Isaiah 62:6-12
Christmas (Proper 2) - Years A, B, C
Isaiah 62:6-12 / Isaiah 9:2-7 / Isaiah 52:7-10
Sentinel and "Son" and Light get paralleled here. The qualities of one run into the qualities of the other.
The authority of each grows continuously. It is only in this constant growth that the possibility of endless peace comes to pass. Our tendency is to plateau our growth (for shorter and longer terms) and at each we not only consolidate our gain (light the path we have come by), but we lose sight of our journey and settle for a present peace based on the past that can't bear the weight of tomorrow's realities without more growth.
A call comes to move beyond our current plateau, to "build up" the road to which we have set our foot. A light dawns, a sentinel calls out, a child pushes the boundaries to say, "Ensign Pulver, here, its time for more life than this old bucket or plateau can hold! We'll seek it first in anti-authoritarian silliness which is appropriate to Holy People, the Redeemed."
What's going to allow folks to join in with the next stage of journey. Well, there will be false promises of peace at the next plateau and that will pull some folks on. Some will get lonely when others have journeyed on and begin see the road isn't quite as rough as they had feared. Some won't ever move and they'll be buried in their grave to mark this plateau. Some will hear a sentinel "son" of light singing for joy about that which is yet to come, no matter what plateau we are on.
As we near a time of celebrating birth of a prince of peace who will need to grow into and past that designation, it will help if we recognize that the sentinel, "son", light of old are yet floating around in our gene pool, in what it means to be created in the image of G*D. They are part of us and it is appropriate to allow them to be born again within us. May we use Christmas to not only celebrate a past birth, but a present birth of ourselves.
http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2005/december2005.html
Isaiah 62:6-12
Psalm 97
Titus 3:4-7
Luke 2:(1-7) 8-20
You! Remind G*D!
You! Give G*D no rest!
You! Prepare for a place of peace to be established!
You! Build up! Build up!
You! Build righteousness!
You! Build justice!
You! You know . . . go ahead!
G*D, reminded of G*D's own intention, awakens to a response of goodness and loving kindness in the face of every stimuli clamoring for judgment and punishment. G*D's salvation is not based on our behavior, but G*D's mercy.
So shepherds in the fields abiding, far from respectability, honor, wealth, or power have this mercy offered - a light, a song, a sign, a witness. Wise shepherds that they be, they look and listen and come and go.
This is a valuable pattern, yet. This is a model of being a Christ-bearer - a Christopher Christmas, if you will. It is so valuable that Jesus models himself after shepherds. More than the Magi, the shepherds call Jesus to his calling.
- - -
what we treasure most
we shine with pondering
turning it this way
and that
through this pondering
a treasure outgrows our grasp
loosing it here
and there
humble words stir up
remembrances of holy experience come
root words ground
expectations of holy boldness to come
fearless news
joyful people
let's go, shepherds, peace is promised
let's ponder, with Mary, peace
let's return, shepherds, with a song of peace on earth
let's treasure, with Mary, the favoring of peace for all