Zion On the Heights

For the Third Sunday of Advent, with John the Baptist’s exhortations:

Zion on the heights now rising,
see the Christ is drawing near.
He will come with fire baptizing,
all this threshing floor to clear.
Pride and might he comes chastising,
yet, belovèd, do not fear:
All who bear the world's despising
shout for joy when he appears.

Zion on the heights upstanding:
Christ is coming; look and see!
You who wept as you were planting,
now with laughter shall you reap.
Peace that passes understanding
touches your anxiety;
mercy and salvation granting,
now he comes to see you free.

Zion on the heights behold him;
wake your hearts and see his day.
Precipices bow before him;
valleys rise to make his way.
Leave your falsehood, your extortion;
give your hoarded goods away;
make your cities ready for him:
Now he comes without delay!

By «The Appearance of Christ before the people», by A.Ivanov, 1837-1857- gallerix.ru, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19343786 Gallerix (http://gallerix.ru)

Let Us Go

For God has commanded
   that every lofty mountain be made low,
and that the age-old depths and gorges
   be filled to level ground,
   that Israel may advance secure in the glory of God.
The forests and every fragrant kind of tree
   have overshadowed Israel at God’s command;
for God is leading Israel in joy
   by the light of his glory,
   with his mercy and justice for company.
—Baruch 5:1-9

A voice is crying in the desert:
“Make straight the path! Prepare the way,
that children may return from exile
and those in darkness see the day.

“The frail and foolish shall not falter;
the strong shall not oppress the weak,
but all come streaming to the altar
where kings bow down before the meek.”

But God it was made these rough places,
with plumb and line laid out the earth.
He comes, remaking this creation,
preparing hearts to know his birth.

And lo! The mountains bow to greet him;
the valleys rise to offer praise.
They know our God has come to meet us,
and all the earth shall see his face.

The narrow way grows wide and even
and shaded o'er by every tree.
No heights now block the way between us;
no gorges gape before our feet.

Then let us go along his highway
with all who come from east and west.
A light is breaking forth to guide us
into the pastures of his rest.

The Preaching of St. John the Baptist by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, 1566 – Google Arts & Culture: Home – pic Maximum resolution., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=122059315

Speak to Me

Then Eli understood that the LORD was calling the youth.
So he said to Samuel, “Go to sleep, and if you are called, reply,
Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.”
When Samuel went to sleep in his place,
the LORD came and revealed his presence,
calling out as before, “Samuel, Samuel!”
Samuel answered, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
1 Samuel 3:3-10

In the voice I do not recognize,

Lord, do you speak to me?

In the strength of John the Baptist's cries

that tell me turn and see,

in the unknown face that greets my eyes,

do you now walk here in disguise?

O Savior, do not pass me by,

but turn and speak to me!



In the silent watches of the night,

Lord, do you call my name?

In the afterechoes of my fright,

the ashes of my shame,

do you make my hidden darkness bright

and look on me with gentle sight?

O Christ, though I would hide from light,

keep calling out my name!



In the new day breaking overhead,

Lord, do you show your love?

In the grace of rising from my bed,

the guiding of your dove,

in the gifts of family and friend,

the mercy of my daily bread,

O God, you bless me without end

and show me still your love!



In the journey laid before me now,

Lord, I will follow you.

Though I do not know the why or how,

yet I will trust you do.

Through the desert heat or stinging show'r,

'til the closing of my final hour,

O, let your life within me flow'r

and help me follow you!

17th-century icon of Samuel (Donetsk Regional Art Museum) By Unknown author – https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2015/07/04/rejecting-or-accepting-god-part-ii/, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=21984843

Testify To the Light

A man named John was sent from God.
He came for testimony, to testify to the light,
so that all might believe through him.
He was not the light,
but came to testify to the light.
John 1:6-8

There is a light that never dims,

no matter what we see,

and all the blinded wait for him

to set the captives free.



There is a light that we mistake—

more bright than flame or sun—

until we see the morning break

and know the glorious one.



Come, prophets, see what we cannot,

for we can only guess

the way marked for us in the dark

across this wilderness.



Come take our hands and lead the way

around pitfalls and stones

until he makes a level plain

to bear an easy road.



Or—yes—until we see it clear,

for then it shall be smooth.

When that great light is drawing near,

this wilderness will bloom.



And all the mountains bow to him,

and all the valleys rise,

the lame leap up and run to him

when morning greets our eyes.

Observing a sunrise on the National Elk Refuge is truly a memorable experience. Photo: Kari Cieszkiewicz/USFWS Scenes from the National Elk Refuge By USFWS Mountain-Prairie – A Frosty Morning, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=110781726

Come, O Prophets

John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said,
“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
He is the one of whom I said,
‘A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me
because he existed before me.’
I did not know him,
but the reason why I came baptizing with water
was that he might be made known to Israel.”
John testified further, saying,
“I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from heaven
and remain upon him.
I did not know him,
but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me,
‘On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain,
he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’
Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.”
John 1:29-34

To the tune NETTLETON:

Come, O prophets, walk among us
pointing out the Son of God,
Christ who take all our sin from us;
show us where he walks abroad.
You who see the heavens open
and the holy dove descend,
come and tell us, you who know him,
where our savior walks again.

For he will not leave us orphaned,
and he still walks in our streets—
though, like you, we are not worthy
to kneel down and wash his feet.
But he walks now in concealment,
hidden from our darkened eyes,
and we long to see him clearly
in the pilgrims at our side.

God in heaven, send us prophets
to reveal your Son on earth.
Give us ears to hear him calling
in their voices as we search.
Give us eyes to see his mercy
in the lives of all we meet.
When we find him, let us serve him:
Let the Son of God increase!

Jesus (left) is being identified by John the Baptist in John 1:29,^[22][23] by Ottavio Vannini, 17th century. By Ottavio Vannini (1585-c. 1643) – Giovanni Piccirillo (a cura di), La chiesa dei Santi Michele e Gaetano, Becocci Editore, Firenze 2006. sailko, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3086749

He Sits Imprisoned

When John the Baptist heard in prison of the works of the Christ,
he sent his disciples to Jesus with this question,
“Are you the one who is to come,
or should we look for another?”
Jesus said to them in reply,
“Go and tell John what you hear and see:
the blind regain their sight,
the lame walk,
lepers are cleansed,
the deaf hear,
the dead are raised,
and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.
And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me.”
Matthew 11:2-11

For those who sit in darkness,
a light will break on high—
so spake the prophet's father,
and were those words a lie?
For now he sits imprisoned,
the herald of the morn,
and dark is all his vision,
and all his hope stillborn.

There was no revolution,
no baptism of flame,
no nationwide ablution
or vipers driv'n away,
but only this slow flow-ring,
too late to bear him fruit.
He sees, as night is low'ring,
the axe at his own root.

If I am blind, he whispers,
then give me eyes to see.
Infected, oh, then cleanse me;
my captive mind set free.
If I am lame, unlame me;
tell my poor heart good news
that when I die, you'll raise me
to kneel and take your shoes.

Juan Fernández de Navarrete – St John the Baptist in the Prison – WGA16467 – Web Gallery of Art: Image Info about artwork, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15610256

Are You the One?

When John the Baptist heard in prison of the works of the Christ,
he sent his disciples to Jesus with this question,
“Are you the one who is to come,
or should we look for another?”
Jesus said to them in reply,
“Go and tell John what you hear and see:
the blind regain their sight,
the lame walk,
lepers are cleansed,
the deaf hear,
the dead are raised,
and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.
And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me.”
Matthew 11:2-11

Are you the one we've looked for,
or must we seek again?
If you are he, come in, Lord:
Your reign in me begin.

My hidden world come find here;
your kingdom may it be.
To all in me that's blinded,
reach out, and let me see.

To all that I have deafened,
speak your renewing word;
that I may hear your blessing,
command in me, my Lord.

Where I am weakest, strengthen;
give speech where I am dumb.
Restore where I have taken,
forgive me what I've done.

And all in me that's longing
at last to hear good news,
all poor and unbelonging,
all weary and confused,

oh, preach to that your mercy,
your peace amid my strife.
And all that's dead about me,
come, bring it back to life.

Johannes der Täufer wird ins Gefängnis geworfen By © Jörgens.mi, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31709349

The Lions In the Desert

One for today’s readings, combining Isaiah and Matthew:

The lions in the desert,
they heard the Baptist first
and swore in their repentance
no blood should slake their thirst.

The jackals in the wastelands,
the vultures in the sky,
they turn and taste the sweet rains
where once all things were dry.

For they have heard the Baptist,
and in their hearts it burns,
the embers of his message—
that even vipers turn!

Then who am I to linger
and love my crooked ways
when adders sting no longer
and wolves with lambkins graze?

No, I shall go to Jordan
and plunge into its depths
to rise alive once more, then,
with song in every breath.

Then to God's holy mountain
I'll go with wolf and lamb,
where win flows like a fountain,
to praise the Great I Am!

John the Baptist in the wilderness By Hieronymus Bosch, 1504-1505 – https://kunsthistoriened.wordpress.com/sk1516/jeroen-bosch, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=148079

When John the Baptist Died

When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist,
he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself.
The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns.
When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd,
his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick.
When it was evening, the disciples approached him and said,
“This is a deserted place and it is already late;
dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages
and buy food for themselves.”
He said to them, “There is no need for them to go away;
give them some food yourselves.”
But they said to him,
“Five loaves and two fish are all we have here.”
Then he said, “Bring them here to me.”
Matthew 14:13-21

We followed you into your grief
when John the Baptist died,
but not to offer you relief:
For our own needs we cried.

And we who'd gathered at the shore
to hear him call us back,
we hungered then for something more
and followed in your tracks.

Although you sought a place to mourn,
we dogged your weary feet
and begged you'd not leave us forlorn:
You gave us bread to eat.

But not the bread of village shops
or new loaves for a guest;
what scraps we had, you took them all
and gave them to us, blessed.

No meagre crumbs to tide us o'er
or teach us how to fast,
but all our hunger filled and more,
as if all wants were past!

So John decreased and you increased,
and in that desert place,
you hosted his memorial feast
and fed us by your grace.

Feeding the multitude. Armenian manuscript. Daniel of Uranc gospel, 1433. By Daniel of Uranc – Michel Bakni, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=98280902

For the Prophets

For the Nativity of John the Baptist.

This song is for the weird ones
with fire in their eyes
and jumbles on their seared tongues,
whose works are strange and wise.

Elijah with his anger,
who slew the priests of Baal
and burned again on Tabor
when Christ on glory called.

He trembled at the whisper
when raging storms were done
and called the hearts of fathers
back to their long-lost sons.

Or John, whose word went thund'ring,
from Jordan, far and wide,
as soft and sweet as honey
when Christ the Lamb he spied.

Who knew his own decreasing,
the raising of the dead,
Good News to poor folks preaching,
before he lost his head.

So here's to all the odd souls
whose bones'll melt like wax
if they don't speak their hot coals
or try to hold them back.

And here's to words like daggers
they drive into our hearts
to make way for the Rabbi
who pulls our chains apart.