Sunday, November 29, 2020

First Sunday of Advent
Isaiah 64:1-9
Psalm 80:1-7
1 Corinthians 1:3-9
Mark 13:24-37

Turn us again, God. Cause your face to shine, and we will be saved.

We live in Texas and football is king in Texas. Though this season has been unusual, high schools, colleges, and professional teams have done the best they can under the circumstances. The stands are not filled with fans, though the fans are doing their best to keep up with their favorite teams. There is still enthusiasm even though this year looks so much different.

Football is a game that mirrors warfare. George Carlin, in describing the differences between baseball and football said, “In football the object is for the quarterback, also known as the field general, to be on target with his aerial assault, riddling the defense by hitting his receivers with deadly accuracy in spite of the blitz, even if he has to use shotgun. With short bullet passes and long bombs, he marches his troops into enemy territory, balancing this aerial assault with a sustained ground attack that punches holes in the forward wall of the enemy's defensive line.” So, motivation for the team from the cheerleaders and the fans is often very aggressive. They make loud noises, stomp on the bleachers and yell “Fight, fight, fight!” He describes baseball much differently, “In baseball the object is to go home! And to be safe! - I hope I'll be safe at home!”

In the beginning of high school football games, the teams are welcomed onto the field by waiting fans that hold up a sign designed to put fear in the hearts of the other team. These signs have catchy phrases like “Squash the Rattlers!” or “Bury the Trojans!” Different organizations are given the responsibility of making the signs and holding them for team to run through each week. They work for days after school painting their signs and then gather together the night of the game to hold the sign for their team. The football players gather behind the sign, waiting for the perfect moment to tear through the paper, screaming their battle cry. They punch holes in the paper and then rip through, ready to face their opponent on the field.

I thought of this when I read the scripture for today. I can almost imagine the fans in the stands screaming for the coming of the Lord while the enemy waits in expectation with fear and trembling. That’s how we want the opposing team to feel when our team comes out on the field. Isaiah and the people of Israel were feeling abandoned by God. Where was He in the midst of their troubles? Why was Jerusalem in ruins? This prayer begs Yahweh to make Himself known to them and to their enemy so that His authority is without question. Isaiah asked for forgiveness and reconciliation. In the end, that is a much different reason for tearing open the heavens, one that will bring peace rather than war. Football may be king in Texas, but the King for whom we wait during the season of Advent, which begins on Sunday, November 30th, is a king of mercy and grace.

As Christians, our goal is to go home.

That’s funny to say since most of us have spent way more time at home in the past nine months than usual. As a matter, I realized a couple weeks ago that the wear and tear on my carpets has been far worse this year, so I had carpet cleaners in this week. Unfortunately, I have very light carpets, inherited when we bought the house, and several places needed extra work. The path from the front door to where I keep my shoes was particularly bad because I carried the dirt from the streets after my daily walks. The carpet by our couches where we have spent so much time was bad, too. I’ve decided to make a few changes to help protect these areas while we continue in this extraordinary lifestyle. We have placed an area rug by the couches and I plan to take my shoes off as soon as I enter the house.

It is a good time to make minor changes as we enter into the holiday season. We’ll start decorating this week and in the process we will clean the little nooks and crannies that have been gathering dust. This upheaval is difficult for our kitties. We had to lock them in a room for several hours the other day when the carpet cleaner was here, and the carpet had an unusual smell as it dried. We’ve moved furniture and we’ll bring in storage boxes soon. The tree always creates excitement and some anxiety. They will be very curious about all that is happening, but they don’t like when we use the vacuum or floor cleaner. They run as soon as we get out the machines, but sometimes reappear while we are still working. We have to take a break to clean out dirty water and or move furniture. It seems as though as soon as they are back in the room sniffing around at the clean carpet and the newly positioned furniture, we turn the on switch again. They flee to escape and wait until it gets quiet again. They would be better off just taking a nap while are working, but they are too curious. They want to be with us. They want to know what’s going on. They just can’t stand being in the presence of those nasty machines.

The hard part is that in times of stress, the kitties want to be with us. They are comforted by our presence. They want to feel safe, but the changes are upsetting. They get used to it after a time, and they are comforted by being in our presence. They feel safe when they are near those they love.

This week’s psalm is a song of lament, from the time when the Northern Kingdom of Israel was destroyed by the Assyrians. It is a cry to God by the whole people of Israel in a time of distress. Like the people in Isaiah’s story, the people of Israel in the psalm are crying out for God to show His face to them once again. They knew that their troubles were because God had turned away. Now they sought His face, His countenance, upon them. If God shined in their world and on their lives, everything would be fine.

We can respond to trouble one of two ways. We can look into ourselves and find only despair or we can cry out to the only one who can make things right. Israel cried out to God and so should we. The kitties sought the comfort of our presence, just as Israel sought the comfort of God’s presence. We too, in these dark days of 2020 can respond to the world in which we live with despair or we seek God and wait expectantly for the One who brings God’s presence into our world, Jesus Christ. That’s what Advent is all about.

Sunday is the first Sunday in Advent. I know it is beginning to look a lot like Christmas a little early this year, but there are so many people who are seeking light in the darkness. Are they looking for light in the bushes and on the gutters or are they looking God to shine in their lives? I think it is important that we remember that the days leading up to the Nativity are a special season of the church year. Advent is more than just preparing for Christmas. We usually go overboard during the holidays. Perhaps one of the silver linings of this Advent season is that we’ll have more time to contemplate the coming of our King.

Advent is sometimes called a “little Lent.” The reason for this is that historically it was a time of repentance and preparation for baptism into the Christian church. In the modern age, though sometimes we count down the days with Advent calendars and special lectionary readings, most of us spend too much time chasing after the glitz and glitter of the season. We eat too much, buy too many gifts and go to too many parties. We put up too many lights and make too many cookies. In the midst of all of this, we forget that there is more to the season.

Yet, even as we go overboard, we do it with a heart for the God for whom we wait. We put up nativities to remember the birth of Christ. Fresh cut Christmas trees have been said to represent the death of Jesus on the cross (cutting) and His resurrection (putting it up in our house.) I decorate our tree(s) with ornaments that have special memories for me. The evergreen reminds us of the everlasting God. The lights on the tree remind us that Jesus is the light of the world. The first Christmas trees were covered with good things of the earth like fruits and nuts, the bounty of God’s creation. The star points toward the story of Christ and the wise men who became the first people, gentiles, to worship Him. It is not bad for us to go out of our way to separate this time of year making it very special for the people we love. Our Christmas celebrations are our witness to the One who was born in the manger to our friends and our neighbors. But it is good to remember that there is more to the season than glitz and glitter.

Advent is not only a time to wait for the Christ child, but also to watch for Christ to come again. It is about seeing God's hand in the world around us, even in the secular aspects of the world. God created the whole world to glorify Him, and He is glorified when we see Him in this world. So, as we prepare, we look for Christ. We watch for Him. We see Him in the faces of the other shoppers, in the hearts of those for whom we are baking the cookies. We live the Christ-spirit so that those who see the greed and evil in this world might also see the light of Christ and know that God still dwells with His people.

We get caught up in the world and do not leave time for God. In some ways Advent is like it will be in the end times: darkness, confusion and chaos. Yet, in the midst of all of this, God still dwells among us and we need only stay awake. We will see Him. We stay awake by watching, praying, studying, worshipping and fellowshipping with other believers even while we are busy doing all the work that will make the season merry for those we love. We need not give up decorating and baking, but let us remember to look for Christ and shine His light for others to see, for He is with us always, just as He promised.

There is a town in Alaska that has two months of darkness. I’ve never experienced the endless nights of the northernmost reaches of the world, but I remember what it was like in winter in England. Despite the temperate temperatures, England lies well north of the United States. At that latitude, the sun sets early and rises late in the middle of winter. The days lasted only about four hours; the kids went to school and came home in the dark. That meant, of course, that the summer days lasted nearly 20 hours.

The problem with lengthy nights and the lack of light is that it can affect the human body. We need daylight for our health. The lack of sunlight causes damage to bones, depression, heart disease and even cancer. Vitamin D is recommended for those who live in those places where the days are short. One of the recommendations during this pandemic was to get as much sunshine as possible, and if not possible, then to take a supplement. It will be especially important as we spend less time outside during the shorter days and colder temperatures.

Advent begins in darkness, not only because the sun sets early. It is dark because we have failed God. We have forgotten Him in our comfort. We have ignored the needs of our neighbors. We have followed our lusts. We have succumbed to temptations of the world. We are sinners who live in darkness. Like Isaiah in the Old Testament lesson and the psalmist, we cry out to God to reveal Himself so that we might see Him again. We cry out for His presence in our world, even though we are frightened by His power and judgment. We know the only way we will be saved is if God comes to save. So we cry out for Him to come, to make His name known again to the world.

The scriptures for this week help to remind us that we are entering into a time to prepare for judgment. We have talked about the Day of the Lord for the past few weeks, a time of judgment that is to be feared. We have asked, “Why would anyone want to rush that day?” Yet, there comes a time when we just can’t stand what is going on around us so we hope that something will happen to change everything. I can honestly tell you that I cry out daily for the Lord’s return. Come, Lord Jesus.

I can understand why Isaiah would write the words in today’s Old Testament lesson. The people were in darkness. They were following false gods. They were unmerciful and unjust. They were acting shamefully and had forgotten everything the LORD had done for His people. They were lost; they forgot their God. They needed something to happen that would turn them back to Him. In today’s Old Testament text, Isaiah called for God to do something shocking so that everyone would see Him and repent. Sometimes it takes something drastic to change hearts and minds. We turn to God in times of distress. Isaiah was asking God to make that happen. Some have suggested that our current problems are the answer to similar prayers.

Isaiah and the people of Israel were feeling abandoned by God. Where was He in the midst of their troubles? Why is Jerusalem in ruins? This prayer begs Yahweh to make Himself known to them and to their enemy so that His authority is without question. We ask the same from our God. Can’t He make things right? Can’t He stop everything that is wrong in our world? Can’t He send His holy angels to change things for the better?

But Isaiah realizes that his cries are out of place. The God he blames for abandoning them has not abandoned them; He has done great things for His people and He continues to do great things. Isaiah asks for forgiveness and reconciliation because he knows that they are paying the price for their own sinfulness. Though Isaiah at first asks God to tear open the heavens to destroy his enemy, he finally realizes that he needs to seek something much different. God will tear open the heavens to bring us something much better than vengeance and destruction; humble acknowledgement of our own sinfulness will bring a God who transforms His people with peace, rather than war. When we realize we are in darkness, God will shine the Light.

That is the prayer of Advent. “God, shine your light. Reveal that which is hidden and brings us to repentance. Change our hearts and set us on the right path.” Few people really pay attention to Advent, except for maybe an Advent wreath at church. Some people may commit to an Advent devotional or some other spiritual practice. I have noted that there are many options for Advent calendars this year, including a wine or beer a day, cheese selections, socks or beauty products. There are even Advent calendars for your pets. One of the best I saw is a cookie calendar that promises a recipe, special ingredients and tools for making six different types of cookies. Yet, all these calendars count down to December 25th, not to the birth of a King.

Here are the questions I am asking myself for this first Sunday in Advent: if the Christmas season is well underway with decorations hung and music playing, how will we experience Advent as a season of light growing out of darkness? How do we realize our sinfulness and our need for God if we have already surrounded ourselves with the good things of this world? How will we ever know that we are living in darkness if our world is lit by twinkle lights?

What we, as Christians, must remember as we are going about the business of the holidays is that Christmas does not really begin until Christ is born. Until that day we are journeying through the season of Advent. This is a time for waiting. It is a time for watching. We can’t avoid Christmas in the world, but let us remember that during this time we are meant to be preparing our hearts for the coming of our King. It is a time of longing for His return, a time of considering why He had to come in the first place.

The Gospel text reminds us that we are waiting for the second coming even while we are preparing to celebrate the first. Though Christ has already come, died, and been raised, we still live in darkness. The work of salvation is complete, but it still needs to be completed. We are already there and we still wait to be there. We live in the already and the not yet. Light is in the world, but darkness still plagues us. Our text today makes that clear.

We might be tempted by this text from Mark to look for the signs that are described. Many people have done so throughout time, pointing to stars, blood red moons, comets and other signs in the heavens. They point to natural disasters like hurricanes and earthquakes as signs that the time is near. They use the newspaper headlines to suggest that every event points to the time when Christ will come again. Throughout history there have been times when it seemed like the warnings were about to be fulfilled.

We need to remember that Jesus is quoting the Old Testament scriptures throughout this text. The people listening would have been very familiar with these words, particularly from Isaiah. They knew what God was promising in the warnings and they knew how to respond. This isn’t a time for us to stop and watch for signs; it is a time to turn our focus on the One who has promised to come. “Stay awake,” Jesus says, not to be constantly interpreting the signs, but to be actively living the life God has called us to live.

Paul was speaking to a different people in a different time and place, but they were people dealing with their own crises. It doesn’t even matter what they faced. Every generation of humans had to deal with trouble. Every generation worries and doubts and fears the future. Every person from the beginning of time have wondered if they would make it through each day. We can approach our days blindly, missing the God in our midst, or we can live in the grace we have been given. We know that our life is different because we have faith in Jesus Christ, but do we live that way? God is faithful. We might not always understand His plan for our lives or our world in this day, but as we dwell in Him daily, we’ll see more clearly that we are blessed by God’s presence even if we don’t feel like He is here. We, God’s people living faithfully in this chaotic world, are the evidence of His presence. We are called to be the Church in the midst of uncertainty and disappointment.

The world is in chaos. People are worried and afraid of what tomorrow might hold. Many are crying out to God to shine His face so that they might be saved. We are His face. We have the message they need. We have the gifts that will bring peace and hope to those who are lost. Each year there seems to be more reason to cry out to God. We can see suffering all around us. People are jobless, homeless and hungry. Our prisons and hospitals are filled to the brink. Last week Jesus called us to meet the simple and ordinary needs of our neighbors. This Christmas will not be wonderful for everyone. But we can make the world a little brighter by sharing Christ in word and in deed with those who are in need.

Mark’s “Little Apocalypse” shows us how to respond to the darkness and chaos of our world. We can certainly hang Christmas lights to shine through the night and take vitamin D to remain healthy, but we are called to wait for the One who will come, to watch for the Light which will bring life and hope. We wait, not only for a special day on the calendar or a baby in the manger, but also for the King of kings and Lord of lords. Here in darkness we begin our journey to the manger, to the birth of the One who will make all things right. But while this is a time to wait and watch, it is also a time for us to live and shine the light of God. It isn’t a time to hide behind our safe walls, but to get out into the world to tell the truth: we are all sinners in need of a Savior. The baby we await and the King who will tear down the heavens to the cheers of His people is the One who will truly save us from ourselves, the One who will one day take us home.