Hi Everyone.
Yet another baptism this Sunday – this time it’s little Ellette Marjorie Sweeney. This will be at the 11:00 service.
Last Advent Vespers at 5:00 this Sunday.
Not much happening otherwise, except for the three huge Christmas Eve services Tuesday night!!!
This Sunday’s FIRST READING is the fascinating "spat" between King Ahaz of Judah and God.
- God says to Ahaz "I’ll give you a sign".
- Ahaz says to God, "Thanks, but no thanks"
- Isaiah (speaking for God who is so frustrated with King Ahab that he cannot even speak to him!) says to Ahaz, "Hear then, O House of David!"
Let your voice be normal until you get to that line of Isaiah’s – then let the frustration show in your voice.
Also, try to emphasize the sign itself – it will be essentially repeated by the angel Gabriel in the gospel reading later in the service.
Finally, the final sentence of the reading ("the land before whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted") may be a little confusing for the readers. It refers to a military alliance between the king of the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the king of Aram to conquer the Southern Kingdom of Judah and its capital, Jerusalem. That’s the whole reason God was offering ahaz a sign in the first place – to let him know that everything would be all right and the alliance would falter the problem is that without a lot more narrative, or "back-story", the sentence makes little sense. There’s nothing you can do about that – I just thought you at least would like to know what’s going on.
The SECOND READING is from Romans and is only one sentence long. Unfortunately, it’s a huge and complicated sentence. Paul piles clause upon clause as he writes this greeting to the Christians in Rome – that’s all it is, a greeting!
- The first set of clauses are attached to "Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ…"
- the second set of clauses are attached to Jesus – the son of God born of Mary: "the gospel according to his son…"
- The final set of clauses are associated with the Christ – the Messiah: "Jesus Christ our Lord…"
Just try to remember that it’s a three-part reading (Paul, Jesus, the Christ), and you should be fine.
Thank you all and God bless you all.
Merry Christmas!!!!!
Tim