Wednesday, November 30, 2011

You Know Not When

Our daily appointed readings this Advent continue with Peter’s second letter wherein he writes:

This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you; in them I am trying to arouse your sincere intention by reminding you that you should remember the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets, and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken through your apostles. First of all you must understand this, that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and indulging their own lusts and saying, ‘Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since our ancestors died, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation!’ They deliberately ignore this fact, that by the word of God heavens existed long ago and an earth was formed out of water and by means of water, through which the world of that time was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the present heavens and earth have been reserved for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the godless.

But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and everything that is done on it will be disclosed. (2 Peter 3: 1-10)

Peter echoes a theme from the Gospel taken from Mark that we heard on the first Sunday of Advent: the day of the Lord will come, but no one knows when it will come. To be sure, throughout history, people have tried to determine when Christ will come again. We’ve witnessed that recently when Harold Camping claimed that Christ would return on 21 May 2011. When it did not happen as he predicted, he claimed that he got his calculations wrong. He re-did them and came up with 21 October 2011 as the day. Yet the Gospels are clear, and Peter reminds us today, no one knows the day or the hour. Rather than try to figure out when Christ will come again, we should live our lives in the anticipation that Christ will come again. As one priest friend of mine once said, “when Jesus comes, I want him to find me busy doing his work.” Advent reminds us that Christ will come again. Advent also reminds us that we have to live for Christ in the present, and part of that requires that we reform our lives, forsake that which separates us from the love of God, others and self, that being sin, and believe in the Good News, that Christ has already come to redeem us.

Let us pray: Purify our conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation, that your Son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in us a mansion prepared for himself; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

Hope, Peace, Joy and Love: The Advent Adult Education Series, Sundays at 11:00 a.m. in the parlor behind the sacristy. Join us as we explore the Advent themes on our Advent banner.

Organ Extravaganza at Trinity Episcopal Church in Galveston, Saturday, 3 December: 6:30-7:15 p.m.—Self-guided tours of the historic sanctuary. 7:30-8:00 p.m.—Performance by The Sons of Orpheus. 8:00 p.m.—Pipe Organ Extravaganza, Ronald Wyatt, concert organist. Following the performance—Reception with refreshments in historic Eaton Hall. Stained glass jewelry from the Tiffany window will also be on sale. Tickets are $10.

Galveston Heritage Chorale, Barbara Tucker and A Chosen Few will hold a concert Sunday, 4 December at 6 p.m. at Moody Methodist Church. There is no admission charge, but donations are welcome.

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List especially for the family of Carrie Walpole, a young woman of 35 who died suddenly of a brain aneurysm; we pray for her husband, Daryl, and their sons, Billy and Tommy, as they mourn the loss of wife and mother; we pray for those seeking work, for the ill, for the poor, the hungry and those of who have no one to pray for them.

“Your accumulated offences do not surpass the multitude of God's mercies: your wounds do not surpass the great Physician's skill.” —Cyril of Jerusalem (c.315-386)

Your servant in Christ,

Fr. Chester J. Makowski+
St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church
Galveston, Texas 77550

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