Christ Coming To Us In The Present

A wonderful Advent invitation.

This sermon was preached on the First Sunday of Advent. The readings which inspired the sermon were the following:
Jeremiah 33:14-16

Psalm 25:1-9

1 Thessalonians 3:9-13

Luke 21:25-36
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 good will towards all?

Today’s Gospel lesson starts out with such foreboding language: “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.” This is not exactly the Christmas sentiment pasted inside of a Hallmark card. So, what gives? Why are we hearing an adult Jesus speaking of His second coming at the End of Days, instead of looking at the cooing baby Jesus in the manger?

Well, unlike seemingly the rest of society, we are not yet in full-blown Christmas mode, but instead just beginning the Season of Advent. What’s Advent you say? Oh, I’m so glad you asked.

The word “advent” has its roots in a Latin word, which means “to come towards.” As in, God is coming towards us. Advent is the first season of the Church Year, so Happy New Year friends! It is a season when we contemplate and celebrate God coming to us. We remember the anticipation that was felt for millennia as God’s people looked for the coming of a Savior. We get ready ourselves for the Christ child’s coming. And, oddly enough we look ahead towards the fulfilling of all things when Christ will come again—the Day of Judgment!

When a very official polling was done—at Theology on Tap awhile back—Advent emerged as the respondents’ favorite Liturgical Season. 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, which we will endure at the culmination of all things! 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, I cannot help but see that we are often overlooking 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 why we love this time, Christ fulfilling all things, and 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 Wise Men. 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.

Facing Terrorism: Focus on Jesus

The stones of a building are not supposed to come crashing down. Ground beneath our feet is not meant to shake and rumble. No farmer plants seeds thinking that the season will end in famine. We do not wake up believing that a tornado will rip through our town. And no one goes through life expecting terrorists to incite mass murders nearby; however, these horrific, existence-shattering, and even life-ending events seem to be happening far too often.

This weekend I could not help but empathize with the painful reality that the people of Paris are feeling. I am sure you felt the same way. Bombings and shootings at a soccer stadium, a concert hall, and in a nightlife district rocked Parisians’ lives, much like how many of us felt shaken by the events of 9/11. And what is more, earlier in the week ghastly reports of terrorism arose from Beirut, Bagdad, and Garissa, Kenya. (All of the terror and all of the horror can very quickly put into perspective internet quibbling over the design on a coffee chain’s cup.) In this day and age, we cannot outrun the shocking news from every corner of the globe, and the news that grabs all of the headlines is of violence, famine, war, earthquakes, airline crashes, and other disasters. I have a very hard time with this being our current focus as a society, and I believe Jesus does too.

Last week’s gospel story focused on a widow, who with her two copper coins put in so much more than the showy gestures of the scribes. The outward signs of the religious were small compared to the inward abundance of the old woman. As soon as this teaching ended, Jesus and his disciples walked out of the Temple. This is where our gospel story picks up today.

One of the disciples marveled at the Temple. In that day the Temple was a sight to see. It was huge, with many balconies, covered walkways, and courtyards. Herod had the Temple built through the blood and sweat of others. It was constructed of marble to impress people from all over the world. While the magnificent appearance of the Temple was grandiose and attractive, Jesus had just finished teaching his disciples that inward devotion, not outward appearance was the mark of abundant life. Perhaps Jesus’ lesson was not getting through to the disciples, so he made a bold claim.

He said, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.” These were ominous words, as the Temple would later crumble to the ground. And yet, Jesus revealed a deeper truth that persists to this day: nothing material in this world will last forever. Our greatest handcrafted achievements will one day fall down, even the mountains will be made low, the valleys exalted, and the crooked paths made straight. Still, this week I have a harder time making sense of this reality as it falls hard on my ears, and even harder on my heart. “All will be thrown down” does not engender solace or arise a sense of consolation from God. So what was it that Jesus was trying to tell his disciples?

At this moment, looking across from the Mount of Olives with his disciples Jesus was himself staring death in the face. He was in Jerusalem on the week of his crucifixion and could see the impending chaos that his disciples would undergo after he was captured and killed. The teacher was trying to pass along a Masters level lesson to his students. We too are to take on this difficult understanding.

The disciples pressed Jesus to talk about what he meant by the prediction of the Temple’s fall, but when they asked for a date and sign, Jesus did not give them a simple response. Instead of replying in a straightforward manner, he talked about false prophets, rumors of wars, wars, nations rising against nation, kingdom fighting against kingdom, and even earthquakes. Through this though he gave his followers great wisdom when he said do not let these things alarm you, or put another way, do not let all of those things distract you from what I am imbedding in you, what I am planting in you, what I am giving to you. For those things are not what is to come, the end is still to come.

“The end is still to come,” maybe this phrase does not instill in you a lot of confidence. Maybe I could say it in a little different way that will sound familiar to you Cursillo people. The best is yet to come. The best is yet to come might come off as pie-in-the-sky drivel, but I hope and believe that in God’s reality the best is yet to come.

When Jesus came to this earth he did not end senseless violence, famine, poverty, or war. We are well aware of this truth. And, his message that the end is further along was not something full of fluff. No, Jesus brought the good news that the best is still yet to come because God’s fulfillment of all in all is coming. Jesus started something when he brought healing and wisdom, freedom and release, life and love into this world. These virtues are not easily achieved, but by the grace of God this is the end, the goal to which all of us are headed when we live in Christ. Sometimes, like this week, it can be difficult to know that the beautiful end is the truth.

Just a little bit after this story from today’s gospel, Jesus shared a sacred meal with his disciples that we continue to share today. I can at times feel as though I do not understand the ways of this world. And yet, when I end up with my hands and heart open at God’s Table I know that the end is not mine to determine. Through Jesus God invites us to have a foretaste of the heavenly banquet that is yet to come where all God’s children will feast together. Yes, the end is yet to come. And yes, it is scary to not know what the end will look like. But, sometimes we get a glimpse of it.

Perhaps you heard a story that came out of Paris on Friday night. “Porte Ouverte” means “Open Door” in French. It was the hashtag that people who were already safe in France used on social media to invite those in danger off of the streets. Taxi drivers turned off their meters and shuttled stranded tourists and residents to safety. In the midst of a murderous rampage the love and open doors of strangers said to one another and to the entire world the end is still to come, the best is yet to come.

The distractions and dangers of this world are real. The pain that people feel in Paris, Beirut, Baghdad, Garissa, and elsewhere will not magically go away. We as followers of Jesus are not called to ignore the problems of this world. And yet, we are also not to be distracted from following Jesus, not even by wars, politics, disasters, or terrorism. As our reading from the letter to the Hebrews puts it, “And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” In the name of the Living God, Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer! Amen.

The Days Are Coming

Album art from My Morning Jacket's Circuital 

During seminary my friend CJ Meaders kept on raving about this band My Morning Jacket (MMJ). I could not for the life of me get into them. Often CJ's recommendations quickly became new favorite bands, but as hard as I tried I could not get into MMJ. I listened to their albums, watched old concerts, and even read positive reviews, but none of this did the trick. I had to experience a concert in person.

In the fall of 2011, I went to hear MMJ perform at the Austin City Limits (ACL) Music Festival at Zilker Park in ATX. Standing among many thousands of people and actually being in the presence of these performers made all the difference in the world. Their music sprang to life in a new way. They brought up the Preservation Hall Jazz Band from New Orleans to help with a few numbers. I left the concert a convert. Soon I was playing MMJ's sixth album "Circuital" on repeat.

Some of the songs on that album like "Victory Dance" and "First Light," pushed me beyond the point of liking MMJ's music and into a place in which I wondered, "Is this band writing prophetic rock music for the 21st Century?" There is a fancy word that gets thrown around in seminary to talk about God's return and our ultimate fulfillment in that moment, and that word is eschatology. If I had to classify MMJ, I might categorize them as an Eschatalogical Rock Band.

"The Day is Coming" the second track on the aforementioned album links so fittingly with Jeremiah 31:31-34 that I have a hard time not hearing it when I start reading, "The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah." We all have different ways of approaching that day when all things will be fulfilled. My hope as a Christian stems from my belief that Jesus initiated this new covenant and that we get to take part in it not teaching one another to "Know the Lord," but that we already know God.

What will the end look like? What music will be playing? Can we know any of this ahead of time? I am not so sure. We can certainly have hope in the all encompassing love and redemption of God through Christ. Yet, I think that it is like a really good band that you cannot quite get into by just listening online or reading reviews. To truly know the fulfilling of all things we have to experience it. The days are coming, but rest assured in the New Covenant the law is written on our hearts and we are God's people!