What Joy!

Tonight at Evening Prayer the Advent Psalms began, and tonight at the Divine Service we blessed and lighted the Advent wreath. I confess that I still look forward to this time of the year even as I did when I was a young child. It has a way of bringing memories flooding back.

Tonight I remembered that this time last year we were shivering without power due to an ice-storm - thanks be to God that hasn't happened since! I remember that Sunday I read to those who braved the weather for our Bible class the story of Fr. Arseny being locked into that punishment shed with the young atheist boy he'd rescued and how after all those hours in sub zero temperatures they lived - to the utter shock and confounding of their tormenters! They spent the whole time in praise of God and God protected and defended them from their enemies. The story took away all our complaining as we trooped upstairs to celebrate the Divine Service in a frigid sanctuary, though I remember also that I delivered a very short homily.

Tomorrow we have the joy of a Baptism AGAIN. We've had a number of them in the last few months, after a mostly "dry" spell from the beginning of the year. I think Joanie told me that this is the twelfth this year. I love to hear the little ones as we celebrate the Divine Service.