But first, ...
Monday is my morning to publish the lectionary Propers for the upcoming Sunday and email them to "subscribing" members of our adult Sunday School class (not everyone in the class opted to be on the distribution list) and I'll do that, but a few other thoughts here before finishing up there.
One, ship passing 7H at 5:33 a.m. just now, showing her green starboard running light.
Another, counting on clear weather this evening for our perfect from 7H view of the sky and looking with my small telescope at the Great Conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter. That's me under my FSU cap, taking a picture of a picture. See Jupiter's four visible moons lined up? And even a distant spiral galaxy hardly compares with the creamy yellow beauty of Saturn and rings. Been watching it. Look low in the western sky as soon as it gets dark this evening, to the left of where the sun set.
The planets don't have their own light, you know, it's light reflected off the sun shining on them, as pictured above.
Another thing, taking off from. Speculation online that the Great Conjunction may've been what the Magi saw, "his star in the East". That possibility for Sunday School discussion is shaded by our awareness of Matthew's dedication to searching and finding "messianic prophecy" in the Septuagint as a key to his agenda of persuading members of his Jewish-Christian church that Jesus is the One promised by Moses. Just so, this comes from Numbers 24:17, (story of the same Balaam with the talking donkey), ἀνατελεῖ ἄστρον ἐξ Ιακωβ καὶ ἀναστήσεται ἄνθρωπος ἐξ Ισραηλ rise a star out of Jacob and raise up a man (human) out of Israel. So the question for Sunday School is whether imaginative and creative Matthew, as we know him, really even needs to hear rumors of a star, or in tonight's case a Great Conjunction of planets, to start thumbing though his Bible.
With a star heralding royal birth in one gospel (Matthew), angels singing in the skies in another gospel (Luke), and in one non-canonical gospel (Peter) a talking cross, sacred stories are cherished by the faithful, while (Scripture Tradition Reason) scholars are mindful that Heilsgeschichte, which is in the heart, is an altogether other literary genre from history, which is more in the mind. Love and cherish, with Reason!
Reason doesn't need to search the oceans for a fish big enough to swallow a man and keep him alive in its belly for three days before vomiting him out on the beach; Reason doesn't need to walk the shores of the Sea of Galilee looking for a reef sticking out for Jesus to walk on; Reason doesn't need to browse an astronomy text looking for a record of the Great Conjunction around 4 B.C. Reason doesn't need physical proof, and is always mindful that it's fun to mix the magic of astrology with the fervency of religion.
Anyway, scroll down to read the Propers for next Sunday.
Alphabet & PTL
T+
The Collect
Almighty God, you have poured upon us the new light of your incarnate Word: Grant that this light, enkindled in our hearts, may shine forth in our lives; 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.
Old Testament Isaiah 61:10-62:3
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord,
my whole being shall exult in my God;
for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation,
he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
For as the earth brings forth its shoots,
and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up,
so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.
For Zion's sake I will not keep silent,
and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest,
until her vindication shines out like the dawn,
and her salvation like a burning torch.
The nations shall see your vindication,
and all the kings your glory;
and you shall be called by a new name
that the mouth of the Lord will give.
You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord,
and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
The Psalm
Psalm 147 or 147:13-21
Laudate Dominum
1 Hallelujah!
How good it is to sing praises to our God! *
how pleasant it is to honor him with praise!
2 The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem; *
he gathers the exiles of Israel.
3 He heals the brokenhearted *
and binds up their wounds.
4 He counts the number of the stars *
and calls them all by their names.
5 Great is our Lord and mighty in power; *
there is no limit to his wisdom.
6 The Lord lifts up the lowly, *
but casts the wicked to the ground.
7 Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; *
make music to our God upon the harp.
8 He covers the heavens with clouds *
and prepares rain for the earth;
9 He makes grass to grow upon the mountains *
and green plants to serve mankind.
10 He provides food for flocks and herds *
and for the young ravens when they cry.
11 He is not impressed by the might of a horse; *
he has no pleasure in the strength of a man;
12 But the Lord has pleasure in those who fear him, *
in those who await his gracious favor.
13 Worship the Lord, O Jerusalem; *
praise your God, O Zion;
14 For he has strengthened the bars of your gates; *
he has blessed your children within you.
15 He has established peace on your borders; *
he satisfies you with the finest wheat.
16 He sends out his command to the earth, *
and his word runs very swiftly.
17 He gives snow like wool; *
he scatters hoarfrost like ashes.
18 He scatters his hail like bread crumbs; *
who can stand against his cold?
19 He sends forth his word and melts them; *
he blows with his wind, and the waters flow.
20 He declares his word to Jacob, *
his statutes and his judgments to Israel.
21 He has not done so to any other nation; *
to them he has not revealed his judgments.
Hallelujah!
The New Testament Galatians 3:23-25; 4:4-7
Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed. Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian.
But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God.
The Gospel John 1:1-18
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.
And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth. (John testified to him and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.'") From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father's heart, who has made him known.