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Comfort, comfort these my people speak of peace so says our God. these who sit in darkness groaning under sins tread

rod to my people I proclaim pardon now in Jesus name tell them that their sins I cover, that their morph and now is over.

The hymn, Comfort, Comfort, My People, it's taken from Isaiah's prophecy, which is the Old

Testament reading for the Third Sunday in Advent,

and that hymn very well reproduces the message of comfort,

forgiveness of sins that God is promising through the prophet Isaiah on the third Sunday.

Welcome back to Issues Cedar. I'm Todd Wilkin.

Joining us to look forward to Sunday morning according to the one-year electionary, Dr. John Bambaro, senior pastor of St. James Lutheran Church in Lafayette, Indiana, a Navy chaplain serving

the Marine Corps.

Dr. Bambaro, welcome back.

Thank you very much, Todd.

Many churches will change the color for this coming Sunday, Gaudate Sunday. What does this color mean? What does the color change associated with the Sunday mean?

The repeated theme of this week is joy as we approach the celebration of Christmas. So with the incarnation of Christ looming less than two weeks away and with, as it were, the weekly incarnation of Christ Jesus in the sacrament of the altar, the penitential and anticipatory season of Advent gives way to chouts a joy and acclamation. Church's coming Christmas party, as it were, spills over into Advent itself with this week.

Gaudite is the Latin for rejoice, which is the first word from St. Paul to the entrance

antiphon for the mass of the day. Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I say rejoice. The Lord

is near. And that's taken, of course, from Philippians 4, 4, and 5.

So while the traditional liturgical color has been violet or purple to hallmark the penitential, yet regal import to the season,

...