Advent 1 - B 2011

Heavens Breaking Forth

Introduction

Christmas has broken out all around us. Santa is back in the malls, the carols are blaring and the preparation has begun in earnest.

What are you doing to prepare? Have your shopping all finished? Planned all the meals? Baked all the goodies? House all decorated?

Advent is the name we give to this season in the church. It is also the beginning of our yearly cycle of living along with Jesus. In four weeks we will remember the birthday and all of the Bethlehem part of the story. Then we will grow up with him, head towards Jerusalem and try to follow along like the disciples.

But we are still four weeks away from Jesus. We are still preparing for Christmas.

And I get that, I really do, I understand that it takes a lot of work to get ready for a celebration like this – but on another side of it all – what is it we are preparing for?

Jesus is born in Bethlehem. So what?

Children’s Story

Deck the Halls – Adapted from sermons4kids.com

In his book, "Oh, the Places You'll Go," Dr. Seuss talks about a place called "the waiting place." He describes it as a useless place where people are just waiting.

Waiting for a train to go

or a bus to come, or a plane to go

or the mail to come, or the rain to go

or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow

or waiting around for a Yes or No

or waiting for their hair to grow.

Everyone is just waiting.

I don't particularly like waiting, do you? I don't like it, but I don't know of any way to avoid it. We all have to spend some time in this "waiting place" that Dr. Seuss talks about, but I don't think it has to be a useless place. While we are waiting, life goes on, and we must make good use of our time. What can we do? Well, we could read a good book or call a friend on the cell phone. We could make a list of things we need to do today or, we could even study for our weekly spelling test. Well, maybe that's going a bit too far, but there are many things we can do besides just waiting.

Today is the first Sunday of Advent. Advent means "to come." Do you know what's coming? Of course, Christmas is coming. This is an exciting time, but it may also be a difficult time of waiting -- especially for children. Waiting for the day when you can open the gifts that you see under the tree. What can we do to make this time of waiting for Christmas more than just a useless time in the waiting place? Well, we can think about the true meaning of Christmas. We can think about Jesus and his love. We can think about giving instead of receiving. We can enjoy all of beautiful music and the decorations of the season. When we do those things, we will find joy in the waiting place.

We are waiting for Christmas, but we are also waiting for something else. We are waiting for Jesus' return. He told us that he would come again and he told us to watch and be ready for him. What should we do while we are waiting? We should worship and praise him, love and serve him, and share his love with others. When we are doing those things, we will be ready for his return, and we will find joy in the waiting place.

Strengthened till the End

The Psalms and Paul’s writings are always filled with affirmations that God is here, that God is good, that God is coming… These people were seriously sure that they were waiting, and that they would probably not have to wait that long, until something happened – God rescued them, or Jesus came back, or their enemies were defeated or they were justified in front of the naysayers…

Paul sure has a high opinion of the faithful… I only wish I was thinking about the things that he is on about – instead, I am thinking about what to buy everything for Christmas. I am thinking about how great the ads are on TV and what they make me wish I was getting for Christmas.

It makes me go back to my original question – what is it all about? What does Christmas mean?

The Little Apocalypses

Charles Dickens arguably brought Christmas back to life in the Western World. He was the biggest proponent of the season and its effect on people. We all know Scrooge and the Ghosts of Past Present and Future – but there are poems and other stories of the season that Dicken’s wrote as well.

In them, he was almost speaking of the future – of the way that Christmas can change someone… he was almost talking about the Kingdom of God, coming on earth…

At the same time, he was a realist – he knew a thing or two about human nature… and dear old Mr Scrooge would never have changed without a little bit of the old fear of God.

I like to think of passages like we have before us today as the “Stick” to Jesus “Carrot.”  He knew enough to try different teaching methods, and he knew enough to be able to say that sometimes we have to hit rock bottom if we are going to be able to change… so here it is – the bad news… the world can end in a second.

In fact, for many of us, it does. A stroke, a car accident, getting fired… And you have to be ready, you have to be prepared, you have to keep awake…

But if we are awake to it, Christmas, the spirit of it… will be all around.

Conflicts? What Conflicts?

I don’t get that there is something bad about the secular Christmas. I think if anything, we should be celebrating it. I mean, ok, don’t go borrowing money for gifts… but the idea of celebrating, of sharing presents, of feasting, of visiting, of decorating…

There is nothing wrong with that. In fact, each of those things, in their own way, are a reflection of God’s love.

And perhaps that is what we are preparing for… the inbreaking of God’s love into our otherwise grey worlds.