Navidad/ Christmas (III) + 12.25.19

-

M. Campbell-Langdell
All Santos, Oxnard
(Isaiah 52:7-10; Psalm 98; Hebrews 1:1-4,(5-12); John 1:1-14)

Throughout the Advent Season I have had the song “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” in my head. Por toda la estación del Adviento he tenido la canción “O Ven, O Ven, Emanuel” en mi mente. Does it have something to do with the fact that it is the gradual and the prayers we pray lighting the Advent Wreath? Who Knows? Quién sabe si tiene que ver con el hecho de que lo cantamos en cada misa dominical y forma las oraciones que también hacemos al prender las velas del Adviento.
But a certain phrase has touched my heart especially at this time “O Come, desire of nations, bind in one the hearts of all [hu]mankind; bid thou our sad divisions cease, and be thyself our King of Peace” (Hymnal 1982, #56, vs. 7).
En español dice: “Oh ven, de las naciones tu eres Rey, Y de la Iglesia, Piedra angular. Del barro nos formaste una vez. Oh ven a rescatar a la humanidad” (Flor y Canto #291 antigua versión, estrofa 7).
But the idea is the same. Jesus is sent to unify us all. Jesús es mandado para unificar a toda la humanidad.
And wow, do we need him now. Sí ¡es cierto que lo necesitamos ahora! Viendo nuestro país recientemente he estado muy consciente de mucha división. Mucho mal entendimiento de parte de un grupo para el otro grupo. We suffer from so much misunderstanding in our world. Groups that talk past each other, that are so exasperated with the other and what they see as willful misunderstanding that they just bombast. Hay grupos que hablan solo por su grupo. No pueden escuchar a los demás porque ellos sienten que lo saben todo. In our noonday chapel prayer time where we invite guests from our food pantry in on Thursday, we ask for peoples’ prayers. And frequently now, we pray not only for our families and friends, but for our country. Pedimos oraciones el jueves al mediodía por nuestro país. Por guía y dirección y unidad, en adición a las oraciones que tenemos para nuestras familias. But this peace must come with justice and truth. Esta paz tiene que venir con justicia y la verdad.
Advent is a time of waiting, and we have now come to the end of that wait, at least liturgically speaking. Todavia esperamos a Cristo de Nuevo, pero Cristo renace en nuestros corazones esta Navidad. Christ the savior is born again! La larga espera del Adviento termina ya y ¡Nuestro Salvador Viene Ya! El príncipe de la paz. The prince of peace is here.
 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. Esta luz brilla en las tinieblas, y las tinieblas no han podido apagarla. (John 1:5)
Henri Nouwen, reflecting on singing the O Antiphons that welcome Christ before Christmas:
There is a stark beauty about it all. But is this not a preparation that can only lead to anticlimax? I don’t think so. Advent … leads to growing inner stillness and joy allowing me to realize that he for whom I am waiting has already arrived and speaks to me in the silence of my heart.
Justo como una madre siente que el niño crece en su vientre y no le da sorpresa cuando viene el día de dar de luz a su bebe, pero gozosamente recibe el que se empezaba a conocer durante su periodo de esperar, así puede Jesús ser nacido en mi vida lentamente para estar recibido como el que conocí mientras esperaba.
Just as a mother feels the child grow in her and is not surprised on the day of birth but joyfully receives the one she learned to know during her waiting, so Jesus can be born in my life slowly and steadily and be received as the one I learned to know while waiting.[1]
For what and whom have we been waiting? ¿Para quién y por qué hemos estado esperando? Un Principe de Paz? A prince of Peace? May we receive not only the gift of Christmas joy this morning, but hope renewed that the prince of peace will help us heal the divisions in our world. Que no solo recibamos el don del gozo del Nacimiento de Jesús esta mañana, pero también que recibamos la esperanza para paz en nuestro mundo.
For peace in our country, and mutual understanding that passes understanding. And for a Shalom, a true peace that includes  righteousness, world-mending truth and justice. Para paz en Bolivia, y una pacífica transición a un Nuevo gobierno justo. For peace in our world so we can work together to end the trend of global warming. Para que juntos trabajamos por un mundo menos caliente y más pacífico para todos.
The true peace that Christ gives us is that even what seemed impossible is now possible through him. Aun lo imposible es posible con la ayuda de Cristo.
All the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. Por toda la tierra se sabrá
que nuestro Dios nos ha salvado. (Isaías 52:10)
Merry Christmas! ¡Feliz Navidad!

[1] Henri Nouwen, The Genesee Diary, (Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1976) 185.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Faith or Fear? Advent 1C

-
Melissa Campbell-Langdell All Santos, Oxnard Year C + Advent 1 (Jeremiah 33:14–16; Ps. 25:1–9; 1 Thess. 3:9–13; Luke 21:25–36) So… what are you going to do when you stand before the man with the holes in his hands? Now that may seem like a strange question to ask this first Sunday in December.  Surely, Pastor Melissa, we’re gearing up for jollity, not getting ready to meet our maker? But in a sense we are, always, all the time, waiting for Jesus, and I think that’s what Advent is really all about.  Reminding us that we are always waiting not just for the Christ Child to come and be born in our midst, but that we are also waiting for that awesome, if slightly scary Second Coming of Christ. And it is true that this passage talks about distress and the roaring of the waves.  And many looked at the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy, that iconic image of the ocean-side theme park, including a Ferris Wheel, in the waves, and many said, this is something w...
Read more

Proper 20 (B) + A community of power + 9.23.18

-
Image
M. Campbell-Langdell All Saints, Oxnard (Proverbs 31:10–31; Ps. 1; James 3:13–4:3, 7–8ª; St. Mark 9:30–37) Take a moment and think of the most powerful positive woman figure you know – in your life or in your favorite movie, show or book. Who is the woman who has most inspired you? Keep that image of that woman in mind as we look at this passage from Proverbs Chapter 31. Now here we see the verse “A capable wife who can find?” And all the feminists amongst us will be relieved to hear that a better translation from the Hebrew would be: “a woman of power” instead of a “capable wife.” [1] That changes things, doesn’t it? Then when we hear about this ideal ancient Hebrew woman’s exploits – her buying of lands, her trading prowess, her physical strength, even her domestic abilities such as weaving, and perhaps especially her kindness to the poor, we see strength and power in all of these. Of course, looking at this passage, this is not one woman but a concept of the most...
Read more

Proper21BAcceptingourownwounds29sept24

-
  Accepting our own and other’s wounds Mark 9: 38-50   St Michael’s, Isla Vista / All Saints Oxnard The Rev. Alene Campbell-Langdell; MCL additions   May I just start this morning by acknowledging that our Gospel reading is complex.   The images are startling (horrifying?) and the metaphors come almost too quickly to catch.   What is clear is that something serious is going on between Jesus and his disciples, and Jesus is using every means possible, including some pretty harsh language, to try to course correct.   To even begin to understand this passage, we need to back up to last week’s reading from Mark.   In that reading, the disciples are arguing with each other about who is the greatest and best disciple.   In response, Jesus gets a little kid, some commentators say “toddler,” and holds this child in his arms during the rest of the conversation.    The other part of the scene to keep in mind is that Jesus has just told...
Read more