Third Sunday of Advent

Joy

The First Song of Isaiah - Gabriel’s Oboe 

Surely God is my salvation;
   I will trust, and will not be afraid,
for the Lord God is my strength
       and my might;
he has become my salvation. 

With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. 
And you will say on that day:
   Give thanks to the Lord,
      call on his name;
   make known his deeds among
         the nations;
   proclaim that his name is exalted.

Sing praises to the Lord,
   for he has done gloriously;
   let this be known in all the earth.
Shout aloud and sing for joy,
   O royal Zion,
for great in your midst is the
   Holy One of Israel.

Isaiah 12:2-6

Play if you choose:

Henrik Chaim Goldschmidt plays “Gabriel’s Oboe” from “Mission"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WJhax7Jmxs

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:4-7

Altar of the Mystical Lamb - John the Baptist

Ghent Altarpiece

EYCK, Hubert van; EYCK, Jan van

1426-1432

Sint-Baafskathedraal te Gent

Ghent, Belgium

Ghent Altarpiece

Since its creation the altarpiece has been considered one of Northern European art's masterpieces and one of the world's treasures.^[5] Over the centuries the panels have come close to destruction during outbreaks of iconoclasm, or damage by fire. Some were sold, others looted during wars. The panels that had been taken away by the German occupying forces were returned to St. Bavo's Cathedral after World War I. In 1934 two panels, The Just Judges and Saint John the Baptist, were stolen. The panel of Saint John the Baptist was returned by the thief soon after, but the 'The Just Judges' panel is still missing. In 1945, the altarpiece was returned from Germany after spending much of World War II hidden in a salt mine, which greatly damaged the paint and varnish. The Belgian art restorer Jef Van der Veken produced a copy of the stolen panel 'The Just Judges', as part of an overall restoration effort.

Attribution to the van Eyck brothers has been established through the small amount of surviving documentary evidence attached to the commission, and from Jan's signature and dating on a reverse frame. Jan seems to minimize his contribution in favor of his brother, who was dead with 6 years by the time of work's completion in 1432. A less explicit indicator is their seeming portraits as the third and fourth horseman in the Just Judges panel.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghent_Altarpiece#/media/File:Retable_de_l%27Agneau_mystique_(4).jpg

The present moment is filled with joy and happiness.

If you are attentive, you will see it.

~ Thich Nhat Hanh

Of all the things that human beings make and do for each other,

it is the unquantifiable ones that contribute most to human happiness.

~ Charles Eisenstein

Ellen and Tom Jones had an eggnog party last Sunday afternoon/evening.

Needless to say, we had to watch the Broncos before going.

We celebrated Joan Evashevski’s birthday

at Willow Creek on Tuesday.

George and Anna Marie Nelson, Carolyn Alexander

at the Center for the Arts Evergreen Board Holiday Party Wednesday evening.

Ellen O’Connor, Evergreen Park & Recreation District’s Executive Director, 

with Santa Claus (aka John Ellis) and Kendra Lind at the Silver Sneakers Holiday Luncheon on Thursday.

Nancy Eldridge (back) with Arnie and Mary Vansant.

Nancy is retiring and we shall have a new instructor.

Some of the December Birthday Celebrants at Rotary on Friday morning.

Jenna thought everyone was crazy!

Bill Sandifer opening his White Elephant gift at Spares and Pairs

Friday evening.

Whatever is received is received according to the mode of the receiver.

~ Thomas Aquinas

December 13, 2015 Third Sunday of Advent

Previous OPQs may be found at:

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

John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our ancestor'; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." 

And the crowds asked him, "What then should we do?" In reply he said to them, "Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise." Even tax-collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, "Teacher, what should we do?" He said to them, "Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you." Soldiers also asked him, "And we, what should we do?" He said to them, "Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages." 

As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, "I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing-fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing-floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” 

So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.

Luke 3:7-18

Agnus Day, by James Wetzstein

Agnus Day appears with the permission of www.agnusday.org

The Joy You Give
~ John Greenleaf Whittier

Somehow, not only for Christmas

But all the long year through,

The joy that you give to others

Is the joy that comes back to you.

And the more you spend in blessing

The poor and lonely and sad,

The more of your heart’s possessing

Returns to you glad.

Zephaniah 3:14-20
Isaiah 12:2-6
Philippians 4:4-7
Luke 3:7-18