Sunday, November 29, 2020

First Day of Advent

NOTE: This is the beginning of Year B.
The Revised Common Lectionary passages for the Lord’s Day are:

First Reading: Isaiah 64:1-9
Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19
Second Reading: I Corinthians 1:3-9
Gospel: Mark 13:24-37

The liturgical color for the day is: Purple or Blue.

The traditional understanding of Advent is that it is a penitential season of preparation.  It is penitential in the regard that the church is called to examine itself as it prepared for the coming of Christ.  The coming of Christ is both an anamnesis (a re-telling of the historical story) and a foretelling of that which is to be (the apocalyptic nature of anticipation for the fulfillment of all things in Christ).  While many will want to use the season as a pre-Christmas and sing Christmas carols too, there is something worthwhile about holding off and celebrating the season as one of waiting, longing, and expectation.

The Gospel Lesson comes from the “little apocalypse” of Mark’s gospel.  The passage is part of Mark’s passion narrative and has an apocalyptic eschatology to it. One may think of it more simply as again hearing the great truth that God is inbreaking into our existence and the divine nature of God is to redeem us and save us.  Such calls us to confidence and hope in spite of an age of struggle. 

In this year that has been so shadowed by the pandemic and all that has accompanied it, Mark’s message of “keeping awake” resonates with us.  This year may have felt like a long night or even a bad dream—yet, in all that the we have seen how God has been with us all along.  Such is the message of the coming incarnation, that God-With-Us is miraculously and mystically always with us.  It is in such a message of hope that we do find our rest as we wait in hopeful expectation.

Rev. Dr. Daris Bultena
General Presbyter and Stated Clerk