Welcome to the 2020 St. Augustine's Online Advent Calendar!
Each day, a member of our parish will share a short reflection on Advent along with a lovely image and piece of music to enrich your day. May our journey through Advent together build up and strengthen you as we anticipate the coming of our Lord!
DECEMBER 15TH
Psalm 47
1. Clap your hands, all you
nations; shout to God with cries of joy. 2. For the Lord Most High is awesome,
the great King over all the earth. 3. He subdued nations under us, peoples under
our feet. 4. He chose our inheritance for us, the pride of Jacob, whom he loved.
5. God has ascended amid shouts of joy, the Lord amid the sounding of trumpets. 6. Sing praises to God, sing praises sing praises to our King, sing praises. 7. For God is the King of all the
earth; sing to him a psalm of praise. 8. God reigns over the nations; God is
seated on his holy throne. 9. The nobles of the nations assemble as the people
of the God of Abraham, for the kings of the earth belong
to God; he is greatly exalted.
Psalm 47: God Our King
As I was reading all the scriptures
for today, I was struggling to think of how they connected me to Advent. I was
thrilled to read Psalm 47, which is the scriptural base for songs of praise
that many of us know and love. Today, I
attended the Lessons and Carols service that connected me to Advent through
song, prayer, and scripture reading. The
ancient scriptures and traditional songs connected me to past Advents through
history. I was reminded that people have
prepared for Christ’s birth in times of great unrest and hardship, since the
first Advent.
My Advent and Christmas seasons
this year are very different from every other year in my life. While I miss many seasonal traditions, I am
learning to focus my attention on preparing my heart to welcome Christ, rather
than on rushing around to finish up Christmas baking, present wrapping, party
organizing, etc. This year, I am looking
forward to a time where I focus on the things that are truly important during
Advent, rather than on the trappings of a typically busy Christmas season. Christ is here with us. I need to trust in that truth, be at peace,
and praise him as Psalm 47 demands.
The psalm begins with an
invitation to clap our hands and shout to God with a jubilant cry. The Lord is awe-inspiring and a King above
the whole earth who subdues people and nations under his rule. In 2020, we have lived through many hardships
and demanding experiences...and it is not over, yet! At times I have felt overwhelmed with the
uncertainty in my life and the demands being made on me for continual
change. Sometimes I feel if there is one
more change, I must creatively address, or one more demand made of me, that I
will run away screaming in frustration!
All of Psalm 47 is a joyful declaration
that God is here, that he is the master of us, of nations and of all creation. When I feel angry and lost, I need to return
my eyes to God, as I am confident, he is navigating us through this pandemic. Keeping
my eyes on positive outcomes and changes helps me remember that God is
continuing to do great work in my life and in St. Augustine’s Church. We are blessed by the ministry of Steve,
Jason and a huge host of volunteers who have embraced the pandemic as an
opportunity to be God’s hands and feet among his people. I have found there is
peace and joy in focusing daily on God’s love for me and the people I love. Finding ways to stay connected with people,
sharing their joys and sorrows, reminds me that God continues to love us and
wants us to stay connected with Him. Let
us continue to embrace ministry and mission through these perilous times as we
have God as our navigator and He will not let us down.
I pray that you will find renewed
hope and understanding of Christ’s love for you through parishioners’
reflections on this Advent Calendar. I
pray that you will experience the great anticipation of waiting through Advent
in new and creative ways. I pray that
you will know the love God has for you in the birth of his Son, Jesus. I also
hope that the photo of my Christmas quilt will remind you of the heart of this
season, a simple family doing and being God’s work on earth. As well, I hope the song, “Clap your Hands
and Sing!” will remind you to be joyful in your present circumstance. For my fellow choir members, I hope you sing
along with your part, as the video takes us right back to choir practice. Have a joyous and blessed Christmas season.
