Advent II - C

Luke 3:1-6

The Voice

3:1 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene,

3:2 during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness.

3:3 He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins,

3:4 as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, "The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

3:5 Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth;

3:6 and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'"

Devotion 

So many voices today. What voice will be heard? What voice will you listen to?

Notice the voice in today’s reading cries out in the wilderness – not the Temple, not the streets of Jerusalem – but the wilderness. The wilderness is the place where God’s people were formed. It is the place of total dependance on God. 

Today, we can no longer find solace in our temples. We are once again being called out into the wilderness to be formed anew as a community that repents and leads the way for justice and wholeness.

The voice – will you hear and respond?

Here is a hymn offering for Advent II: 

 

Stand Up! Stand Up for Justice! 

[Tune:  WEBB: Meter: 7.6.7.6 D]

1. Stand up! Stand up for justice

O Prophet of the Cross.

To follow in Christ’s footsteps

comes always with a cost.

Be bold! Be Brave! O Prophet!

Your voice is needed now.

Speak out from Jordan’s desert

begin to show us how.

2. Let’s heed the call for penance

in waters clear and deep,

let’s join the throngs of thousands

who walk with dusty feet.

Stand up! Stand up O Prophet.

despite the silent Church.

Awaken all those sleeping.

Proclaim Messiah’s birth.

3. Awake! O Advent people,

share dreams of the Shalom

where all voices are honored

and strangers find a home.

Stand up! Stand up for justice,

O Prophet of the Cross.

To follow in Christ’s footsteps

Comes always with a cost.

Tune:  United Methodist Hymnal

Hymn #514 – “Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus”

Text by Kenn Storck

Copyright @2019 by Kenn Storck b.1948

May be used with permission

kennstorck@gmail.com