Psalm 119: 1-24; Isaiah 2: 1-11; Luke 20: 19-26
| In our Old Testament passage today we read that, “In days to come the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; all the nations shall stream to it.” In Advent we wait for Christ’s return as we recall our wait for his initial arrival with the people of ancient Israel. The Christian hope has an “already,” and a “not yet,” to it. Christ has come. But clearly, there is more to follow. All nations stream to the light of Christ. And yet we know wars and rumors of wars. Terror and panic is in the street. We wait for the mountain of the Lord’s house to be established as the highest of mountains. And we do not hope in vain. In boldness we witness against the powers and principalities of this present darkness. We “give Caesar his due,” which is to say, while obedient whenever appropriate, we give the powers of this world what they have coming to them. How? Not by violence or revolution. By gentle witness to what Christ has already accomplished. O God and Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, deal bountifully with your servants, open our eyes to see your redeeming work in all things, and hasten the coming of your kingdom, through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. The Rev. Nathan Jennings, PhD J. Milton Richardson Associate Professor of Liturgics and Anglican Studies Seminary of the Southwest |
2014 Advent Meditations Front Page
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A native of Austin, Professor Jennings returned to his hometown when he joined the faculty of Seminary of the Southwest in 2005. Jennings has also served as the Director of the Anglican Studies Program at Seminary of the Southwest since 2008. Jennings is interested in liturgical theology, dogmatic theology, ascetical theology, theological hermeneutics and the way these disciplines intersect and inform one another. His book, Theology as Ascetic Act: Disciplining Christian Discourse, published in 2010, represents a light revision of his doctoral dissertation and argues that Christian teaching and reflection are embodied acts analogous to, and part of, Christian asceticism. Jennings has published various book reviews and articles in journals and collections. He is currently working on a book that will provide a liturgical theology of sacred text and its interpretation. In teaching, Jennings reflects on liturgy theologically as that which enables participation in God and God’s work in the world. In addition to the required liturgy and Anglican studies courses, Jennings offers elective seminars in Liturgical and Sacramental Theology, Liturgical Hermeneutics, and occasional seminars on Anglican Divines and Church Fathers.
BA, University of Texas; MDiv, Yale Divinity School; MA and PhD, University of Virginia
