Year C    Book of Alternative Services, page 269

1 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, 2 during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. He went into all the region around the Jordan. 3 He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, 4 as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, "The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. 5 Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth; 6 and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'"                                                                          Luke 3:1-6  (N.R.S.V.)

We look at this reading through the theme of PEACE

PART ONE

A          Who are the characters in this reading?

            1)     Tiberius, Pontius Pilate, Herod, Philip, Lysanias

            2)     Annas and Caiaphas

            3)     John, son of Zechariah. (Zechariah was a priest)

 

B          What are they doing?

            1)     Political leaders

            2)     Religious leaders

            3)     Priest and Prophet

C         What is this reading about?

        3 kinds of Peace, 3 kinds of relationship

        The political leaders uphold Roman Peace (cruel power)

        The Religious leaders uphold God's Peace (with Law)

       John, son of Zechariah upholds God's Peace with prophetic words (a new word from God) that call for repentance and baptism. (Grace) God's Peace is gift, not earned.

    Peace mediated from Grace is salvation (salve) for the healing of relationship. Repentance and baptism for the forgiveness of sins are the means of God's saving Grace.

 

PART TWO

A          What does this message reveal about GOD?

            God's offers Peace defined as relationship by Grace.

        There was no place for forgiveness with Roman Peace.

        There was no place for forgiveness with Law, only justice. Only sacrifice could atone for breaking Gods Law.

        John speaks of sin forgiven when we repent and are baptized.

Sin = missing the mark, archery terminology.

Repentance = adjusting the angle of discrepancy from the target.

Baptism = the gift of forgiveness, thus God's Peace freely offered.

 

B          What does this message reveal about US?

            Relationships are defined by the kind of peace we choose.

        Do we want peace by means of Cruelty, the sword?

        Do we want peace by Law that we are unable to keep?

        Do we want peace by grace, gift that comes with God's help as we adjust our path to move smoothly to the goal of Peace with God (another way of speaking about healed relationship with God)?

 

C         What message does God want us to hear?

            God offers us a relationship of Peace through Jesus Christ.

        Since we are unable to move toward God because we are off the target, God is moving toward us. God comes to restore or redeem the relationship of Peace (Union with God) with us. Baptism marks us as the target God is moving toward. God is adjusting the horizontal and vertical degree of his arrow, his love, and we are the targets. Only God is the true Cupid.

 

PART THREE

A          What is the Good News you hear in this reading?

            The pressure is off.

       I am not able to find my way to God but God is able to find his way to me. My Peace depends on God's coming to me and not my going to God. When God comes as human, Peace comes with him.

B          How are we to be stewards of this Gospel?

            We wait to receive God's relationship of Peace.

 

C         Write a personal prayer about this reading.

            In our search for Peace we have been off target. Now I stand still and wait for you to come to me and be my Peace, the way of eternal life. Aim the arrows of your love at my soul until you hit the mark and make my heart your own.

 

THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE

We continue our journey toward Christmas by lighting a second candle, the sign of light and peace. As a sign of desire to welcome the news of God's coming in the Saviour's birth we ask God to help us repent by waiting for the healing and peace that God's relationship brings so we can live in the peace of the kingdom present and coming.

            Most holy and merciful Father,

            we confess to you, to one another,

            and to the whole communion of saints

            in heaven and on earth,

            that we have sinned by our own fault

            in thought, word, and deed;

            by what we have done,

            and by what we have left undone.

 

My soul waits for the Lord. In his word is my Peace.

 

On the few occasions we have heard your word, we have been off target, thinking your word is concerned with do's and don'ts, judgment and punishment.

We desire to repent, to remain still and wait for your Spirit to be with us speaking through the scriptures the words of peace we long for and need for our healing and restoration.

 

We have looked for peace everywhere except from you.

We come to your table to be fed with the bread and wine of your love revealed in the body and blood of your humanity in Christ.

 

Accomplish in us, O God, the work of your salvation,

            That we may show forth your glory in the world.

 

Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins

through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness,

and by the power of the Holy Spirit  keep us in eternal life. Amen.

 

            We pray with …

            We give thanks for…

            We remember the departed…

 

With thankful hearts we say, Amen.