The BreadCast

(1Sm.3:3b-10,19; Ps.40:2,4,7-10; 1Cor.6:13c-15a,17-20; Jn.1:35-42) "The Lord came and revealed His presence, calling out as before, 'Samuel, Samuel!'" The call of Samuel, the call of Peter and his brother(s), and the call of us all to "glorify God in [our] body." As "Samuel was sleeping in the temple of the Lord" when the Lord called to him, so we must all have the Holy Spirit within ourselves, we must each "know that our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit," if we are to hear and answer the call of God. As the disciples were so set upon finding the Christ, so our hearts, too, must be set upon Him, if we are to hear the words, "We have found the Messiah." He lives, brothers and sisters, and in His Temple He dwells. And each of us He would make His temple; each of us He calls to be His disciple this day. Listen for His voice, and go as you are led. Samuel was but a boy when he was called, and with the pure obedience of a child he responded to God's voice. Blessed was he to live with the high priest in the Lord's temple, a forerunner of Christ in his living with the Lord from his youth, in his dedication to God and His will. But now the Temple that is Jesus has come into the world, and makes His home with any so inclined, any who would take their rest at this holy Tabernacle of God. He comes indeed now to make His home with us, even in the Sacrament He offers each day. And do we respond as the boy Samuel? "John was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said, 'Behold, the Lamb of God'"; and so the two disciples find themselves called, and so they follow the Lord: "they went and saw where Jesus was staying, and they stayed with Him that day." And one called his brother first to the Lord; and so Peter, the rock of the Church, comes to Christ… and so are all gathered unto the Lord. And John still points to Jesus to this day, and Peter is still the rock of His teaching and the minister of His Body – and we are all now joined to them. "Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?" brothers and sisters. Do you not understand that you are called to a holiness that equals His own? This you should know, this you should understand – His call you should hear ringing in your ear. And "with ears open to obedience" you should answer, "Here I am," and become one with the Blessed Lamb, pure as the flesh of His sacrifice. Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "Calling" from Loving Spirit, third album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, let the Church be as the Body of your Son, the Temple of the Holy Spirit. YHWH, you call us all to enter your Temple, to be as your tabernacles in this world, holy and true to your Word, to your call to our souls. Help us to answer you readily, to become as temples of the Holy Spirit, built firmly into your House, the Church. O LORD, our own bodies you would make temples. As your Son you call us to be. And obedient to your Word we shall indeed become as He; offering our lives in union with His, your Law shall be written upon our hearts and we shall be as your sons. Humble as the child Samuel, simple and pure in our understanding of your presence – in perfect innocence let us come to you, LORD, and all we do shall be blessed. And we will grow in holiness before you; and we will rest always with you. Your Son has purchased us at the cost of His life… Let us glorify you in all we think, say, and do, and we will be a worthy Temple.

(Is.55:1-11; Is.12:1-6; 1Jn.5:1-9; Mk.1:7-11) "A voice came from the heavens, 'You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.'" Brothers and sisters, God "has testified on behalf of His Son." With His own voice and by "the Spirit, the water, and the blood," He has borne witness that Jesus is the Christ. And should we not believe and so conquer the world? To the waters Jesus comes, and by His baptism makes them holy, that we in turn might be made holy by our baptism in them. Upon Him the Spirit descends like a dove, that new life might be breathed into our souls. And for our sake He will be crucified, that in His blood we may be redeemed. All speaks of our salvation! The water, the Spirit, and the blood – and all He is and does – give credence to the declaration from the mouth of the Father that this is His Son, and that we shall find life in Him alone. The Baptist has been sent to prepare the way before Him, proclaiming, "One mightier than I is coming after me." Let us "listen, that [we] may have life." Do your souls not desire the food from heaven? Are you not "thirsty," are you not hungry for the bread of Truth? Listen to the Lord, "Heed me, and you shall eat well, you shall delight in rich fare." For though high are His "ways above your ways" and His "thoughts above your thoughts," though this food is well beyond your grasp, yet as "from the heavens rain and snow come down" and nourish the earth, so does the Spirit descend upon us, so do the waters of baptism nourish our faith – so does the blood of His sacrifice become our spiritual drink and His body our spiritual food. And so we become "confident and unafraid." And so by our faith we do conquer the world. Brothers and sisters, "the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God" "is begotten of God," for he becomes a son even as He is. And what power has the earth over Him who created it? And so what can stand before such faith? And nourished by this faith what can we do but love, as our God who is but love? To believe in Him is to love Him and to love Him means to love others; for faith in God who has always been brings love of those who are with us now, and so hope for heaven which is to come. This is the will of God for our souls this day. This is the life into which He would baptize our race. So, let us "sing praise to God for His glorious achievement" as we cleanse ourselves in the water His Son makes pure. Written, read and chanted by James Kurt; produced by Carie Fortney. Music is "Not as This World Gives" by Carie Fortney; used by permission. ******* O LORD, your beloved Son is in our midst; let us believe in Him that we might find our way to you. YHWH, your Word has come down from the heavens and watered the earth; your Son has come to save us. And so we may now draw water from this fountain of salvation – we may be baptized in Him and in His blood. Speak to us this day by the power of the Spirit of the blessing that is ours by faith in your Christ. O LORD, we may conquer the world and ourselves if we but believe in Jesus. Though you are far above our thoughts and our ways, you are brought near to us by the presence of your beloved Son in our midst this day. Let us listen to Him and His apostles and prophets, that we may no longer live our lives in vain but be confident and unafraid in the joy of our Savior. O LORD, let us be begotten by you even as your Son. Let your Spirit descend upon us, too, as we rise from the waters of Baptism He has made pure. Make us fertile and fruitful in Jesus, that we might ever partake of His Body and Blood.

(1Jn.5:5-13; Ps.147:12-15,19-20; Mk.1:7-11) "God gave us eternal life, and this life is in His Son." How reassuring John is to us who believe – "I have written this to you to make you realize that you possess eternal life" – for how easily we can forget the grace that is ours "in the name of the Son of God." How sure he is. How clear in his explanation. How loving. One has little reason to wonder why he was beloved of the Lord, for this love bleeds in all his words and leads us to that love of Christ that is eternal life. The Father's witness has been given clearly, "You are my beloved Son. On you my favor rests." Mark, too, makes certain that Jesus is the Son of God. How can we forget the words of the Father? And how can we forget the blood He has shed on our behalf, and the water that flows like baptism from His side? "It is the Spirit who testifies to this, and the Spirit is truth." If you have the Spirit dwelling in you, you know this – it sets your heart on fire, and is indeed as the breath of life. How can we know anything but eternal life when baptized in the Holy Spirit by the Lord? "He has granted you peace in your borders," our psalmist proclaims; and in the Spirit we have only peace – nothing lacking rest can enter there. And now "with the best of wheat He fills [us]," now that we receive His body in the Eucharist. What bread indeed we eat! Here is the bread of life. We have His Word born in the Spirit spoken to our ears, and on His very presence we sup. Such witnesses! What more need we to believe? "Jesus is the Son of God," brothers and sisters. This alone you need remember. When all else fails and darkness pervades, know that Jesus is with you and bringing you to life. ******* O LORD, let us be baptized in the Holy Spirit, and we shall have eternal life. YHWH, eternal life you have given us in your only Son. Peace reigns in Him, and in us, if we believe in Him. As the Spirit descended upon your beloved One, so it descends upon those who believe in the Name of Jesus. Him you have sent us that you might give us yourself. There is none greater than Jesus the Christ, nor shall there be. There is no one else for whom we need wait. He has come. He has died for us. Now He is risen and His Spirit is with us to guide us to all life. Help us, O LORD, to remember this; help us to hold on to the blessing you have provided in your only Son. With the best of wheat fill us, O LORD, with His Body and His Blood; His flesh let us become. Then nothing shall disturb us; then our faith will make us whole. Then we shall hear your words pronounced over us that we are your beloved children. O let the Spirit fall upon us and remain with us! Let us be cleansed of sin and believe in your Word.

(1Jn.3:11-21; Ps.100:1-5; Jn.1:43-51) "We should love one another." In our gospel, "first [Jesus] came upon Philip" – whose name means "love" – and invited him to follow Him. Love brought with him one in whom "there is no guile," and he (Nathanael) declared openly to the Lord: "You are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel." And so we must all be of love, and be without deceit. We must all "know that the Lord is God; He made us, His we are; His people, the flock He tends." The Lord must find us all at peace "under the fig tree" with consciences that have "nothing to charge us with." And great things wrought by the hand of God we shall see before our eyes. "The Lord is good," and we must be like Him. The Lord is of love, and loving as He does we pass "from death to life": "The way we came to understand love was that He laid down His life for us; we too must lay down our lives for our brothers." How well John speaks of the love all need in our first reading today. Here is the voice of a man, an apostle in the Spirit of Christ, who loves "in deed and in truth," and since he does "not merely talk about it," but lives it, his words are alive with that truth. Love. This is "the message [we] heard from the beginning." This laying down our lives is our guiding light leading us to the eternal life of heaven. And so we should "serve the Lord with gladness." We should "come before Him with joyful song." We should declare openly that He is God, as our love leads us to do. His "kindness endures forever"; yes, His love is for eternity, and we must come to share in that great gift of love. "The man who does not love is among the living dead," but he who loves lives forever. The world will hate us because it is not of love; but all the more we should be encouraged to love, to die to the hatred the world brings and find our place in peace under our fig tree with the Lord who is love itself. Let us love and be of love, brothers and sisters, and we shall live forever with our Lord and the angels of heaven. ******* O LORD, let us pass from the death wrought by this world to life with you in Heaven. YHWH, may our consciences be clear before you; may we be of love and so be of you who are love. May we be without guile, seeking only you and the peace you bring to our souls. Then we shall praise you in joy forever, for then we will be your own. O LORD, let us be true to our call to love you and one another. Let it not be only in words that we love but in truth, with our very lives. If we do not act as your Son, how can we call you 'Father'; how will we know you at all? You dwell in ineffable light with the angels of Heaven, and only by love do we come to that light, only by laying down our lives as Jesus. LORD, let us know your goodness in our lives that we might enter your gates with thanksgiving for all the blessings we share with your saints. In freedom may we bless your Name, you who look upon us with kindness. To your side let us be guided by our desire to love.

(Gn.15:1-6,21:1-3; Ps.105:1-9; Heb.11:8,11-12,17-19; Lk.2:22-40) "The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom, and the favor of God was upon Him." What child is this of whom Simeon the prophet, filled with the Holy Spirit, declares to the Lord, "My eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in the sight of all peoples," even as he holds Jesus in his arms? This indeed is He who is the "light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for [His] people Israel"; this indeed is the fulfillment of the promise made to Abraham, foreshadowed in the birth of Isaac, by whom Abraham's descendants would be "as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sands on the seashore." "Binding for a thousand generations," forever, was the covenant the Lord "entered into with Abraham and by His oath to Isaac," and now that covenant is brought to perfection in the sight of Simeon and Anna; now "all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem" could rejoice and "give thanks to the Lord," for to the temple had come the Christ of God: here is the Messiah. "Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord!" for in Jesus His Son you shall find Him. Though raised in a humble family in the town of Nazareth, this is He who raises all His chosen unto heaven, who brings salvation to His people. And so rejoice indeed "you descendants of Abraham, His servants, sons of Jacob, His chosen ones!" for even as "there came forth from one man, himself as good as dead," innumerable descendants, even as the Lord fulfilled His promise to Abraham by the birth of Isaac, so the Lord's promise to Simeon "that he should not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord" is fulfilled in all our midst even this day. Listen to the prophet's proclamation: the light has come! We are no longer in darkness, no longer in mournful anticipation. And so with Anna we should come forward now and speak "about the child" to all who will listen, to all who long to hear the good news of God. Brothers and sisters, let the Lord grow in our midst. In this Holy Family that is His Church let Him be nurtured and known. For God's favor rests upon Him alone and by no other child does salvation come. Today He is presented to all waiting hearts. Written & chanted by James Kurt; read by Sylvia Kurt; produced by Roger Fortney. Music by Abouna Joseph; used by permission. ******* O LORD, let your Word be fulfilled in the lives of all your children – let our eyes see your salvation. YHWH, your Word you fulfill in our midst for you are faithful. Your Christ you send among us to save us from our sins that we might be as your children forever. Let us enter your generation, LORD, and be of your Holy Family. Your Son has become our brother and so we know you as our Father, LORD. Your promise is fulfilled and He now dwells among us – and so you, too, are with us. From the womb of the Virgin Mary is born a Child with whom we grow into your holy image; we are made pure as she by the grace upon her Son. In Nazareth let us make our home, O LORD, with Jesus and Mary and Joseph; then our home in Heaven will be secure and even here we will have your blessing. Though a sword must pierce our heart as it has with Jesus and Mary and Joseph and all your saints, yet we shall rejoice in your goodness toward us, that you make us fruitful with Abraham as children of a living faith. Let us become strong and wise in your sight.

(2Sm.7:1-5,8b-12,14a,16; Ps.89:2-5,27,29; Rom.16:25-27; Lk.1:26-28) "The Lord God will give Him the throne of David His father." "I have made a covenant with David my chosen one, I have sworn to David my servant: forever will I confirm your posterity and establish your throne for all generations." Here is the promise made to King David. Upon his seeking to build a house for the Lord, "the Lord… reveals to [David] that He will establish a house for [him]." Through the prophet Nathan, the Lord declares to His humble servant: "When your time comes and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins, and I will make his kingdom firm." This would seem like all the world to refer to the great King Solomon, but it does not. For, like the earth itself, Solomon and all his gold – and even "the rest from all [his] enemies," the peace the Lord establishes under his reign – will pass away; they cannot "endure forever" and neither can such a kingdom. The prophet speaks of a kingdom established in heaven (where all by nature endures forever), not one of the earth. And so it is not Solomon of whom the prophet and the psalmist speak, but Jesus, He whose coming is hailed today by the angel's words to the Blessed Virgin: "He will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end." For Abraham has died and Jacob has died and David has died and Solomon has died… and their graves are with us to this day. But Jesus, Jesus lives; Jesus lives forever at the right hand of His Father. It is indeed Jesus who most truly says to the Lord God, "You are my Father, my God, the Rock." It is He who is His only Son: it is He who is God Himself, one in being with the Father. This is "the revelation of the mystery kept secret for long ages but now manifested through the prophetic writings"; this is "the command of the eternal God, made known to all nations to bring about the obedience of faith": Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the only Son – and we must worship Him. Come now, brothers and sisters, to this Child Mary bears by the power of the Holy Spirit. In Him your peace shall be established in the Father's kingdom. Come to His holy throne, enter into His eternal reign… and with His humble king, and with His humble Mother, you shall be blessed forever. Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "Removing the Log from my Eye" (first part) from Listening to the Lamp, ninth album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, let the Mother of our Lord come to us, too, that new life may stir in us as well. YHWH, blessed is the womb of Bethlehem, of Israel, of Mary the Mother of your Son. For in her you have prepared a body, the body of Jesus, the Word made flesh, that shall be as offering for our sins. In Him we are saved, for in Him your majesty reigns, and so your glory is now in our midst. O let us leap like John the Baptist at the approach of your Son and His Mother! Bring to life what has remained dormant for such a long time. Arouse within us the joy of new life that we might be stirred to proclaim your glory. He has come who shall shepherd us, LORD; let us be filled with the Holy Spirit. The sacrifices of old now pass away as all prophecy is fulfilled in the flesh of your only Son. And so we pray, let your will be done. Let your greatness reach to the ends of the earth and your peace reign in every heart by the power upon Jesus the Christ. O LORD, let us be consecrated to you in His holy offering.

(Is.61:1-2,10-11; Lk.1:46-50,53-54; 1Thes.5:16-24; Jn.1:6-8,19-28) "A man named John was sent from God." Here is the one of whom the prophet speaks, and who can rightly proclaim the words inscribed by Isaiah: "The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me." Here is he who has come "to announce a year of favor from the Lord and a day of vindication by our God." The Spirit is upon him and he speaks of the coming Messiah. He has been sent by God to "testify to the light." But who heeds his proclamation? Who is able to hear this voice crying and find the joy of the path it would blaze in their hearts? How many are still as the priests and Levites and Pharisees of today's gospel, inquiring so blindly, "Who are you"? How many are as the commentators of the missal I read, who term the prophecy of Isaiah a "poem," and state that the Canticle of Mary is "a song that Luke put into the mouth of Mary"? How many have no sense of prophecy, or the Spirit, or God Himself? How many are deaf to John's cry? Our brother Paul instructs us: "Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophetic utterances." And yet the greatest of all prophetic utterances are watered down in ankle-deep wisdom. "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord," Mary declares. The Spirit wells up in her spirit and she cannot but "rejoice in God [her] Savior." These are not words put into her mouth by any man; her prophecy does not come from the pen of a scribe but from the very Spirit of God! The Word of God cannot be chained; the voice "crying out in the desert" cannot be tamed by those "not worthy to untie" the mysteries hidden in sacred Scripture. Paul will be put under house arrest; the Baptist Herod will cast into his dungeon; the Christ shall be crucified – but the Word of God will go forth, and nothing shall silence its voice. The testimony to the light must be heard, "so that all might believe through Him"; there will ever be proclaimed "liberty to captives and release to the prisoners" by the power of Jesus Christ, until all hear of the mercy He has "on those who fear Him." A man named John was sent, not to testify to himself, but to prophesy the grace of God; and his voice will cry out the way to the ends of the earth and to the end of time. Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "Removing the Log from my Eye" (second part) from Listening to the Lamp, ninth album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, your Son is coming and we should repent of all sin that we might be ready to rejoice and give Him praise. YHWH, the fire of the Spirit has come to us; John has proclaimed the light in our midst. Jesus, your Son, is now among us, and what should we do but rejoice? O LORD God, holy is your NAME, and holy is the One whom you send to us. So holy is He that we are not worthy to kneel at His feet. For He reflects your greatness, O LORD; His light is your own. How can we stand in your overwhelming glory, except that in Him we receive your promised mercy in our soul? What mercy you bring us this day, LORD God! What grace is ours in the word the Baptist speaks. For he proclaims the Christ come among us – he proclaims the salvation of your lowly ones. We are but your servants, LORD, unworthy to wait on your only Son. Yet you bless us with your loving mercy and invite us to perfection in Him. And so, what can we do but rejoice?

(Is.35:1-10; Ps.85:9-14,Is.35:4; Lk.5:17-26) "A highway will be there, called the holy way." Jesus is the highway; holy is He! He is the stream that "will burst forth in the desert." It is He who "strengthen[s] the hands that are feeble [and] make[s] firm the knees that are weak," that they might walk along His way. It is He who forgives sins. For "no one unclean may pass over" the safe path He makes in the wilderness of this world, and He wishes to "give His benefits" to all of faith. "Near indeed is His salvation to those who fear Him." "Then will the lame leap like a stag, then the tongue of the dumb will sing," prophesies Isaiah. And Jesus says to the paralyzed man, "Get up! Take your mat with you and return to your house." And what did the man do? "He picked up the mat he had been lying on and went home praising God." "We have seen incredible things today!" the crowd exclaims in awe, for the great vision of the prophet Isaiah has come to pass before their eyes: before them is being set the path to paradise. "Hear what the Lord proclaims," brothers and sisters: "Justice shall walk before Him, and salvation, along the way of His steps." Along His holy way "the redeemed will walk. Those whom the Lord has ransomed will return and enter Zion singing, crowned with everlasting joy." All those forgiven their sins will enter their homes praising God. Yes, the "desert and the parched land… will bloom with abundant flowers, and rejoice with joyful song." We once paralyzed in our sin, by His hand, by His word, along His holy way, shall walk once again. He has come. "Here is your God, He comes with vindication; with divine recompense He comes to save you." In Him "kindness and truth… meet, justice and peace… kiss." In Him we are made whole by the breath of His mouth, by the words from His lips. And now we have "a journey to make." Now there is a way to walk. Let us remain upon this highway. Let us preserve the healing He has brought to our bones. Let us now live in faith with our Lord. ******* O LORD, tear down the mountains of pride and fill in the valleys of fear that we might come to you on straight paths. YHWH, how shall our flesh see your salvation? How shall we come to your glory, we poor, miserable creatures? Only because you call us to redemption. Only because you desire us to share in your heavenly majesty. And only if we make straight the way for your Son to come into our hearts. O LORD, let us ever increase in knowledge of what is good and lasting, that we might be made pure and blameless for the day of Christ, that we might become as He is, blessed to be called your sons. O let us give glory and praise to you for such a blessing! Restore our fortunes, dear God; may we who have been separated from you and sent into exile be brought back to your holy City, to your mountain. As on royal thrones let us be borne aloft to gaze upon your splendor and glory, O King of all the nations. Great things you have indeed done for us, for now our weeping is turned to joy and we enter your presence bearing great fruit. Alleluia!

(Is.40:1-5,9-11; Ps.85:9-14; 2Pt.3:8-14; Mk.1:1-8) "Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way." And so, "John the Baptist appeared in the desert proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins." And so comes "the voice of one crying out in the desert," in the desert that is our fallen lives: "Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight His paths." Turn from your sins, brothers and sisters. Repent. It is the Lord's will that "all should come to repentance," that all should be "found without spot or blemish" on the day of His coming, on the day all "the elements will be dissolved with fire." With the fire of the Holy Spirit does the Lord Jesus come now to baptize, that what John has cleansed from our souls might be gone forever – that the new person we become by this baptism of water might be made complete, might become hardened and lasting in the furnace of His love. God "proclaims peace to His people. Near indeed is His salvation to those who fear Him." Hear what His prophet says, for he cries "out at the top of [his] voice" that indeed all hearts might listen: "Here is your GOD! Here comes with power the Lord GOD, who rules by His strong arm." Yes, "the mouth of the Lord has spoken," and now the WORD is in our midst, walking amongst us as our shepherd and "leading the ewes with care." The "justice [that] shall walk before Him, and prepare the way of His steps," has come, and now the level highway that leads to His kingdom we must tread – there is no denying the road that is set before us. Christ is coming, brothers and sisters, and Christ has come. The Baptist has prepared His path, and He, the Son of God, has walked it. And now we await His return in glory. And "the Lord does not delay His promise"; His return is sure. Already we see the "glory dwelling in our land." He waits for you to come now to Him. In patience He looks for you to turn. Turn to Him now in earnest; with all your soul cry out His Name. "Jesus Christ the Son of God" dawns on the horizon. Embrace His love; walk His sacred path. Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "Please Even Me Out" from Cleansing Human Frailty, fourth album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, may peace be proclaimed to your people and we follow on your way of salvation. YHWH, let your Word be proclaimed to the ends of the earth that all hearts might be prepared for the return of your Son, for the Day when all the elements will be dissolved by fire and the thoughts and deeds of every soul revealed. John the Baptist has come and prepared the way for the first coming of Jesus. Now His disciples go forth, now the Gospel is cried out from the heights of Zion – now every man shall plainly see that you, O LORD, are God; and peace shall come to him who turns to your glory. With fire let us be baptized today, LORD, with the fire of the Holy Spirit. Washed clean from our sins let us now be perfected for life in your kingdom. Let us not fear the coming Day but welcome it and hasten it by living uprightly before you. In your patience you wait for us to turn from all sin and embrace your presence in our midst. Let us make straight your way into our hearts.

(Is.63:16b-17,19b,64:2-7; Ps.80:2-4,15-16,18-19; 1Cor.1:3-9; Mk.13:33-37) "Would that you might meet us doing right, that we were mindful of you in our ways!" "O Lord of hosts, look down from heaven, and see." "Rouse your power, and come to save us." Do not "let us wander, O Lord, from your ways, and harden [not] our hearts so that we fear you not." We are your fruitful vine, but "we have all withered like leaves… for you have hidden your face from us and delivered us up to our guilt. Yet, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay and you are the potter." "May your help be with the Man of your right hand." May we be formed in His image and so be pleasing to you. May we be ready for His return, and our final meeting with you, our Lord and God. Brothers and sisters, we must be as the Corinthians, among whom "the testimony of Christ was confirmed," who "are not lacking in any spiritual gift as [they] wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ." He travels now abroad in the kingdom of His Father, but He will return. And He has indeed left us "each with his work"; all are gifted by God and called to bear fruit in the time that is ours now… "May He not come suddenly and find [us] sleeping." When He "rend[s] the heavens and come[s] down, with the mountains quaking before [Him]," may we not be found quaking as well, having slipped into the slumber of sin, having been covered with this world's darkness. Rather, let Him meet us doing right at whatever hour He may come. Let us constantly serve our God and "He will keep [us] firm to the end, irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." "What I say to you, I say to all: 'Watch!'" In many ways does He indeed say it: "Be watchful! Be alert!" Keep your eyes open! Stay awake! Be ready! But ever He tells us to remember that we are "called to fellowship with [the] Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." And as "God is faithful" so must we too be faithful to our call, giving witness always to the glory of our Lord. Now is the time to turn from our sin and be formed in His image. Let the prophet not say over us: "There is none who calls upon [His] name, who rouses himself to cling to [Him]." Let us prepare ourselves for His coming by walking rightly in His ways. Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "Warm Forehead" from Bearing the Birth Pangs, tenth album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, let us enter into fellowship with your Son, becoming one with Him and watching for His return. YHWH, let us be mindful of our ways as we wait for the return of your Son. May we be blessed with every spiritual gift as we watch for His coming. Though our good deeds have become as polluted rags, He makes them new, bringing us back to you. Give us new life, O LORD, that we might call upon your NAME. You are our Father, our God; let us no longer be separated from you and your glory. We are the work of your hands, dear God – remake us in the image of your Son that when He comes we might stand with Him in your presence. Make us irreproachable, LORD, by your grace, by your mercy, by your rending of the heavens and coming down to us. Let us lack nothing for the hour of Jesus' return but be ready to enter the kingdom. May our eyes be open and our hearts awaiting our salvation.