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| Luke 21:25 reveals the truth that in trying times (even on a cosmic level), we discover God coming to us. |
This sermon was preached on the First Sunday of Advent. You may watch a video of the sermon by clicking here. The readings which inspired the sermon were the following:
©2024 The Rev. Seth Olson
Is there a better way to get in the holiday spirit than to faint with fear? Or perhaps the best way to ready ourselves for Christmas is to stare anxiously at the sun, the moon, and the stars? How about taking note of all the distress among and within nations as we pray for peace on earth and goodwill towards all?
Today’s Gospel lesson starts out with such foreboding language: “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.” Not exactly the Christmas sentiment you’d find on a Hallmark card! So, what gives? Why are we hearing adult Jesus speaking about His second coming at the End of Days instead of focusing on baby Jesus cooing in the manger?
Unlike seemingly the rest of society, we at Holy Apostles are not yet in full-blown Christmas mode but are just beginning the season of Advent. What’s Advent, you ask? Oh, I’m so glad you did.
The word “advent” has its roots in a Latin word meaning “to come toward.” Advent is the first season of the Church Year—so Happy New Year, friends! This year, we move from hearing primarily from Mark’s Gospel account to Luke’s telling of the Good News, which has its own distinct voice, often focusing on God’s compassion and the marginalized. But the big shift today isn’t just about Gospel writers; it’s about mindset. Advent is when we contemplate and celebrate God coming to us. We remember the long anticipation for a Savior, prepare for the Christ child’s arrival, and, oddly enough, look ahead to Christ’s final coming on Judgment Day. Festive, right?
At the first church I served, St. John’s, Decatur, a very official polling was done—at Theology on Tap—I wanted to know everyone’s favorite liturgical season. Advent emerged as the respondents’ favorite time in the Church Year. And why not? It has great music. There are fascinating characters like John the Baptizer, faithful Joseph, and the Blessed Virgin Mary. Plus, there are cool props like Advent wreaths and Advent calendars. But, what I think people love most about Advent is the theme of eternal judgment! Right? Okay, certainly not. However, I cannot help but honestly believe the fulfilling of all things does have something to do with our love of this season.
In this time when we look back at Christ’s first coming in the person of Jesus of Nazareth and look forward to Christ’s final coming at the end of days, I cannot help but see that we often overlook my favorite aspect of Advent: the present. No, not the presents that will be waiting under the Christmas tree. I mean the present moment when Christ comes to us. This aspect of Advent might not make it onto everyone’s list of reasons why they love this season, but I think the present has everything to do with 1) why we love this time, 2) Christ fulfilling all things, and 3) what Jesus said in today’s Gospel lesson. It’s all about the present!
At this time of year, we often get bogged down with “the too-much-ness of it all.” Getting gifts, making memories, decorating houses, and all the while hoping that we will feel the joy that our children and grandchildren often do at this time of year. But, in the attempts to do it all, we somehow miss that God is coming to us now, even when everything isn’t already done, even before Christmas Day, even though this is not the End of Days. Jesus’ words reflect a calling to pay attention to God’s coming right now here amidst everything that is undone and among so many distractions.
Usually things like the sun, the moon, the stars, and the waves are beautiful testimonies of God’s handiwork. And yet, in today’s Gospel lesson everyone is confused by those things. What is worse, people are so filled with fear and fright that they are fainting. If we get so worried about what is to come—whether during the busy holiday season or the End of Days—if we get so upset about these coming events that we are fainting, then I believe we are not faithfully living in the present. We are not seeing that God comes to us right now.
As Jesus put it, “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.” (Or, to quote the Star Wars character Admiral Ackbar, “It’s a trap!”) Don’t get caught up in the traps of the past or the future. Instead pay attention. Be alert. Wait and watch for the coming of Christ. All of this sounds so lovely, but how, oh how, are we to do this during the busyness of this time of year?
In this Gospel lesson, Jesus described both the natural and man-made world causing people consternation. All these things around us in our lives distract us. They can, as we see with the examples of drunkenness and worrying, be such toxic and addicting things that we might have a hard time letting go of them even if we want to do just that. Christ here calls us not to be distracted by all these things, but instead to see those wonderful and terrible events of our lives as indicators that Christ is coming. That Christ is here. But, to see Christ we must be attentive.
One of my favorite Advent phrases is “Slow down. Be quiet. It’s Advent.” This calling has everything to do with why this season is so beloved by so many. During Advent, we are called by God through the Church to not let the frantic nature of the rest of our lives distract us from God coming to be with us now. And this reality mysteriously redeems for me even the strange and fearful language found in the opening bits of today’s lesson.
Yes, we are waiting on a sweet babe to be wrapped in swaddling clothes. Sure, we cannot wait for the Angels and the Shepherds and the Magi. But, here in the present moment we are also waiting for the culmination of all things when God will judge the world not with hatred or with fear, but through the prism of Christ’s redeeming love. We are holding out for that moment when all things will be fulfilled through the infinite grace shown in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ Jesus. And, the only way that we can take part in that remembering and that hopeful anticipation is by being alert in the present.
Do not be distracted during this season of Advent when God comes to us. Don’t let the sun, the moon, the stars, or the rolling and roaring tide cause you trouble. Don’t be weighed down by drunkenness or worry. Forget the shopping, the to-do’s, and the decorating for now. Instead slow down, be quiet, and realize that Christ is coming to you right now. Amen.
