by Alena Bugrova with legal reuse rights
The Third Sunday of Advent 2023
to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the year of the Lord's favour!
Isaiah 61:1-2
Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11
1 The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; 2 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; 3 to provide for those who mourn in Zion—to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit. They will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, to display his glory. 4 They shall build up the ancient ruins, they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations.
8 For I the Lord love justice, I hate robbery and wrongdoing; I will faithfully give them their recompense, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. 9 Their descendants shall be known among the nations, and their offspring among the peoples; all who see them shall acknowledge that they are a people whom the Lord has blessed.
10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my whole being shall exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 11 For as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.
Gaudete! Rejoice! Invitation!
The third Sunday of Advent sometimes is called Gaudete or Rejoice Sunday from the opening of the entrance prayer in the Latin rite. Taking a joy-filled break originated when Advent was mostly penitential rather than our contemporary season of hope. Blue is advent's color for the hope of newness and rebirth; blue sometimes is advent's color because of sorrow, grief, and loss. Just as on the fourth Sunday in Lent, for this third Advent Sunday, churches who have them often use rose or pink vestments and paraments to indicate a joy-filled intermission.
Are any of my readers ready to research and present a history of Advent? Whenever we begin a new liturgical season I provide a quick overview, but It's always about current Western churches—Roman Catholic, Mainline Protestant, and other traditions that follow the ecumenical calendar. I know that information well, but I know close to zero about non-Western churches and about the overall timeline of how the church year evolved.
Isaiah, Prophets
Again this week God speaks through Third Isaiah, offering challenge, comfort, and hope to the southern kingdom Judah after some exiles returned from Babylon to rebuild infrastructure, community, and traditions. He (it probably was a guy) also spoke to people who'd stayed behind and never left Jerusalem.
Prophets speak against the political, economic, social, and religious status quo. Prophets call people to repent, to turn around, to re-direct their lives. But more than anything, prophecy announces God doing a new thing, the inbreaking of the reign of heaven on earth, resurrection from the dead! This week's particular proclamation is exactly that: urban rebirth; rebuilding from ruins, blight and devastation; turning upside down the community's sorrow, grief, lack of initiative. (Sometimes you just feel like giving up.) Resonating with the universalism we find throughout the entire book of Isaiah, these words affirm God does all this for everyone, everywhere.
Isaiah, Jesus
Along with most commentators, I had many notes and ideas about this amazing passage from 3rd Isaiah. However, I can't do everything every week or any week, so at least I'll mention that in Luke's gospel, Jesus read and affirmed these promises to initiate his public ministry.
16…Jesus went to [his hometown Nazareth] synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: 18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." … 21 Then he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." Luke 4
Does that sound like something we need right now? Does it sound like the ministry God has called us to?
Fun fact: Isaiah 61:11 uses the word sprout three times: earth sprouts; garden sprouts; righteousness and praise sprouts. This passage also uses three different words for God/Lord: Yahweh; Adonai; Elohim
Advent Music
Many churches and Christian schools hold a celebration of scripture lessons and Advent-Christmas Carols on one of the Sundays of Advent. Do you have favorite Advent and Christmas memories, music, and practices?
• Are you ready for Christmas music? Have you been listening to carols or singing them?
• Have you enjoyed any in-person or virtual holiday concerts, either mostly religious or mostly secular events? Or maybe you're waiting for closer to December 24th? I've enjoyed several holiday themed TV specials.
• Are you ready with a list of favorite winter (since we reside in the northern hemisphere) holiday songs and traditions?
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