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AOMMUNTON MEDITATION \erewial, BB: 14 bu “Valle
wDecember 2, 1973 y Years Stine 93)

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fan a new book "The Moods of Christmas", Howard Therman neflects on the fact that down

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“S Ahrough history single events - or words - became critical turning points without the people

directly involved realizing it.\ who at the_time , for instance, the night of December 16,

1773 - realized the significance of dumping some tea into Boston Harbor?

Therman writes3"There must alwasy be provision for the ample ai moment when an event

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takes on the character of the Sacramental, however such an event may be named in the calendar.|
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The true significance of the event is to be found in the quality of celebration which it
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inspires in the heart". \=aeP.
Or take that wild man of God by the mame of Jeremiah: | wn in the world could have known
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the significance of these words which he wrote ‘Behold the days are coming,says the Lord,

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when I will Fulfill the promise I made XK to Israel .\.1 will cause a righteous branch to
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shoot forth..." _]
No one, to be precise.| For what people heard - and - probably wag what he meant was

that the nation \aelgaigiiwould be restored to former glory.\ Another King David would sit on

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the throne and the Kings of Babylon and Egypt would Know once again that you can't get
away with pushing God's pepe pepple around indefinitely.
When the promise was fulfilledrm one, of much consequence, seemed to notice - with the
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exception of a few shepherds and several astronomers. \ The moment caneand went.
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Forty five years later, a man who knew the significance af the birth in Bethlehem wrote
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a letter to a group of people who were in the process of learning: and this is what he said -

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[ "ee day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night...so let us kn not sleep -

let us keep awake..." |

Unfortunately, the readers of those words across theyears have been more ready to believe

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that God wants to end the world than to love it.\ ane so "the day of the Lord" has come to
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be regarded as an ominous catactysm.\ But, in fact, Paul was advising his friends that any
particular moment can become the moment of grace - and thet the man who goes through life
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with his eyes closed, a#leep as it were, is likely to miss it.

So, today, we observe Advent - the season of anticipation - of looking forward - a
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season that reminds us to expect the unexpected because that is always how it happens) So

today, we begin something that began when the first Santa Claus appeared on the counter
KOMBWHEKA sometime in October. \ We'l1 do it all agutecbws' Tt do the things we did last year

COMMUNION MEDITATION CON'T. DECEMBER 2, 1973

and the year before:[we'll get overitorked and stretched out and anxious and maybe we'll even

look forward to the blessed relief of December 26 and in the meantime watk through these
beautiful weeks with our eyes closed tightly. fw pat Po

How God in his heaven must regret that!| Because, I believe, he graces this season with

his peace and love and healing in a special way\ His love is looking for ways, in this

season, to be let loose.\ His love tugs at our hearts and somehow intensified, our iove| He's

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ready toget into the act and work an incarnation - an enfleshing of his Tove in us - if

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we're not too busy.\ His joy twinkles in the eyes of tittle ciittdren\ His pleasure at his
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creation is reflected in grandmothers and grandfathers who indulge the Tittle ones a bit
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even though they wouldn't or couldn't with their ovn.\ His will that men live in peace
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reaches into our lives and grabs wx us wher&\ we feel the traddgy ofvwr - at Christmas.

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So today, the first Sunday in the season of expecting that which is alwaysv¥@xpected.
And we begin it,=by designs&t the place he promised to meet us - his table -~- eating together

those simple elements he chose to be remembered by.
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“How silently, how silently the wondrous gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of his heaven.
No ear may hear his coming, But in this world of sin, |

Where meek souls will receive him, stil] the dear Christ enters in. AMEN

Sierare) Stu,