Beloved of God,

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The Scripture Lessons for the Third Sunday of Advent are:

Luke 1:26-39 The angel visits Mary
Jeremiah 1:4-10 Jeremiah is called a prophet

Sometimes saying “yes” to God’s call fills us with fear. Like Mary and Jeremiah, we fear that we aren’t enough. That we’ll be alone. That no one will listen. And yet, God calls us forward, inviting us to live fully into who we are created to be and promising to be with us every step of the way as we move forward through our fear. Too often we talk about bravery and courage in terms of hero narratives or big actions, but each day presents many moments to practice small, quiet acts of courage. May we say “yes” to God, even when our knees shake and our voices tremble.
 
This is the season of Advent. The liturgical color, for the pastor's stole and paraments (cloth hanging from the pulpit and lectern), is purple. This is the color of royalty.
 
We will depart from the purple candles of the Advent wreath this week to light the pink (or technically rose-colored) candle, which represents JOY. This candle has its roots in something known as Gaudete Sunday, which dates back to the medieval period. The term “Gaudete” is derived from the Latin word for “rejoice,” taken from the first word of the introit of this day’s Mass in the Roman Catholic, Anglican and Lutheran Churches, as well as other mainline Protestant churches. The introit is from Philippians 4:4-6 “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice.” It is considered a joyful midpoint in the season of anticipation before Christmas.
 
This third Sunday in Advent is also known as the Shepherd Candle to highlight the joy the shepherds experienced when they received the good news about Christ’s birth (Luke 2:8-20).

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In God’s Love, Rev. Amie