Joy
Third Sunday of Advent Year A
The
wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and
blossom; like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and
singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and
Sharon. They shall see the glory of the LORD, the majesty of our God.
Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say
to those who are of a fearful heart, "Be strong, do not fear! Here is your
God. He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense. He will come and
save you."
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the
deaf unstopped; then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the
speechless sing for joy. For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and
streams in the desert; the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty
ground springs of water; the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp, the grass
shall become reeds and rushes.
A highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Holy Way;
the unclean shall not travel on it, but it shall be for God's people; no
traveler, not even fools, shall go astray. No lion shall be there, nor shall
any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the
redeemed shall walk there.
And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with
singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and
gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Isaiah 35:1-10
John the Baptist in the Wilderness
BOSCH, Hieronymus
Museum of Lazaro Galdioano
Madrid
Spain
You
must not ever
stop
being whimsical.
~ Mary
Oliver
The
most beautiful thing
we can
experience is the mysterious.
It is
the source of all true art
and all
science.
He to
whom this emotion
is a
stranger,
who can
no longer pause
to
wonder
and
stand rapt in awe,
is as
good as dead:
his
eyes are closed.
~ Albert Einstein
A Christmas Carol
Arvada Center
Sunday, December 8, 2019
A Christmas Carol
Cindy Sahli and I enjoyed a really delightful performance!
Annual Eggnog Party
Sunday, December 8, 2019
Ellen Jones and Tom Richardson
Artists Only Christmas Party
Janet Rundquist’s Studio
Wednesday, December 11, 2019
6:00 - 8:00
Janet Quinn Rundquist
Jane Christie, Carol Dobbs, Gail Weger
Melanie Nuchols, Susan Drucker
Chew and Chat
at Sondra’s
Friday, December 13, 2019
Marilee Bradbury Ross, Kay Owen, Karla Byrd, Sondra Kellogg
Spares and Pairs
at the Snyders
Friday, December 13, 2019
Jennie Snyder, Marilyn Sandifer
Neil Snyder opening his White Elephant gift.
Hot Swedish Glogg Party
at Merit Hellman-Funk and Donald Funk’s home
Saturday, December 14, 2019
Donald surrounded by some of his admirers.
Pandora Erlandson, Merit Hellman-Funk, John Erlandson
Vickstrom Family Holiday Party
Saturday, December 14, 2019
Anne Vickstrom with Norman
John Erlandson and Mark Vickstrom led a sing-along.
I loved that it was an inter-generational party!
Joy is not the same as happiness. We can be
unhappy about many things, but joy can still be there because it comes from the
knowledge of God's love for us. We are inclined to think that when we are sad
we cannot be glad, but in the life of a God-centered person, sorrow and joy can
exist together. That isn't easy to understand … Joy does not simply
happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day. It
is a choice based on the knowledge that we belong to God and have found in God
our refuge and our safety and that nothing, not even death, can take God away
from us.
~ Henri Nouwen
December 15, 2019 Third Sunday of Advent Year A
Previous OPQs may be
found at:
When
John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples
and said to him, "Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for
another?" Jesus answered them, "Go and tell John what you hear and
see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the
deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them.
And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me."
As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about
John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken
by the wind? What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes?
Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. What then did you go out
to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one
about whom it is written, 'See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who
will prepare your way before you.' Truly I tell you, among those born of women
no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom
of heaven is greater than he.
Matthew 11:2-11
Agnus Day, by James
Wetzstein
Agnus Day appears with the permission of www.agnusday.org
Mary’s Song
PITTMAN, Lauren Wright
2016
United States
Canticle of Mary (the Magnificat)
"...my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for God has looked with favor on the lowliness of God's servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
the Mighty One whose name is holy.
God's mercy is for those who fear God
from generation to generation.
God has shown great strength;
and has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
God has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
God has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
God has helped God's servant Israel,
in remembrance of God's mercy,
according to the promise made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and Sarah and to their descendants forever."
Luke 1:47-55
The
Christogram IHS is
a monogram symbolizing Jesus Christ.
From
Greek it is an abbreviation of the name IHΣΟΥΣ (Jesus). In Eastern Orthodox
Church the Christogram is composed with letters X, P, I and X arranged into the cross.
They are the first letters of one from two words in Greek language: Christ and
Jesus Christ.
https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christogram_IHS
Isaiah 35:1-10
Psalm
146:5-10
Luke 1:46b-55
James
5:7-10
Matthew 11:2-11
Isaiah
35:1-10
The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall
rejoice and blossom; like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice
with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of
Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the LORD, the majesty of our
God.
Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say
to those who are of a fearful heart, "Be strong, do not fear! Here is your
God. He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense. He will come and
save you."
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the
deaf unstopped; then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the
speechless sing for joy. For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and
streams in the desert; the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty
ground springs of water; the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp, the grass
shall become reeds and rushes.
A highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Holy Way;
the unclean shall not travel on it, but it shall be for God's people; no
traveler, not even fools, shall go astray. No lion shall be there, nor shall
any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the
redeemed shall walk there.
And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with
singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and
gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Psalm
146:5-10
Happy are those whose help
is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Sovereign
their God,
who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them;
who keeps faith forever;
who executes justice
for the oppressed;
who gives food to the hungry.
God sets the prisoners free;
God opens the eyes
of the blind.
God lifts up those
who are bowed down;
God loves the righteous.
God watches over the strangers
and upholds the orphan and the widow,
but the way of the wicked
God brings to ruin.
God will reign forever,
your God, O Zion,
for all generations.
Praise God!
Luke
1:46b-55
"My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on the lowliness
of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his
name.
His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever."
James
5:7-10
Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord.
The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it
until it receives the early and the late rains. You also must be patient.
Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.
Beloved, do not grumble against one another, so that you may not
be judged. See, the Judge is standing at the doors! As an example of suffering
and patience, beloved, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
Matthew
11:2-11
When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent
word by his disciples and said to him, "Are you the one who is to come, or
are we to wait for another?" Jesus answered them, "Go and tell John
what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers
are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news
brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me."
As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written, 'See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.' Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.