Second Sunday of Advent (2014 Year B)

This Week's Readings 

I found 2 Peter 3:10-15 particularly important. The first few verses are more context but notice that we are told to wait for God to act and in the meantime strive (try) to be "at peace, without spot or blemish." We are told neither to try and make it happen (that mention is clearly a retorical device) nor to BE (or expect perfection of others. We are to try to be perfect, not expect that from ourselves or others.

3:10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and everything that is done on it will be disclosed.

3:11 Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, what sort of persons ought you to be in leading lives of holiness and godliness,

3:12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set ablaze and dissolved, and the elements will melt with fire?

3:13 But, in accordance with his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home.

3:14 Therefore, beloved, while you are waiting for these things, strive to be found by him at peace, without spot or blemish;

Another thing I found worthy of note is how John the Baptist downplays water baptism:

I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.  - Mark 1:8

I noticed this because I've heard many Christians who would consider themselves evangelical or fundamentalist say that a baptism is not valid unless water was involved. Yet John himself is specific that the Holy Spirit is what is important. (This doesn't even take the whole issue of immersion or not, with a specific church or groups of churches or not into consideration.)

Second Sunday in Advent - Year B

This week's Lectionary readings are:

• Isaiah 40:1-11


• Psalm 85:1-2,8-13


• 2 Peter 3:8-15a


• Mark 1:1-8

All these readings talk of better things to come. My life is pretty darn good, but of course, things could always be better. More importantly, a lot of people are really struggling right now, so it's nice to think about better things to come.

In the last month, the book of Isaiah has really spoken to me. This may be because I've been reading it in small doses - the last 2 lectionary readings and in the little daily devotional someone sends me. But it's making me want to make an effort to read more. I feel like I can really hear the poetry and feel the devotion of Isaiah.

I am particularly struck by 2 Peter 3:10, [T]he day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night. There is so much in popular culture about knowing that the end time (or second coming) is near by the signs (including efforts to force those signs to occur!) Yet this statement directly contradicts that - we won't know when the Lord is coming, he will sneak in. I think this is more likely to be true than the opposite. I also think the information on how we should live now is worth noting and particularly useful in the World English translation:

[In] holy living and godliness, looking for and earnestly desiring the coming of the day of God, ..., be diligent to be found in peace, without blemish and blameless in his sight. (2 Peter 11-14)

I particularly like the line "diligent to be found in peace", and back to my earlier theme, I find that this conflicts with the dispensationalist idea that peace in the Middle East works against the coming of the lord (Good overview of Christian Zionism and it's political implications.)

The Mark reading talks about John the Baptist's ministry of baptism. I particularly liked the image at the top of this post as a piece of art. But I think the image below - from the very interesting JESUS MAFA project - is probably more realistic.