I sent this out to the members of the jurisdiction last Saturday (11/29/08) but only thought to post it here a few minutes ago.
Dear Friends in Christ,
This Sunday, the First Sunday of Advent, we begin a new church year. We remember the First Coming of Christ in the Incarnation, as we prepare to celebrate Christmas; we prepare for the Second Coming of Christ at the end of time; and we encounter Christ’s coming to us daily – in the Eucharist, in Scripture, in prayer, in community, and in the poor.
The first Psalm says of the righteous that “their delight is in the law of the LORD, and they meditate on God’s law day and night.” I would like for us, in this church community, to have as our goal for this new church year to get to know the Scriptures more deeply, so that we may be “like trees planted by streams of water, bearing fruit in due season, with leaves that do not wither”, as the first Psalm goes on to say of the righteous.
I would like to ask each member of this jurisdiction to do three things this year:
· prayerfully read through the New Testament;
· pray the entire Psalter on a regular basis; and
· study the Gospel according to Mark, the gospel being read this year in the modern three-year lectionary (even if you follow a different lectionary).
If we become more rooted in scripture, we will find that our encounters with Christ in the Eucharist, in prayer, in community, and in the poor will become more profound, and our ability to witness to the Light of Christ within us will grow.
Please be assured of my prayers for a meaningful Advent and a joyous Christmas.+Tim
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