Fourth Sunday of Advent

Scripture Reading for Today:

Micah 5:2-5a, Psalm 80:1-7, Hebrews 10:5-10, Luke 1:39-45, (46-55)

Micah 5:2-5

2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
from ancient times.”

3 Therefore Israel will be abandoned
until the time when she who is in labor bears a son,
and the rest of his brothers return
to join the Israelites.

4 He will stand and shepherd his flock
in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they will live securely, for then his greatness
will reach to the ends of the earth.

5 And he will be our peace
when the Assyrians invade our land
and march through our fortresses.
We will raise against them seven shepherds,
even eight commanders,

Psalm 80:1-7

For the director of music. To the tune of “The Lilies of the Covenant.” Of Asaph. A psalm.

1 Hear us, Shepherd of Israel,
you who lead Joseph like a flock.
You who sit enthroned between the cherubim,
shine forth 2 before Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh.
Awaken your might;
come and save us.

3 Restore us, O God;
make your face shine on us,
that we may be saved.

4 How long, Lord God Almighty,
will your anger smolder
against the prayers of your people?
5 You have fed them with the bread of tears;
you have made them drink tears by the bowlful.
6 You have made us an object of derision to our neighbors,
and our enemies mock us.

7 Restore us, God Almighty;
make your face shine on us,
that we may be saved.

Hebrews 10:5-10

5 Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said:

“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but a body you prepared for me;
6 with burnt offerings and sin offerings
you were not pleased.
7 Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll—
I have come to do your will, my God.’”

8 First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them”—though they were offered in accordance with the law. 9 Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. 10 And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Luke 1:39-45

39 At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40 where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”

Luke 1:46-55

46 And Mary said:

“My soul glorifies the Lord
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.
50 His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
55 to Abraham and his descendants forever,
just as he promised our ancestors.”

NIV

Anchored by Emmanual

by Tamera Goller and Matte Downey

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Today, we have an artistic collaboration to offer you in the Advent Reader. Visual artist, and New Leaf regular, Tamera Goller, has responded to the theme of Advent Undone with two pieces of original art. In addition, Matte Downey, author, poet, and theologian, has responded to the art with some words of her own. Enjoy these offerings as you encounter God today. - Amy Bratton, Advent Undone editor

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Emmanual - God With us (2024)
9X12
Acrylic on Canvas

Held 

Water is life. We need it to survive. A hot July afternoon has us craving for multiple glasses of the cold stuff. Water is also comfort. Nothing beats a steaming cup of chai on a chilly December morning. But water outside my body, especially deep water, is a different matter altogether. It presents itself as danger. 

When we read about the sea in the biblical texts, it is often associated with dread, chaos, and even death. Enemy pursuers are drowned in it. Fishermen fear for their lives when a storm whips up its waves. Deep water is unknown territory, cause for caution and alarm. 

I know this feeling. I am not a strong swimmer. Some might say I am not a swimmer at all. Yes, I can get across a pool by thrashing my arms and legs, but in anything deeper than four feet, I feel safer wearing a life jacket. Taking swimming lessons as an adult didn’t really help. When I showed the instructor how I tended to sink while floating, he shook his head and informed me that he had never seen anything like it before. Then he waded over to his more promising students. I have never trusted deep water, or should I say, my body in deep water. 

A few years ago, a friend of mine mentioned that their relationship with the divine was like floating in the ocean. You lean back into the vastness and just let go. You trust that you will be held by something that doesn’t seem quite solid enough to do the job, and yet somehow, it does. You are held. 

I found the idea scary and also very attractive. I wanted to experience that kind of trust, that kind of giving of myself to something immense and spacious. The next time I was at the ocean, I waded into the warm water till it lapped up against my chest. I rehearsed the “letting go” in my mind, trying to calm the anticipatory panic that rises whenever I consider lifting my feet off solid ground. I stood there for some minutes, breathing deeply and collecting as much bravery as I could. Then I pushed my toes against the sandy bottom, spread out my arms, and imagined I was falling back into a soft bed. 

The water rose to meet me. It skimmed the edges of my face and splashed over my chin. I leaned my head back and reminded myself that I was being held by mother ocean. There was no reason to panic. As my body rocked in the gentle waves, I observed the clouds slowly meandering across my field of vision, not at all concerned about falling out of the sky. The sun stood solid up above, unwavering, warming all in its gaze. I thought of the many massive planets and stars far beyond the earth, swirling at high speeds, confident that they would be held in their respective orbits. 

Light years away, me and my little faith were but tiny specks in a vast ocean, but we too were being held.

Anchored (2024)
9X12
Acrylic on canvas

Along the Way

A trusted friend on the left

An unlikely companion to the right

Ahead the way is unclear 

(are we walking on water?)

Points of brightness shimmer all around

Just enough light to see each other

And the next step

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