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An Advent Podcast from Apostles By-the-Sea in Rosemary Beach
Episodes
Tuesday Dec 01, 2020
Tuesday Dec 01, 2020
The Fall
Genesis 3 - Read by Laura Jones
1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God say, ‘You shall not eat from any tree in the garden’?” 2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall die.’” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not die; 5 for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves.
8 They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 He said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.” 11 He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” 12 The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate.” 13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent tricked me, and I ate.” 14 The Lord God said to the serpent,
“Because you have done this,
cursed are you among all animals
and among all wild creatures;
upon your belly you shall go,
and dust you shall eat
all the days of your life.
15 I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
he will strike your head,
and you will strike his heel.”
16 To the woman he said,
“I will greatly increase your pangs in childbearing;
in pain you shall bring forth children,
yet your desire shall be for your husband,
and he shall rule over you.”
17 And to the man he said,
“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife,
and have eaten of the tree
about which I commanded you,
‘You shall not eat of it,’
cursed is the ground because of you;
in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life;
18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;
and you shall eat the plants of the field.
19 By the sweat of your face
you shall eat bread
until you return to the ground,
for out of it you were taken;
you are dust,
and to dust you shall return.”
20 The man named his wife Eve, because she was the mother of all living. 21 And the Lord God made garments of skins for the man and for his wife, and clothed them.
22 Then the Lord God said, “See, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”— 23 therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he was taken. 24 He drove out the man; and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim, and a sword flaming and turning to guard the way to the tree of life.
Reflection
Some of history’s greatest minds have tried, without success, to fully explain the mystery of how a good creation could become infected with sin. What we know for sure is that God is in full control of all things and is able to use that which is sinful or evil for his good purposes. The story of Adam and Eve illustrates this in an interesting way – a curse that becomes a blessing.
God didn’t let the sin of Adam and Eve spiral downward until they joined in league with Satan. Instead, God pronounced a curse which declared enmity between Satan and humankind. In separating Adam and Eve from Satan, God kept them (therefore, us) His side, not Satan’s.
The curse also said that the serpent would bruise the heel of the offspring of the woman, but that he (the offspring) would bruise the head of the serpent. Symbolically, this speaks of the Satan’s involvement in the crucifixion, and the blessing of Christ’s victory over Satan at the resurrection. Let’s not forget that there’s a blessing of victory still to come; it is the victory over sin, suffering, disease (including pandemics) and even death itself. This victory will happen when Christ returns again, and for this we eagerly wait.
Our King and Savior is drawing near!
O come, let us adore him!
Monday Nov 30, 2020
Monday Nov 30, 2020
Episode 2 - The Second Day of Advent
Adam and Eve
Genesis 2 - Read by Harry Jones
2 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their multitude. 2 And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done. 3 So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work that he had done in creation.
4 These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created.
Another Account of the Creation
In the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens, 5 when no plant of the field was yet in the earth and no herb of the field had yet sprung up—for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no one to till the ground; 6 but a stream would rise from the earth, and water the whole face of the ground— 7 then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being. 8 And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there he put the man whom he had formed. 9 Out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
10 A river flows out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it divides and becomes four branches. 11 The name of the first is Pishon; it is the one that flows around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; 12 and the gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stone are there. 13 The name of the second river is Gihon; it is the one that flows around the whole land of Cush. 14 The name of the third river is Tigris, which flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.
15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.”
18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner.” 19 So out of the ground the Lord God formed every animal of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. 20 The man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every animal of the field; but for the man there was not found a helper as his partner. 21 So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then he took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 22 And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. 23 Then the man said,
“This at last is bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
this one shall be called Woman,
for out of Man this one was taken.”
24 Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh. 25 And the man and his wife were both naked, and were not ashamed.
Reflection
The marriage of a man and woman is a beautiful thing and today’s reading is the account of the very first marriage, that of Adam and Eve, performed by God himself. This marriage foreshadows another: that of Christ with his Church. When you see the mutual respect and care God instituted for human marriage you can be comforted in the knowledge that Christ cares all the more for his bride, the Church. As Christians, we’re united with Christ, therefore there is nothing that can separate us; not war, not civil authorities, not sickness, not even death can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39).
Today, Christians experience a spiritual union with Christ, but one day he’ll come again, in person, and we’ll be united with him in a physical presence forever. This is the hope of our waiting, our Advent.
Our King and Savior is drawing near!
O come, let us adore him!
Sunday Nov 29, 2020
Sunday Nov 29, 2020
Welcome to the Advent Podcast from Apostles By-the-Sea Anglican Church!
The First Sunday of Advent
Creation
Six Days of Creation and the Sabbath
Genesis 1:1-2:3 - Read by Quinn Straub
1 In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, 2 the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. 3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
6 And God said, “Let there be a dome in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” 7 So God made the dome and separated the waters that were under the dome from the waters that were above the dome. And it was so. 8 God called the dome Sky. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.
9 And God said, “Let the waters under the sky be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. 11 Then God said, “Let the earth put forth vegetation: plants yielding seed, and fruit trees of every kind on earth that bear fruit with the seed in it.” And it was so. 12 The earth brought forth vegetation: plants yielding seed of every kind, and trees of every kind bearing fruit with the seed in it. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.
14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the dome of the sky to separate the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. 16 God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. 17 God set them in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth, 18 to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.
20 And God said, “Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the dome of the sky.” 21 So God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, of every kind, with which the waters swarm, and every winged bird of every kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” 23 And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.
24 And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures of every kind: cattle and creeping things and wild animals of the earth of every kind.” And it was so. 25 God made the wild animals of the earth of every kind, and the cattle of every kind, and everything that creeps upon the ground of every kind. And God saw that it was good.
26 Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.”
27 So God created humankind in his image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
28 God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” 29 God said, “See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. 30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. 31 God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
2 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their multitude. 2 And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done. 3 So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work that he had done in creation.
Reflection
As we begin our readings for this Advent season, we start at the most logical place – the beginning! By that, I don’t just mean the beginning of the bible, but the beginning of all things. Our reading today tells us how God created the world. And over and over he says it is good! And he fills it with good things. And then he fills it with us. But as we will see in the coming days, it wasn't long before we fell into sin and began to turn away from God. And what God created good was broken by our disobedience.
After a year filled with fires and hurricanes and riots and the pandemic, we can surely feel the brokenness of the world. It reminds me of that song we sing in Church by Andrew Peterson that says:
Do you feel the world is broken? We do.
Do you feel the shadows deepen? We do.
But do you know that all the dark won't stop the light from getting through? We do!
Do you wish that we could see it all made new? We do!
Do you feel that longing in your heart today for God to come and make all things new? As we begin this journey through the season of Advent, we join with the whole Church throughout the world in longing and anticipation as we look for the coming of Christ our Savior.
Our King and Savior is drawing near!
O come, let us adore him!
Wednesday Dec 25, 2019
Wednesday Dec 25, 2019
Beloved in Christ,
in this Holy Night, let it be our care and delight
to hear again the message of the Angels,
and in heart and mind to go even unto Bethlehem,
and see this thing which is come to pass,
and the Babe lying in a manger.
Let us read and mark in Holy Scripture
the tale of the loving purposes of God
from the first days of our disobedience
unto the glorious Redemption
brought to us by this holy Child;
and let us make this place glad
with our carols of praise.
1. O come, all ye faithful,
joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye, to Bethlehem;
come and behold him,
born the King of angels;
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
Christ the Lord!
2. God from God,
Light from Light eternal,
lo! he abhors not the Virgin's womb;
only begotten Son of the Father; (Refrain)
3. See how the shepherds,
summoned to his cradle,
leaving their flocks, draw nigh to gaze;
we too will thither bend our joyful footsteps; (Refrain)
4. Child, for us sinners
poor and in the manger,
we would embrace thee, with love and awe;
who would not love thee, loving us so dearly? (Refrain)
5. Sing, choirs of angels,
sing in exultation;
sing, all ye citizens of heaven above;
glory to God, glory in the highest; (Refrain)
6. Yea, Lord, we greet thee,
born this happy morning,
Jesus, to thee be glory given;
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing; (Refrain)
Tuesday Dec 24, 2019
Tuesday Dec 24, 2019
Tuesday, December 24, 2019
Matthew 1:18-25
18 Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. 20 But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
23 “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,”
which means, “God is with us.” 24 When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, 25 but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.
Reflection:
The Gospel of Matthew records how the angel of the Lord to announced to Joseph that Mary “will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” (1:21). Furthermore, the angel explained how Jesus' birth fulfilled what was promised to the prophet Isaiah (Is. 7:14) that “the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God with us.” In this surprising and wonderful truth, we learn that the son will not be any ordinary baby boy, but will in fact be God himself. God kept his promises, and did so in the most extraordinary and abundant way. God himself has come! He is not a god at a distance, he is God with us.
Collect for Christmas Eve:
O God, you have caused this holy night to shine with the brightness of the true Light: Grant that we, who have known the mystery of that Light on earth, may also enjoy him perfectly in heaven; where with you and the Holy Spirit he lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.
Monday Dec 23, 2019
Monday Dec 23, 2019
Monday, December 23, 2019
Luke 1:46-55
46 And Mary said,
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
50 His mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
52 He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
53 he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
55 according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”
Reflection:
Mary’s song is one that is sung from the heart, from the depths of her being. Mary lifts up the Lord God as she gives thanks for who God is, and praises him for what he has done. What God has done in the birth of Jesus is personal with Mary, but its implications reach back into history. In his mercy, God remembers his covenantal promises to his servant Israel. Jesus’ birth was the historical fulfillment of God’s promises, a birth that happened through a beautiful woman of character, Mary, who was uniquely blessed of God. In many ways, Mary is a model of faith in God, one who believed what the Lord said and rejoiced in God her Savior (Luke 1:47). Like Mary, we are called to live so that in word and deed, every part of our being would rejoice as we magnify the promise-keeping God who saves.
Sunday Dec 22, 2019
Sunday Dec 22, 2019
Week 4: God Keeps His Promises
Sunday, December 22, 2019
Readings:
Isaiah 7:10-16
Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19
Romans 1:1-7
Matthew 1:18-25
Reflection on this week’s readings:
On the fourth Sunday of Advent, we celebrate God’s faithfulness in sending His Son, and we remember God’s faithfulness as we look forward to Christ’s second coming. Sunday’s readings focus on the coming of the Messiah who fulfills God’s covenant with David, brings salvation for all people, and ushers in the eternal reign of God on earth. God promises that he will make for David a great name, give his people eternal rest from enemies, and give him an everlasting kingdom (Isaiah 7:9). These promises are fulfilled in the coming of Jesus, who was “declared to be Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by resurrection from the dead” (Romans 1:2). The good news is that God has been faithful to his promise in sending Jesus Christ, and in the Gospel reading we see this promise fulfilled: “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.” (Matthew 1:23, from Isaiah 7:14). God keeps his promises!
Collect for the Fourth Week of Advent:
Purify our conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation, that your Son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in us a mansion prepared for himself; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Saturday Dec 21, 2019
Saturday Dec 21, 2019
Saturday, December 21, 2019
Luke 1:26-38
26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” 29 But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 30 The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” 34 Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. 36 And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.
Reflection:
I love the way Mary is “convinced” that God is about to fulfill his promise to Israel of the Messiah: “Mary, you’re a virgin, yet you’re going to have a baby… and the father is going to be God... and you’ve found favor in his sight… and you’re hearing this message from an angel. Oh, and if that’s not enough, your cousin Elizabeth recently conceived a child, even in her old age.” “Mary, I just thought you should know this in case you had any doubt that God would keep his promise.”
We know that it did happen, just as God had promised. The Gospels give us the account of how God kept his word of promise that he gave to Mary, as well as the fulfillment of those prophecies given thousands of years ago. God’s promises weren’t just for Mary, or the people of Israel, or Christians in the first century. God’s promises were, and are, for us today. They’re for you. Our response to God’s fulfilled promise should be like that of Mary, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Our greatest joys are found when we live according to the word of God. He can turn around broken lives, make peace where there is strife, and bring joy from sorrow. Mary experienced it firsthand and so can we.
Friday Dec 20, 2019
Friday Dec 20, 2019
Friday, December 20, 2019
Isaiah 9:1-7
1 But there will be no gloom for those who were in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. 2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness - on them light has shined. 3 You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as people exult when dividing plunder.
4 For the yoke of their burden, and the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. 5 For all the boots of the tramping warriors and all the garments rolled in blood shall be burned as fuel for the fire. 6 For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
Reflection:
Today we begin to “peek ahead” to some of the readings that characterize the fourth week of Advent and we rejoice in God’s fulfillment of his promise to deliver his people and save them from their sins. On this side of the Resurrection we can look back and see how Jesus fulfilled this promise at his birth, but it wasn’t so clear to the people of Isaiah’s time. In fact, centuries after Isaiah, Jesus' followers weren’t quite clear on the timing of his second advent. After Jesus’ death and resurrection many of his followers assumed and longed for an immediate fulfillment of God’s promise. We are not so different; we often want God to fulfill his promises now, in this life, or maybe even this hour. Yet sometimes he waits, just as Jesus is also waiting to return. Patience is still required on our part, but as we wait, we can rejoice in the reminder from Isaiah that there is already some fulfillment of God’s promises in Christ, because he is:
-Wonderful Counselor, who leads the way when we don't know where to go. (John 10:3-4)
-Almighty God, in whom we can trust when we feel powerless, because all things are possible with Him. (Mark 10:27)
-Everlasting Father, in whose everlasting arms we can rest when we feel weary. (Deuteronomy 33:27)
-Prince of Peace: Who gives us "peace at all times in every way" (2 Thessalonians 3:16).
Thursday Dec 19, 2019
Thursday Dec 19, 2019
Thursday, December 19, 2019
Zephaniah 3:14-20
14 Sing aloud, O daughter Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem! 15 The Lord has taken away the judgments against you, he has turned away your enemies.
The king of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall fear disaster no more. 16 On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands grow weak. 17 The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing 18 as on a day of festival. I will remove disaster from you, so that you will not bear reproach for it. 19 I will deal with all your oppressors at that time. And I will save the lame and gather the outcast, and I will change their shame into praise and renown in all the earth. 20 At that time I will bring you home, at the time when I gather you; for I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes, says the Lord.
Reflection:
If you know Zephaniah, you know he’s one of the gloomiest, doomiest of the Old Testament prophets. However, today’s reading is full of joy - from the joyous singing of Israel, to God’s rejoicing over his people in gladness. The reason for all of this joy is that, through Zephaniah, God promises to restore the people after their judgment in exile. In one sense, Zephaniah’s prophecy of restoration was fulfilled when Jesus was born. Notice the phrases in verse 15, “The king of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst,” and verse 17, “The Lord, your God, is in your midst.” Zephaniah is speaking of Emmanuel, which means “God with us”. The final fulfillment of Zephaniah’s prophecy of restoration will happen at the second coming of our Lord. On that day, Jesus will be the “warrior who gives victory”, especially victory over sin, and restores our relationship with God. As Christians, we look forward to this future joy of restoration, and we can rejoice now because of what will happen later. So, let all of God’s people sing aloud with joy!