Advent II Sermon 12/10/2023

Here are some thoughts on the readings:

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Preface

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As was noted last week, Advent is traditionally a season of preparation for receiving the gift of Christ, the Word made flesh.? It is no mistake, then, that is immediately precedes Christmas.? As such it is a preparation for celebrating the gift of the Word made flesh.? It is also a preparation for the 2nd coming of Christ.? During Advent, then, we are called to remember God Incarnate in Christ as we look to when He will come again. But, more importantly, we are called to God at work in our lives through Christ in the fellowship of His Holy Spirit, the Church, and all of His creation.

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The focus of last week’s sermon as is today’s is answering the question of what it is to prepare for receiving this gift. In the Gospel for last week Jesus bid us to “keep awake,” or be prepared, for we do not know the hour the master will return to the house.? In the Gospel for last week, then, there was an emphasis on here and now.? There was (and is) a sense of calling to being alert here and now.? Being alert and prepared now, then, seems is the key to preparing ourselves to receive the gift of the Word made flesh.? Last week I noted that too often we focus on the past, on the gift of the Word made flesh at Christmas and the expectation of Christ coming again and in so doing miss Christ at work in our lives here and now; I went on to say that I think we prepare ourselves by seeing God in Christ at work in our lives today and acting on what we find.. And this involves seeing Christ in ourselves – the gifts God has given us to actualize – and Christ in others – the gifts given others by God to actualize.

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Again, the focus of this week’s sermon, as was last weeks, is on answering the question of what it is to prepare ourselves for receiving the gift of the Word made flesh. It is worth noting, then, that seeing Christ at work in our lives involves not only seeing Christ in ourselves and others, but also it involves, as members of the Body of Christ in the world, being Christ in the world. For it is in being Christ’s hands’, voice and heart in this world, that we fully come to “see” Christ at work in our lives. So, whereas the focus of last week’s sermon was on seeing Christ at work in our lives, today I want to focus on being Christ in the world today and how so being allows us to more fully “see” or “experience” Him in our lives today.

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Preparation

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Several themes are present in the reading for today:

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1. In the Old Testament reading there is “the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all the people shall see it together.”? In this there is a hint of how we will relate to one another when the glory of the Lord is revealed – that we shall see it together.? Here I think an emphasis should be put on seeing it together.?

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1. Also in the Old Testament we are given two examples of how we relate to the Word.

-??????? The first, “All people are grass, their constancy is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the LORD blows upon it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand forever.”? Various expressions of the Word may come and fade but the Word is constant, never fades, a continuing source of our being, and through our being living expressions of the Word here and now.?

-??????? The second, “he will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bossom, and gently lead the mother sheep.”? The Word is the source of our being as well as our guide into our being.

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1. In the Epistle we have “the day of the Lord will come like a thief. … .”? There is again, then, an emphasis on being prepared here and now.?
2. Also in the Epistle, Peter asks us, “what sort of persons ought you to be in leading lives of holiness and godliness, …?? And he bids us “…, strive to be found by him at peace, without a spot or blemish… .”

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1. In the Gospel we encounter John the Baptizer, preparing the way for the reception of the Word made flesh by “proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.”? Baptism, notably, can be seen as a sort of cleansing.? John says, “I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”? The gift of God through Christ of His Holy Spirit we celebrated at Pentecost, a gift by which we are cleansed.

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1. But the theme that sticks out to me most is present in both the Old Testament and the Gospel is “prepare the way of the Lord”:

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-??????? Prepare yourself the way of the Lord and you will be found by Him at peace.

-??????? Prepare yourself the way of the Lord and you will prepare yourself to accept the gift of the Word made flesh, for you will be at peace.

-??????? Prepare yourself the way of the Lord and you will open the door for others to do the same for His Light will shine forth from you, shining on the Way of life for others.?

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But how?? How do we prepare ourselves the way of the Lord, the way of the Word?? I think the answer is found in the question – the Word.?

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Presentation

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Last week the focus was on seeing the Word in our lives. Today the focus is on acting on the Word by the grace of God in the Unity of His Holy Spirit – the Communion of All Saints.

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I think we prepare ourselves the way of the Lord by making the Lord our shepherd, our guide and source of being, by acting on the Word, (e.g., acting in accordance with the Word).

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But what does this involve?? It Involves:

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1. ?A searching and fearless inventory of ourselves to see where we have fallen short.

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1. Our searching to see where we have turned away from God in Christ by turning away from each other and thus faded from being.?

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1. Our, repenting, and making amends:

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-??????? We repent and through Christ we are forgiven – unconditionally, I might add.

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-??????? We make amends in our turning back to God by forgiving others as we are forgiven in and through Christ by the Grace of His Holy Spirit and in so doing, we are cleansed.

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1. And this is made possible by the Gift of His Holy Spirit we receive at baptism. With that gift, empowered by that gift, we are able:

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-??????? To face temptation to separate ourselves from each other and thus God until we transcend it and are no longer led astray into darkness by it,

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-??????? to turn back to God in ourselves and each other and follow Christ.?

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-??????? to fulfill our baptismal covenant by unconditionally loving and forgiving each other as we are unconditionally loved and forgiven by Him through Christ’s one full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice for our sins,

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-??????? ?[by] dying to love of self and being born to love of others, a love out of which naturally flows our giving our lives – our living - to each other and thus God in the Unity of His Holy Spirit in which we abide - it is my preparing this sermon, it is your coming to church, to Communion with each other, it is helping those in need, to care, to listen, to just be with, it is to make our lives one of service to others – and thus living sacrifices to God – so that, as is said in the final verse of Pink Floyd’s “On the Turning Away,” there will be:

No more turning away From the weak and the weary No more turning away From the coldness inside Just a world that we all must share It's not enough just to stand and stare Is it only a dream that there will be No more turning away?

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By the way, the answer to the question is “no.” For God will bind up all His church and creation in one by means of our giving ourselves to each other as God unconditionally gives Himself to us unconditionally caring for one another as God unconditionally cares for us in and through Christ in the Unity/Fellowship of His Holy Spirit. And in our so caring for each other we come to know Christ, we come to know Christ in the Spirit, His Holy Spirit, He leaves us as we abide in its Fellowship.? We come to know that through Him abiding in us, we love each other, help each other, and that through each of us carrying out our baptismal covenant, He provides for us, our sure foundation.? We come to know that He abides in us, and we in acting abide in Him.? When we thus live in Communion with one another each with our common ultimate goal being, to love each other as He loves us, we experience His love through each other and are one in Him, one in Christ – one holy, catholic, and apostolic Church of God as we abide in the Unity of His Holy Spirit, the Communion of All Saints.

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During Advent we focus on our being called to prepare ourselves to receive the gift of God in Christ.? We prepare ourselves by being awake to, by seeing, receiving, and being that gift in our lives here and now, in our everydayness; by seeing Christ in ourselves and others – seeing our sainthood – receiving Christ in our lives today by receiving Him in ourselves and through others (seeing the saints in our lives), and being Christ in us in act (being saints ourselves); by not missing Christ in our lives today.? We thus prepare ourselves through our living in harmony by welcoming each other as God in and through Christ welcomes us in the Unity of His Holy Spirit. In so living we abide in the Unity of His Holy Spirit and proclaim with one voice, with all the saints of God past and present the good news of salvation, of life, found in Christ our sure foundation.? And in so Being, we come to know His Peace which passes all understanding. And when He comes again, we shall be found by Him at Peace – without spot or blemish.

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In a song I know of but cannot remember the title it is said by a father to his son who had gone astray and is in need “grab your things I’ve come to take you home.”? And what our Father coming to take us home means to us defines for us the Season of Advent.? Today we are called begin preparing ourselves to receive our Father in and through Christ by seeing the Light of Christ in our lives today, in ourselves and through others in the Fellowship of His Spirit; and put on that armor by being the Light of Christ for others – by receiving Him in our hearts today. For today we are reminded that our Father is calling out to us through Christ in the Fellowship of His Spirit, “grab your things I’ve come to take you home?” How, then, will we answer??

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Let us pray,

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Merciful God, who sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation: Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins by seeing the light of Christ in our lives, walking in it -? in the Unity of His Holy Spirit - and thus with one voice let it shine forth through us for all the world to see., that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

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THE BLESSING

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The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. Amen.

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The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and save you. Amen.

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The Lord God Almighty, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the holy and undivided Trinity, make you strong in faith and love, defend you on every side, and guide you in truth and peace. Amen!

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And the blessing of God Almighty, the Father +++, the Son +++, and the Holy Spirit +++, be upon you and remain with you for ever.? Amen!!!

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BLESSINGS and PEACE to ALL!!!

+MWH

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The Rt. Rev. Dr. Michael W. Holland, Founding Bishop

Saint Clare’s Anglican Chapel

The Anglican Church International

79 Colt Square, Suite 2

Fayetteville, AR 72703

479-409-6915

[email protected]