Father Rod's Comments

Dear Friends: 

This month we will be marking both the end of our Church year and the beginning of a new year --- what we call the Season of Advent.  For Christians, the season reminds us of both the coming into the world of Jesus at Christmas and of his eventual return.  It is a time that we intentionally use to theologically reflect on our faith --- to prepare ourselves to more effectively live as God would have us live --- as lights of His love in a world in dire need of it.  The Church will try to visually prompt such reflection by switching its décor from green to another color.  For most years that Sue and I have been at Saint Michael’s, the Church marked Advent with the color purple.  Much to my delight, several years ago Pastor Mary reached back to a far more Anglican tradition and began to mark Advent with the color blue --- a more hopeful color rather than purple which has such a strong association with Lent.  The Church in England has used the color blue since medieval times and its use has gradually increased in the Episcopal Church since the Oxford Movement gained support here during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  So what is this “theological reflection” that the Church is encouraging us to do?  Rather than an academic exercise, it is the daily practice of setting time aside to simply wonder about God’s activity in the world and our role in it.  It is seeing ourselves and the world around us through the lens of faith.  We ask questions about our relationships, our work, our children, our government, and our situation in life.  Then with the aid of biblical stories and texts, hymns, poems, and our beloved BCP, we can try to discern where and how God may be luring us or others to bring about a just and loving response.  Let us endeavor to engage in reflection this Advent, and in so doing bring more light to the world.

God bless you all.

Rod+