The Gospel
Luke 21:25-36
Jesus said, "There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in a cloud' with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."
Then he told them a parable: "Look at the fig tree and all the trees; as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
"Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day catch you unexpectedly, like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man."
The Sermon
This is the season of
advent. It is the beginning of the church year and the word advent
means the coming or arrival of something. In our case we have two
things, the arrival of the baby Jesus on Christmas day and the second
coming of Jesus.
The second coming of Jesus
is a topic of much discussion among theologians and I would argue
that you are all theologians. We all have our opinions of our faith.
Some are very similar and others are wildly different. It is
estimated that there are over 20,000 denominations of Christianity in
the world. Robin Williams the comedian once said this about
Episcopalians, “no matter what you believe there's bound to be at
least one Episcopalian who agrees with you.”
Whether it is the second
coming of Jesus or the celebration of Jesus' birth, Advent is about
waiting and it is something I am not very good at doing. When I was
a child there would be all these presents under the tree at Christmas
and I was especially interested in the ones with my name on them. I
remember just sitting next to the tree and staring at them. My mind
would go wild imagining what wonderful treasures were hidden behind
those wrappings.
I look forward to seeing
Jesus and I am still the same impatient person who has trouble
waiting. Make no mistake, I will make room in my calendar for that to
happen and in the meantime I will impatiently wait. Jesus said in
both Matthew and Mark, “nobody knows when that day or hour will
come, not the heavenly angels and not the Son. Only the Father
knows.” So, we wait and we stay prepared.
We wait for the day when
we celebrate the day of the baby Jesus birth. His light and his
wisdom, has been celebrated for millennium. It can be a magical time
of year. We prepare in our own ways. In our church we have the
advent wreath. Each Sunday in advent we light a candle. This week
we light one candle. Next week it will be two candles until all the
candles are all lit and it will be Christmas.
Much has been said about
how the meaning of Christmas has gotten mired in the
commercialization of the season. I would argue that this advent
season is still very much alive in the hearts and minds of many of
us. While we wait for the coming of Jesus, we serve. Yesterday,
many of you were ringing Salvation Army bells so that there will be
assistance for those who are in crisis in the coming year. There are
many living in poverty in Lucas County. Last Friday I served as a
counselor at the Chariton food pantry. I visited with over twenty
people who came to get some help so they could put food on their
tables.
The food pantry always
receives more donations during this time of year. People seem more
generous during the Christmas season. They understand the need to
serve their brothers and sisters. I believe that people really do
feel a Christmas spirit in their lives. We play an important part in
that spirit. Wishing others peace and good will can become
infectious.
I have often talked about
the ripple effect. What we do and say can have a powerful effect on
so many others and not just the people we directly interact with.
When you give someone a warm heartfelt greeting it affects that
person and it changes them. It also changes the way they feel about
you and others in their lives.
This season of advent,
open yourself up to the love of the Holy Spirit. Let it shine in you
and the world will be a brighter place.
Amen
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