Advent Greeting
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| "In the Bleak Mid-Winter" by Christian Mattison |
Dear Clergy, Friends and Faithful,
"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." - Philippians 2:5-11 (KJV)
The season of winter quiet has arrived yet again, in all of its stark, cold emptiness. The leaves have fallen from the trees. Every morning there is frost on the windows, and snow sometimes drifts down to cover the branches with a light dusting of white. In a few more weeks, here in Ohio, we should have our first thick snow. As we begin the Advent Fast after celebrating Thanksgiving, a new reality of waiting and praying seems to descend on our hearts, half the result of longer night, and half the reality of bitter cold and the visions of death that surround us. Finding a warm, comfortable place to curl up with your children, to tell stories or read books, seems to be am archetypal moment that never fades in the imagination. Such moments are the stuff of our grownup dreams and the root of family identities.
These days remind us that we do not control the flow of time, or what happens to us through sickness, disease, and pestilence. We watch the world spin around us anxiously as news of new Covid mutations in South Africa promise more shutdowns and global travel restrictions. We realize that we cannot will ourselves out of crisis in this fallen world, and that our leaders and authorities are often more opportunistic and unreliable than we ever imagined. We see how important family gatherings, Holy Days, shared moments, church services are to our humanity.
A few years ago, clergy were some of the least trusted members of society. Now, with the drastically reduced presence of clergy in our lives, and the overextended authority of officials, people are starting to see how they wrongly judged pastors and priests, and have begun to understand that famous maxim - “Power corrupts: absolute power corrupts absolutely.” While the clergy have been vastly reduced in power, they once again find a welcoming place in people’s hearts, and we all remember what Christ taught us about “He who would be first among you should be the servant of all.” Let us continue this cathartic process of emptying ourselves of perceived power over others, and sit with Christ in His “Kenosis”, which resulted in His ultimate “Eskenosis”, His incarnation into the world as the Emmanuel, “God with Us.”
The outside world is cold, unhappy, and full of dangers. Those of us fortunate few who can gather in the warmth of the Risen Son, break bread together, sharing the common Cup of our Lord, telling the stories of His Coming, and encouraging and loving one another as brothers and sisters, share in a truly remarkable bond of love that forms our identities and allows us to weather all the trials and temptations of this fallen world.
Let this Advent Season be a time of reflection, of introspection and self-knowledge. Let us confess our sins to God and one another, and appreciate being together more than ever before. As we celebrate these next four weeks of fasting, and gradually step into Christmas with the chanting of Lessons and Carols, the “O Antiphons” and Scriptures, let us embrace the “bleak mid-winter” and anticipate the brilliant rising of the Son.
We, with the barren, frost-covered trees, groan for the salvation that is to come, in the Second Coming of the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Blessed Advent,
Bp. Joseph Boyd
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