"Love is not passive"

Aloha! We are right in the middle of the season of Advent, and while we’re
surrounded by festive Christmas music, hectic shopping, fun holiday parties, and family
comings and goings, we are also endeavoring to keep our focus on preparing our hearts
and minds for the coming of Jesus in Bethlehem.

Last Saturday I was honored to attend the Daughters of the King Christmas lunch (what
a fun time!), and I shared with them some quotations by one of my favorite authors,
Henri Nouwen, about Love, Joy, Peace, and Hope at Advent. I want to share his words
with you now as a way of helping us all to be mindful of the message of Advent:

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Henri Nouwen on Love, Joy, Peace, and Hope at Advent:

Love: “In this season of Advent, love is not passive. It is a verb, a force that requires us to reach out, to serve, and to care for others.”

Joy: “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.”

Peace: “True peace comes from within and radiates outward. As we prepare for Christ’s
coming during Advent, let us be vessels of peace for others.”

Hope: “Hope is a gift that we can share with others. In this season, as we prepare for
Christ’s coming, our hope becomes a beacon for those who feel lost or weary.”

So let us pray for love, joy, peace, and hope in abundance, so that we may share those
blessings of God with those around us.

Even in this busy season, there are meaningful ways you can share those blessings with others here at St. Timothy’s, including taking one or more of the ornament cards from our Giving Tree and providing much-needed gifts to neighbors in need at area shelters. Or consider participating in our Outreach Ministry by volunteering on Sunday mornings, Tuesday afternoons, or during the week when we shop at the Foodbank and unload the groceries in our pantry. There’s more information about both ministries in our Epistle newsletter, or take a look at the information on our church Outreach Ministry page.

Last Sunday, the Second Sunday of Advent, we explored Malachi 3:1-4 and Luke 3:1-6. The ancient prophet Malachi speaks of the day of the Lord’s coming, telling us that he
will come like a refiner’s fire and like fullers' soap. Those are both high-powered cleansing
methods to remove impurities (and they wouldn’t make very good Christmas gifts!).
Malachi calls for us to have a spiritual scrub-down so we might be prepared to welcome
the Messiah who is coming in glory. And then Luke introduces us to another “prophet,”
John the Baptist, who is stirring up revival in the desert to prepare the way for the coming
Messiah Jesus. I hope you’ve been pondering how we might respond to the powerful
message these two prophets have given us as we make ready for the coming Savior.

This Sunday is the Third Sunday of Advent, also known as Gaudete Sunday, when we light the rose candle in the Advent wreath. “Gaudete” is the Latin word for “Rejoice,” the first word in our Epistle reading from Philippians 4. This is the Sunday we celebrate the joy of our anticipation of the coming of Jesus. We’ll hear more from John the Baptizer as he calls people to repent, to change their way of life, as they wait for the Savior to come. We’ll talk about our own expectations, not only at this season of year, but in our lives going forward. How are you setting your expectations?

Dear sisters and brothers, let’s continue to prepare our hearts for a holy Advent and a joyous Christmas. You are in my prayers, and I ask for your prayers for St. Timothy’s Church, for our dedicated staff and our devoted lay leaders, and for your vicar. May God bless you all. 
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Aloha Ke Akua!
Fr. Pete+