Dear friends in Christ,
The Great Tribulation is the subject of the eighth and ninth chapters of the Revelation of Saint John the Divine. As the angels of God blow their trumpets, John sees creation itself torn apart in what one commentator describes as a “controlled descent into chaos.” The Sunday class tries to arrest its own descent into chaos on Sunday, November 27 at 10am.
No Abiding City: The Surprising Realities of Christian Presence in the Middle East. On Sunday, December 11, Saint Thomas welcomes the Rt. Rev. Michael Lewis, Bishop of the Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf. Bishop Lewis talks about the life of the Church in that region in a special lecture offered at 10am.
The Friday Bible Study, led by Father Spurlock, is not meeting today due to the Thanksgiving holiday. It continues on December 2 at 12:45 p.m. in the parish house dining room.
Likewise, the Christian Doctrine II class meets again in December.
Looking forward. We are fortunate to have the Very Rev. Steven Peay, Dean and President of Nashotah House Theological Seminary, returning to Saint Thomas in January. Dean Peay preaches at the 11am service and offers further reflections on the Rule of Saint Benedict, following up on a lecture he gave at the parish last year.
Finally, November 27 is the first Sunday of Advent. During this time of year I often re-read a sermon given by Rowan Williams, recorded in his book Ray of Darkness. It is challenging. He writes of Advent revealing the “essential ambiguity of our religiousness,” the way we both want and do not want to know the reality of the Christ child, both want and do not want to know that God is not to be domesticated.
The Christian, in the Advent season above all must learn something of God’s own simultaneous ‘yes’ and ‘no’ to all religious aspiration and expectation. … Because Advent tells us to look for mystery, absolute grace, and freedom, in a fleshly human face … it brings our idolatry … to judgement. (Excerpt here.)
May our desire for the true Christ increase during this coming season of preparation.
Yours in Christ, Joel
