Second Sunday of Advent

Love

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; *
he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior, *
born of the house of his servant David.
Through his holy prophets he promised of old,
that he would save us from our enemies, *
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers *
and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham, *
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
Free to worship him without fear, *
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.
You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, *
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
To give his people knowledge of salvation *
by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God *
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, *
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Luke 1: 68-79

Birth of Saint John the Baptist

GENTILESCHI, Artemisia

1635

The Prado

Madrid

Spain

Notes:

Zechariah is shown writing "His name is John," just before he begins to speak, sharing his prophetic words of Luke 1:68-79. Behind him, his wife Elizabeth and their neighbors watch. The artist of this work was a woman; Zechariah's tender rendering, along with the camaraderie of the women who attend the infant John, demonstrate a painter with first-hand knowledge of domestic activities.

Detail

http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/diglib-fulldisplay.pl?SID=20151202925231933&code=ACT&RC=56032&Row=6

When I say it’s you I like, I’m talking about that part of you that knows that life is far more than anything you can ever see or hear or touch. That deep part of you that allows you to stand for those things without which humankind cannot survive. Love that conquers hate, peace that rises triumphant over war, and justice that proves more powerful than greed.

~ Fred Rogers

Nothing we can do, however virtuous,

can be accomplished alone;

therefore we are saved by love.

~ Reinhold Niebuhr

Pancake Party with Sister Kimra and Randy

Sunday, November 29, 2015

Kimra Perkins in her meditation/office.

The first of many crosses given to Kimra.

Kimra Perkins, Carolyn Alexander, Laurie Davis, Annette Bradley

Randy Sackerson

Jeanne Gibbard and I went to “White Christmas" at the

Arvada Center on Wednesday.

Rotary Holiday Party

at the Lakehouse

Thursday, December 3, 2015

Jim Davis, one of the elves.

Alex with Santa

Mark Vickstrom … a big elf!

PEO Auction and Luncheon

at Mount Vernon Country Club

Friday, December 4, 2015

Sue Daley, Sharron Leonard, Danna Cuin

Sharron invited Sue, Danna, and me as her guests.

Meet and Greet

Saturday, December 5, 2015

Our potential new pastor, Rev. Dr. Charles “Chuck” Traylor III.

He will preach on Sunday at our church.

The first peace, which is the most important, is that which comes within the souls of people when they realize their relationship, their oneness with the universe and all its powers, and when they realize at the center of the universe dwells the Great Spirit, and that its center is really everywhere, it is within each of us.

~ Black Elk

December 6, 2015 Second Sunday of Advent

Previous OPQs may be found at:

http://www.dotjack.com/opq.htm

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor 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, 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, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, 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.

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;

and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'"

Luke 3:1-6

Agnus Day, by James Wetzstein