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| St. James - Westwood Weekly Epistle |
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Approaching the 4th Sunday of Advent
| December 18, 2013
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 | | Divine Guidance by Elana Foundos |
Advent Greetings Everyone
Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, 'Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.' (Matthew 1: 18-21)
You can read this coming Sunday's lessons here.By many ancient and contemporary moral standards, Mary and her unborn baby were disposable. She was unmarried yet engaged. She was pregnant but seemingly shared intimate sex with another man. Righteously speaking, Joseph possessed the authority to punish Mary for her apparent lack of faithfulness to the relationship they shared. He didn't only have the right to disown the woman he had engaged. He could take her life away from her in a variety of ways. David Lose adeptly describes the chaos and calamities associated with Jesus' birth. Lose writes: "The bond between Mary and Joseph at this time was contractual, not merely social, as would be the case when talking about "engagement" in our day." ... For all intents and purposes, then, Mary and Joseph were married but had not yet moved in with each other or consummated their union. It could, as far as Joseph was concerned, mean only one thing: that his espoused wife had been unfaithful. ... And so, wanting out of what he believes is an unfaithful union, he has two options -- public stoning or divorce. He opts for the latter course, not wishing, as Matthew describes, to expose her to public disgrace and, presumably, punishment. (Dec. 17, 2013, paras. #3&4)It's no wonder that God sends an angel to intervene into the matter. Joseph otherwise would have acted as almost any other human being would react. Anger, sadness, and shame would have prompted him to dissolve the most intimate and important relationship he shared with another human being. The odds of Jesus (Emmanuel - God with us) being born would have been significantly altered if not snuffed out all together. Instead, because of a divinely crafted intervention, Joseph is transformed from being a righteous if not selfish man into God's Son's human father. Mary doesn't die. Instead she lives to rear God's Son and remain faithful to him until death and his resurrection. Christmas happens even though it shouldn't. God's love wins!
And we ... well ... we get to read Mathew's rather mundane yet extraordinary eight-verse account of Jesus' birth. We would probably prefer to focus our attention on the angels who gloriously sent the shepherds to view the child in Bethlehem. We should instead take a closer look at the messiness of Jesus' natural family system. Let's instead focus in on the courageous vulnerability that Joseph offered to God and to his engaged wife. Let's not blink at or avoid the complications of Joseph and Mary's challenging relationships with one another and The Holy Spirit. Let's realistically look at when and how we have disposed of wonderful gifts God presents to us. More importantly, let's affirm when we have accepted risks against our own best judgments because we believed that God's providence and Spirit would abide with us through darkness and light alike.
In all of these final moments of Advent prayer and contemplation, Let's most deeply consider and enjoy the faithful devotion and witness that Mary, Joseph, and the angels offer to us as we depart from our own homes to visit the manger in Bethlehem. Let's proclaim as Mary did with her words and actions: "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word." Joseph was right there with her making decisions that didn't pass the logic test. And yet -- because of them. Because of God's relationship with humanity. Because we believe in such absurdities. God is indeed with us - Emmanuel! Blessings Along The Way, Jim+
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 | | Click on the candle to view our parish calendar |
What's Arriving on St. James' Calendar
Saturday - December 21st
8:45 AM
- Adult Bible Study
- Choir Practice
- Children's Sunday School
11:15 AM (or thereabouts)
- Hospitality Time (hosted by the Vestry)
11:30 AM -
Greening of the Church
Adults, teens, and children alike decorate the church and prepare for Jesus' birth. Come, enjoy the trains in Lu Dunn Hall, place ornaments on the trees in the chancel and enjoy one another's holiday cheer.
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Traditional Candlelight Christmas Eve Worship Service at 10:30 PM - Dec. 24th |
Tuesday - December 24th - The Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ
4:30 PM - Family Friendly Carols, Children, and Communion Worship Gathering - A time to invite Jesus' birth into our lives with
special music selected by Alex and an enjoyable Christmas play for
everyone. Invite your neighbors and friends, especially those with children and teenagers!
10:30 PM - Traditional Candlelight Christmas Eve
Choral Eucharist. Beautiful music by our Chancel Choir, carols, and the proclamation of Christ's birth.
Office closed Dec. 25 - 27.
Limited office coverage
on Dec. 28th - Dec. 31st. No weekly epistle next week!
Office closed - Jan 1st (The staff will check the office telephone for voice messages throughout the holidays) Talk with Walt if you would be willing to volunteer for a couple of hours on a day between Christmas and New Year's. We can use your help to answer telephones, get the mail, fold
bulletins, etc. Thanks!
December 29th - Christmas I Eucharist @ 10 AM (No adult education or choir practice)
Boar's Head Festival Dress Rehearsal - Saturday, January 4th @ 2PM -The parish has received 15 free tickets for the Boar's Head Festival Dress Rehearsal. This annual and delightful event takes place at Christ Church Cathedral. These tickets are available to parishioners on a first come, first serve basis. Parishioners should contact Gayle to receive tickets for the performance. |
Joseph's Lullaby is performed by a group called MercyMe, and it's a unique twist on the Christmas story. It marries well with this week's Gospel, as we are reminded of the difficulties Joseph faced of raising a child that was not his own. It is an emotional tie to real-life emotions, and will be featured on Sunday's Lessons & Carols. Enjoy this video of the tune in the meantime |
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 Our Mission
St. James Episcopal Church is called to be a center of worship and common life where Christ's love is visible and experienced in order to seek and serve Jesus in others. |
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