciples follow Jesus, remain with him, learn from him…they can begin to find what they were looking for…what they were longing for…what they were hoping for…

All, I can think of here, for a moment… is a flashlight… I’m remembering times, when I have been in total darkness, and someone turns on the flashlight…makes me jump back in surprise momentarily, by the sudden burst of light, the little bit of light, that is almost overwhelming…. But the light, helps me navigate this new territory of darkness that I find myself in…and I am thankful that I have this light to help me find my way….

I’m thinking of Jesus right now…as a flashlight….

I know it probably sounds a little simplistic or silly…but just think about how a flashlight helps us…it shines light in the darkness, it helps us see things, that we couldn’t see before, when walking in the darkness; it helps us to walk more confidently in the darkness; when we shine it on the path in front of us, it leads us and guides us forward; it leads us to observe new discoveries; it brightens the space all around us, encircling us with a bit of light….

The Light of Jesus does all of this and more…

The Light of Jesus, reminds us that God’s presence, is among us to help us navigate the seemingly endless days and nights of darkness that threaten to extinguish our hope, and our joy in our day to day lives…

The Light of Jesus, rekindles in our hearts, the belief that there is more to this life than we sometimes see, there is more to this life that matters and fills our life with meaning and purpose…

The Light of Jesus, transforms us, in our darkest moments, by His grace and mercy…making a way forward for us to walk in love, and in the light of hope again…

The Light of Jesus, invites us to come and see…how the love of God, revealed to us, in the life of Jesus, has the power to heal our divisions, reconcile us to one another, and help us live into the dream of the beloved community, that God intended for all of us, to be a part of…

…A beloved community, as the Rev Dr Martin Luther King, Jr envisioned as a society based on justice, equal opportunity, and love of one’s fellow human beings….a global vision, in which all people can share in the wealth of the earth. A Beloved Community…where poverty, hunger and homelessness will not be tolerated because international standards of human decency will not allow it. A Beloved community where Racism and all forms of discrimination, bigotry and prejudice will be replaced by an all-inclusive spirit of sisterhood and brotherhood. A beloved community committed to a way of non-violence.  (thekingcenter.org)

The Rev Dr Martin Luther King, Jr, spent his entire life, pointing people towards the vision of becoming a beloved community…where the Light of Jesus, was at the heart of all the Good News he proclaimed to the world, through his words and actions.

It was startling Good news to many listeners… and many were probably caught off guard by his words and actions at times…but he had a gift… a gift of inviting people to come and see, and envision and dream of a world, where a beloved community was possible...and he never wavered in his belief and hope for all God’s children…to be loved and cared for, unconditionally…

John the Baptist, Andrew, Simon Peter, The Rev Dr Martin Luther King, Jr… were all witness to the power and compelling Light of Jesus, to transform their own lives, and the lives of others…and without hesitation, were eager to invite others, to come and see, how the Light of Jesus, was helping them to find what they were looking for, longing for, hoping for…

So, get out your flashlight this evening…(Took a flashlight out of my pocket, turned it on, and held it up for the duration of the sermon) and be reminded of the Light of Jesus that has come into this world, to unite us all to one another, in joy, and light and love…and remain there for a time, surrounded by the light and presence of God, in the quiet, in prayer, in meditating on the scriptures which help us get to know Jesus, the light that shines in the darkness… 

And then go…go invite others, to come and see…by pointing them to the Light of Jesus, who still shines his light and love in our world today…and invites, all of us…to come and see…

Closing Prayer: The Hymnal 1982 - #538 God of mercy, God of grace

1          God of mercy, God of grace, show the brightness of thy face.

            Shine upon us, Savior, shine, fill thy Church with light divine,

            and thy saving health extend unto earth's remotest end.

2          Let thy people praise thee, Lord; be by all that live adored.

            Let the nations shout and sing glory to their Savior King;

            let all be, below, above, one in joy, and light, and love.

 

Rev Julie Platson, Rector

St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church

Sitka, Alaska

St Peter's by the Sea Weekend Announcements - Jan 17 2020

Pearl of the Week
How God will guide you and reveal life to you will be beyond what you can rationally quantify, compute, defend, explain, adjudicate. Use your mind. But don’t limit God’s work of revelation to just your mind.
There is always More. -Br. Curtis Almquist SSJE

Announcements

*Sunday Services - 8am & 10am

*Youth Sunday School: January 12 & 26

*Jan 26: One service at 10am – Annual Meeting Day

*Mondays: 4pm-5pm – Mug up meal for homeless

                   Jan 20 – Church Office Closed for Mt Luther King Day

 *Tuesdays @ Noon – Lunch & Learn Gifts of God for the People of

   God: Exploring Worship in the Episcopal Church

*Wednesdays: Church Office Closed

                         Taize Prayer Service @ 5:30pm

                         Vestry Meeting: Jan 22 @ 6:30pm                 

* Thursdays: Books & Conversations @ 12pm

   The Good Book Club: The Gospel of John: Epiphany 2020

*Fridays: St Simeon & St Anna Prayer Service @ 10am

stpeters-sitka.org

Feeling Climate Change: Part 1

Jan 17, 2020

(in the Sitka Sentinel)

Feeling Climate Change: Part 1

By John Lewis

I still remember the feeling of relief that washed over me. I was going through one of the most stressful events of my life, then a friend told me that what I was feeling was a normal response to an abnormal situation. In other words, it was a crisis response. 

The feelings of despair, anger, hopelessness, grief and uncertainty weren’t a sign that something was wrong with me. Rather they were the result of an overwhelming experience. These feelings were a natural part of the way we process and eventually move through a crisis. In time, I would feel better and could even grow stronger even if I didn’t feel like it at the moment. 

People are using the term “crisis” to describe our climate and the rapid changes we are going through. And the same feelings that go along with crisis reactions are being used to describe reactions to the climate. The wildfires in Australia are overwhelming, their enormity inspires a sense of helplessness. In Sitka, salmon struggling to make it upstream and unusually sunny summer days leave the impression that something is not right. 

It is seemingly a daily occurrence that we are receiving signals of a changing environment. When any life form senses changes in the surroundings, it produces signals to respond to those changes. Our feelings are signals whose goal is to restore balance within ourselves and our surroundings. If we don’t listen to these signals, and we don’t respond in some way to the change, we end up creating more stress. 

Perhaps this is where we are collectively; we are in the early stages of crisis. Even talking about climate change can arouse powerful emotions. For some, the dominant reaction is denial, to go on like it does not exist or affect us. Others, especially those whose lands and lives have already been directly affected, may be filled with grief. People who see that there is not enough being done, or feel they cannot do enough, are left feeling burnt out or hopeless. But all these reactions are a normal part of the process of adapting, accepting and in the end, acting.

The real tragedy would be to remain in these feelings without any action. An important part of a crisis reaction is the gathering of one’s resources to meet that challenge. In doing so, we can actually become stronger and more connected to those around us. The reality is this: the climate is changing and we must adapt. For each person, family, or community, that adaptation may look different.  

But a big part of that adaptation will mean changes to how we think and how we feel. This is the first part of a once-a-month series here at Climate Connections exploring how climate change is affecting mental health – not only how it makes us feel, but more importantly how we can respond. The intensity of feeling, the crisis response, can be a call to change. It’s only crazy if you don’t listen.

-----

 

John Lewis is a behavioral health professional and a member of the Sitka Citizens’ Climate Lobby.

St Peter's by the Sea Weekend Announcements - Jan 10

Pearl of the Week
there is . ..  the inner and very personal conversion when the soul opens to God and knows beyond any doubt that it is loved, that it is cherished and protected, and nothing will ever separate it from that love. Dana Kramer-Rolls

Announcements

*Friday Jan 10 - Girl scouts  - 4:30pm

*Sat Jan 11 - Citizens Climate Lobby - 8:30am

*Sunday Services - 8am & 10am (Morning Prayer/Jan 12)
*Jan 12: Sunday Manna Meal @ Sitka Lutheran Church
 (St Peter’s host)

*Youth Sunday School: January 12 & 26

*Jan 26: One service at 10am – Annual Meeting Day

*Mondays: 4pm-5pm – Mug up meal for homeless

 *Tuesdays @ Noon – Lunch & learn Gifts of God for the people of
   God: Exploring Worship in the Episcopal Church

*Wednesdays: Taize Prayer Service @ 5:30pm
                         Young Life: 8pm-10pm
           
* Thursdays: Books & Conversations @ 12pm
   The Good Book Club: The Gospel of John: Epiphany 2020

*Thursday Jan 16 – Worship Leader meeting @ 11am
   
*Fridays: St Simeon & St Anna Prayer Service @ 10am

*Snow plow broke down yesterday, and did not get to St Peter's yesterday...it has been plowed throughout the week...(just not yesterday)...not sure of when the plow will come as of this morning...there are safe walkways to all entrances to church and see house...(clear as of this morning at 8am)...drive/be safe everyone...

https://www.livingcompass.org/wwow  

stpeters-sitka.org

Let us pray

Jan 7

For the Human Family
O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us
through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole
human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which
infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us;
unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and
confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in
your good time, all nations and races may serve you in
harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.  

For Peace Among the Nations
Almighty God our heavenly Father, guide the nations of the
world into the way of justice and truth, and establish among
them that peace which is the fruit of righteousness, that they
may become the kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Amen.

For those in the Armed Forces of our Country
Almighty God, we commend to your gracious care and
keeping all the men and women of our armed forces at home
and abroad. Defend them day by day with your heavenly
grace; strengthen them in their trials and temptations; give
them courage to face the perils which beset them; and grant
them a sense of your abiding presence wherever they may be;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.  

For Peace

Almighty God, kindle, we pray, in every heart the true love of
peace, and guide with your wisdom those who take counsel
for the nations of the earth, that in tranquility your dominion
may increase until the earth is filled with the knowledge of your
love; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with
you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for
ever. Amen.

(all prayers from the Book of Common Prayer)

Christmas Eve Message

Christmas Eve

December 24, 2019

Isaiah 9:2-7; Psalm 96; Luke 2:1-20

Opening Prayer: (adapted from a blessing written by Brother David Steindalrast)

May you grow still enough to hear the small noises earth makes in preparing for the long sleep of winter, that you yourself may grow calm and grounded deep within.

May you grow still enough to hear the trickling of water seeping into the ground, so that your soul may be softened and healed, guided in its flow.

May you grow still enough to hear the splintering of starlight in the winter sky and the roar at earth's fiery core.

May you grow still enough to hear the stir of a single snowflake in the air so that your inner silence may turn into hushed expectation. Amen.

Lord, it is night. The night is for stillness. Let us be still in the presence of God.

Most often, Christmas is experienced as anything but stillness and silence. Starting back in September/October with the first signs of Halloween costumes and candy in the stores…the busy-ness and frenzy begins. And it doesn’t stop…until after the New Year’s parties and the kids have gone back to school after a long Christmas break.

There are joyous celebrations and parties and community gatherings that bring people together, in ways that don’t always happen throughout the year. That is wonderful. It’s always a good thing, when people can lay aside any differences, grievances, worries…and just come together, enjoy each other’s company, and celebrate all that is good in this life.

This time of year, especially, during the Christmas holidays, the celebrations and events are numerous. Sometimes, too numerous.

And with all the noise and glitz and celebrations happening….people often forget to just stop for a moment…and just be…be in the presence of the love of God…and to connect, once again to the source of their joy, their peace, their hope…to remember, in their hearts…the beloved story of God’s love, born to us on this Holy Night…

In our gospel reading from Luke tonight, there is so much going on in the story…Mary and Joseph are traveling…the time comes for Mary to give birth…and she ends up laying her firstborn son, wrapped in bands of cloth, in a manger…because there was no place for them in the inn…the shepherds, their fears,  the angels, the good news and joy proclaimed about the birth of a Savior, the Messiah,  the multitude of heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!” The shepherds going to Bethlehem and finding Mary and Joseph and the child lying in the manger…then they go and tell others what they saw…and those who heard the story were amazed at what the shepherds had told them….

But, nestled down deep, well below all the noise, in the heart of all that was happening, listening to all the words, and the angels songs, and looking at the flurry of all that was going on in this story…was Mary…

Mary was sitting in stillness and silence and awe… she treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.

On this Holy Night… Mary was sitting in stillness and silence and awe…

My hope and my prayer for all of us gathered tonight, is that we can take some time, together, on this Holy Night…to celebrate, yes…but to also mark this special Christmas Eve…by following Mary’s example of sitting in stillness and silence and awe….pondering all that is being celebrated…to be reminded once again, of the gift of Hope born for us this night…the gift of God’s love, God’s Peace, God’s joy given to each one of us, in the birth of Jesus…a blessing, a sign…that this is the moment where heaven and earth meet…in the stillness, in the silence…is where we meet God…where we know God…where the peace that surpasses all our understanding…is born anew in us, this Holy Night…

Closing: Christmas Prayer ~ written by Roddy Hamilton

When all of time is crushed into a few moments

on the edge of everything

teetering on the brink of a new belief in the future

here is where we meet you, O God.

In the last moments of darkness

before the breaking in of the light

and the cry of a woman and the birth of love

here is where we meet you, O God.

As silence deepens and the wonder stretches

and the ancient past, becomes our longed for future

and the word of the prophets

slip into fulfilment

here is where we meet you, O God.

Creating God

this moment made of every time

and may we breathe along with all those

who have been here before

to the heartbeat of hope

and know this moment so full of expectation

is as sacred as they get

for contained here is all the hope of the future

and the fulfilling of ancient longing

In the snarl of silence

as the universe bends with the weight of anticipation

where the worry is greatest and the moment most urgent

here is where we meet you, O God, in flesh.

Here is where we meet you, O God…on this Holy Night…

Choir Special: O, Holy Night

 

Rev. Julie Platson

St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church

Sitka, Alaska

Bishop Mark Lattime's 2019 Christmas Message

Dec 24

In the darkness of Christmas Eve, people across Alaska and across the world, will gather in churches and hear the words of the prophet Isaiah: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness—on them light has shined.” Isaiah 9:2

This time of year, there is much talk about darkness in Alaska. Even as Christmas Day dawns on the bright side of the winter solstice, in Fairbanks, where I live, the sun will be above the horizon not even 3 hours and 45 minutes. In many communities to the North, the sun will not rise at all Christmas morning.

Yet, the true Light, the incarnate Light of God will shine. It will shine brightly, mysteriously, and defiantly into the darkness of this world and the darkness of people’s life.

The Christmas story and our Christmas celebrations are full of light. We wonder at the story of the Christmas Star. We sing of a stable lamp lighted. We envision glories streaming from heaven above—an image more colorful in a land of the aurora borealis. We decorate trees with twinkling lights. Candles glow in the windows of houses. Even in Arctic Village, way up North at the base of the Brooks Range, giant inflatable Peanuts lawn ornaments glow with holiday cheer.

We shine light into the darkness of this season.

The true light of Christmas, however, is brighter than all of these. Stars at night; stable lamps; the aurora; twinkling lights; candles; glowing lawn ornaments; the sun itself; all these lights can be overcome by darkness. Even the light of day is overcome by night. The light of God’s incarnate love, however, the Christmas light that shines in the child born in the stable at Bethlehem, Jesus, that is a light that no darkness can overcome. It is the light of creation itself. For in the beginning, according to the poetic language of Genesis, God said let there be light and there was light. Light! But not the sun: it wasn’t until the fourth day of Creation that God made the sun and the moon. From the beginning was only true Light of God’s Love: God’s creative purpose; the Light of divine glory; the light of the Life of all life.

That is the Light of Christmas.

In Jesus this Light has come into the world and the world cannot overcome it. The Light of Jesus is Life and Love, and a promise that in his Light there is grace, healing, justice, and redemption to be found shining, if only dimly, tenderly, at times, in the darkness of the world and this life, but never overcome. This is the Light with the power to break forth in the glory of an everlasting dawn and the flashing sparkling of eyes filled with hope and expectant joy!

Merry Christmas!

Rose Sunday - Joy Sunday

3 Advent Year A December 15, 2019

Isaiah 35:1-10; Canticle 15; James 5:7-10, Matthew 11:2-11

Today, on the third Sunday of Advent … we lit the pink colored candle for joy. This Sunday is sometimes referred to as Gaudete (pronounced GOW-day-tay) Sunday…or Rose Sunday…

The term, Gaudete is derived from the Latin opening words of an introit antiphon, "Rejoice (Gaudete) in the Lord always." The theme of the day expresses the joy of anticipation at the approach of the Christmas celebration. This theme reflects a lightening of the tone of the traditional Advent observance…marked as a season of preparing for the coming of Jesus into our lives again, by waiting, slowing down, letting go of things, and repentance… (Episcopal Dictionary of the Church)

And if you were here last week…you are probably ready for a little “lightening and reprieve” and a bit of joy….John the Baptist had some pretty bold words of awakening for us last week, when he proclaimed, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near”…We also heard in the gospel reading that he lashed out at the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, saying to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit worthy of repentance.”  

And then, in my sermon, I invited you to participate in a little repentance exercise, as a way of practicing peace with yourself, by making a list of your sins, and those things that have been a heavy burden on your heart, those things that have gotten in the way of you being at peace with yourself, with God, and with others…A pretty heavy…but spirit-freeing exercise…

Yet, even in the midst of John’s seemingly harsh words last week, and in the focus on repentance…there was Good News in what John the Baptist proclaimed to us: Repentance…is a way of practicing peace with ourselves…a way for us to begin again, by preparing our hearts and our lives to receive the love and peace of the Lord…the peace that only Jesus can fill us with….and to make us ready, by opening our hearts to greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer....

And, so, on this third Sunday of Advent, as we continue to practice opening up our hearts to greet with Joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer, let’s talk about joy today…and lighten up our hearts a little bit today…to get a glimpse of that joy, that is always on its way to greet us…with bountiful grace, mercy, hope, peace and love…

Let’s listen to the prayer again, that we heard earlier, when the candle of joy was lit…

Let us pray: Too often, we think joy is something big, O God. A brass band or a parade can certainly bring us joy. Just as easily and far more often, we can feel joy in a hug or the squeeze of a hand, we can see joy in a smile or hear it in laughter. Help us to not overlook the simple joys that peak into our lives daily. This week in our Advent journey, open our eyes to the joy that surrounds us. Amen. (Submitted by Rev. Susannah DeBenedetto)

When we pause to think about the joys in our lives…what often comes to mind first, are the big things…like weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, graduations…and this time of year, it’s things like the Holiday Brass Concert that is a tradition here in Sitka…. the Nutcracker, another tradition here and in many places…

The school Christmas concerts…the church Christmas pageants…the work Christmas parties….the family holiday celebrations…the list could go on…

There is never a shortage of celebrations and events going on…especially this time of year… and for us at St Peter’s, we started off the advent season with a couple of grand celebrations…with the Bishop joining us for a full Sunday morning service, and our afternoon special celebration, to mark the 120th Anniversary of worshiping together in this church building that Bishop Rowe, and all the saints before us dreamed about and built….a place for the whole community to gather…to give thanks to God, and to celebrate the joys of being together in community…

Yes…joy comes in a big way, at times…big, glorious celebrations, for all to see…spectacular celebrations of joy that are hard to miss...Yes…joy comes in big ways, at times…like when God sends prophets, into our lives such as John the Baptist, a larger than life prophet… who Jesus described, as more than a prophet …and speaking to the crowds gathered, he expands on his description about John, “Truly, I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist, yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”

There is another way that joy enters into our lives…and that is through the simple, every day joys…as the prayer mentions...it could be a hug, a squeeze of a hand...or in a smile, or in the sound of laughter…it could be in that moment of watching a young toddler take his first steps, or say her first words…it could be in the midst of a 1:1 conversation with someone close to you, a glance out the window at the sunset or the full moon…it could be in the news of a cancer-free report from the oncologist…

…it could be in that moment of encounter with another person, where your hearts meet in a moment of deep understanding and inexplicable joy…a joy which causes your heart to sing out with praise…or it could be in that moment of encounter with another person, that the grace and mercy of God is felt so completely and with a joy that is felt so deeply…that no words are adequate or needed….but only tears…tears of sorrow, being transformed into joy…

When I think of some of these moments of simple joy…my heart turns to Mary, and her song this morning…we know it as The Magnificat, or Canticle 15 or simply as… The Song of Mary…I think of her encounter with Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist…which prompted her to sing her song of joy…

In the scripture verses preceding Mary’s song of praise to God, from Luke 1:46-55,  we are told that Mary, a young girl, had been visited by the angel Gabriel and told that she would conceive in her womb and bear a son, and she will name him Jesus.  She was told that 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.  She was told that He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end. She also heard about Elizabeth, who was of old age and said to be barren, that she too would also bear a son. After the angel departed…Mary went to visit Elizabeth.

Listen to this story of this special moment of joy shared between Mary and Elizabeth: (Luke 1: 39-45)

In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”

The child in Elizabeth’s womb leaped for joy upon the hearing of Mary’s greeting…this was a simple glimpse of joy found in the meeting of hearts…and in the shared encounter with God and each other… a brief moment of trusting in something, someone, much greater than they could truly understand at the time…trusting and believing in God’s love, God’s promises and hope being fulfilled, in the moment…in each of them…and in the days yet to come…while they both waited and wondered and readied themselves to greet with joy…the arrival of their baby boys… both beloved of God, both being sent into this world with a specific purpose…

They both felt something…in a simple, profound and quiet way… they felt something in the innermost parts of their souls……They both were witness to the kind of joy that can only be fulfilled in knowing and believing in God’s love for them, and by placing all their hope and trust in him…and they both respond to this good news with words of hope and affirmation, and Mary with her song proclaiming the greatness of the Lord…and all that he has done…

I was reminded this week of another simple, and profound moment of joy, that became of moment of big joy…a moment of being awake to recognizing the invitations to joy and the signs of joy all around us…

There’s a holiday ad being played across the internet/tv screens this season…It features a short story about a young boy, who is deaf. His dad loves Christmas music…and wants so much to share the joy of this music with his son, in the same way they learn to communicate and share so many other aspects of their lives together…With the invention of new technology, the young boy is gifted with a SoundShirt…the first person ever to try out this new technology…it’s a shirt, that has some receptors of sorts, that allows for him to “feel” the  same music that his parents are listening to on the car radio or through other music players …it’s a way for him to share the joy of this season with those he loves and those who love him…It’s a way for him to “hear” about joy and love…by feeling the joy and love…in a quiet and profound way…I hope you have the chance to watch the ad…and to see the way he responds with such joy in being welcomed into this special time of rejoicing, that he can now share with his parents…

The 2019 Lincoln Wish List Feel the Joy Ad:

https://youtu.be/u5f7bkmtEbw

Whether our joy begins in a big way, with a spectacular celebration…or whether it takes place in a simple way, in our encounters with one another … lasting joy and true joy can only be found and felt by the love of God for us, and in the ways we share that love with one another…

As you leave here today…I invite you to be on the lookout for the signs of joy that surround each of us…even in the midst of the sorrows….and more importantly…be on the lookout for all the signs of joy and the love of God, that are within us, and become known to us, when we spend time strengthening our relationships with one another by loving God, one another, and all of creation…

On this third Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday, Rose Sunday…I pray that our song this advent will be one of hope…peace…and love …and joy…

Wonder Love and Praise - #722 The desert shall rejoice

1          The desert shall rejoice and blossom as a rose:

            it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with praise and singing.

2          The desert shall rejoice and blossom as a rose:

            for the ears of the deaf shall hear and the blind, their eyes be opened.

3          The desert shall rejoice and blossom as a rose:

            for the tongue of the mute shall sing and the lame will dance with  gladness

4          The desert shall rejoice and blossom as a rose:

            for the ground will become a pool and the dry land springs of water

5          The desert shall rejoice and blossom as a rose:

            as the ransomed return to God and come singing back to Zion.

6          The desert shall rejoice and blossom as a rose:

  unto Zion we come with joy, for our God has come to save us.

Rev Julie Platson

St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church

Sitka, AK

St Peter's by the Sea Weekend Announcements

Pearl of the Week

'The season of Advent means there is something on the horizon, the likes of which we have never seen before. What is possible is to not see it, to miss it, to turn just as it brushes past you. And you begin to grasp what it was you missed. So stay. Sit. Linger. Tarry. Ponder. Wait. Behold. Wonder. There will be time enough for running, for rushing, for worrying and for pushing. Wait. Something is on the horizon.'

~Jan L. Richardson

Announcements

*Sunday Services - 8am & 10am

*Sunday School: Dec 15 (Dec 22 – Christmas Pageant)

*Christmas Eve (Dec 24): Prelude Music (6:30pm-7pm) ; Service begins at 7pm

*Christmas Day @ Pioneers Home @ 10am

*Dec 29: One service at 10am – Lessons & Carols Service (joint service with Sitka Lutheran at St Peter's)

*Wednesday: Advent Holy Communion Service @ 5:30pm

* Thursday: Books & Conversations @ 12pm (Living Well Through Advent 2019: Practicing Peace)

*Fridays: St Simeon & St Anna Prayer Service @ 10am (in the See House)

***Christmas flower offering envelopes are in the church and in the see house...please return to church by Dec 22 to be included in the Christmas service bulletin***