Longing and Hope at Advent

Preaching Advent Hope and Eschatological Judgment on the First Sunday of Advent

I had a terrible night of dreaming.

I can usually resolve my dreams to some extent, as I dream them, and then wake up with some sort of peace.

It was time to get up and all I felt was a sense of longing to get it resolved.

As it turned out, that sense of longing was the missing piece to bring what I thought was my well -prepared sermon together this morning.

That sense of longing was unifying them.

The first Sunday of Advent.

There will be signs.

All of our Christian holidays and calendars were created by human beings who were longing for God, for meaning, for community, and for some sort of order in their thinking. They are based upon the Bible and written revelation, but they are not mandated, and they are not essential to the faith.

You can practice them, disagree about how to practice them, experiment with them, or ignore them completely and still be a Christian, but they are useful tools for meditating on meaning , for gathering as community, , for ordering our thoughts and teaching our doctrine, and mostly, for pointing us to God through their symbols and stories.

I choose to use them as propellants.

The traditional theme of the first Sunday of Advent seems to be longing. That may not be a word most theologians use, but today, it seems to be the meaning behind the meaning and the message.

We are longing for the judgment of Christ, wrapped up in the second coming. We are yearning for a resolution. Creation itself, of which we are a part, longs for God in Jesus to wrap things up, settle the questions, and separate the sheep from the goats whether we be sheep or goats or a little of both.

We grow wearing of being stuck in revolving doors or elevators that never go anywhere.

We are tired of walking the same halls and asking the same questions.

We? move toward Christmas with longing..

We know somewhere inside that we cannot make sense of things or resolve things. We cannot make things work. We cannot sort them out. We cannot solve the problems. We cannot save ourselves.

It will take an incarnation of God disclosing himself to get us to the last and final resolution.

Se we begin Advent looking for signs that there is hop of a final judgment that will set all the wrong things right.

There Will Be Signs

Days of Fulfillment

The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this is the name by which it will be called: “The Lord is our righteousness.” - Jeremiah 33:14-16?

The Kingdom Is Near

“There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea.?People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken.?At that time they will see the Son of Man?coming in a cloud?with power and great glory.?When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

In Luke 21:25-36, Jesus describes the times, from the moment he addresses his disciples to the moment he comes again to redeem them from this earth.

Some of the statements he makes require some thought, meditation, and explanation. Others stand alone and any reader can interpret them.

"And there shall be signs ..."

?They start immediately. Signs always tell you something. They point to a greater reality or a direction farther down the road.? Jesus does not leave us without signs.

"Men's hearts failing them for fear..."?

Expect it. Notice it. Don’t let it stop you. Don’t be one whose heart fails from fear. You are aligned with the Fearless One who casts out all fear.

"... the powers of heaven shall be shaken."

Good. They need to be shaken. They respond to the thunder of God’s presence. As vast as the cosmos is, God is greater,

"... look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh."

This is the great message of everyday Advent. Redemption gets closer with every passing moment.

“And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.”?

We shall see and they shall see. All shall see. That brings joy, relief, and vindication to all who have seen only through the eyes of faith and hope.

“This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.”?

This is a bit of a mystery, but it also comes as a simple truth. Wars, rumors of wars, trouble, persecution, signs in heaven and on earth came immediately to Jerusalem and to the church. Even foretaste of the coming of Jesus was made visible in his death, resurrection, and ascension.

"Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away."?

This is what we must remember. Always cherish? and speak of this hope.

"Watch ye therefore, and pray always"

This is what we must do. Never stop watching. Never stop praying.?

Summer is Nigh

“… ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.” -Luke 21:30-31

?Springtime is a precursor of summer. Every flower and bud encourage us to wait a little longer.

Vacation is coming. Soon there will be picnics and trips to the coast, long days by the pool, lazy nights on a hammock, and all the wonderful tastes and smells of summer.

At least that is the summer of our dreams.

We don’t think about mosquitoes and perspiration, stepping on bees and humidity. Did someone forget to tell the boss that summertime is one long vacation? Maybe this is a god time for a reality check.

Maybe it isn’t. Maybe this is a time better spent experiencing the swelling excitement of spring and the anticipation of summer fantasies because they remind us of a far more fulfilling and assured blessed hope.

Jesus used the illustration of budding spring to remind us of our future hope. It is the hope of the redemption of the whole earth, and endless summer with no humidity and no parasites. It is the hope of the end of evil and the reign of righteousness. It is the hope of his coming and his coming Kingdom of peace.

The lion will lie down with the lamb.

Swords will be beaten into plowshares.

We will sing a new song.

No eye has seen what God has prepared. Nor ear has heard it. No tongue has confessed it. The Kingdom of God is nigh at hand, and we have no concept of how wonderful it is going to be.

This is our blessed hope, beloved. Let the excitement build; let the chimes ring; let every voice be lifted in praise of Him.

He comes in glory!

He comes to reign! Hallelujah!

The King is coming!

From Psalm 25

My Response to God, Prompted by the Psalm

I cannot see far into the distance, God. Twists and turns lie before me. I know there is a path. I can see its beginning. I cannot see where it goes beyond tomorrow. Yet … I run, I leap, I fall, I plunge into the mystery. I do not need to know it all. Certainty with redundancy has lost its radiance. It retains no power to attract my heart. Mystery envelops divinity and Divinity envelops mystery. Into that cloud I must go without hesitation In trepidation. I shall be at home there, drawn to Thee, By Thee. I cannot tell you what I shall find. Nor can I describe what I see there. I cannot tell you how or why I know except that In Thy embrace, I am known. And the love that has taken hold of me has held me tightly In the grip of mercy. And being there, and going there, and sensing that destiny, I can somehow remain here, And be here, living on purpose. In community of fellow travelers, I celebrate the joy Of another world … A world that makes sense of this world. I believe it, God. I believe in Thee even when Thou art silent. And I rest in that peace that passes understanding. So, I take the first step in this path That Thou hast set before me. Step One — That is all that Thou hast asked of me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. “The biggest human temptation is to settle for too little.” Thomas Merton We do not have to be understood. We do not have to be popular. We do not have to be validated by everyone. We must be consistent and integrated, which is the heart of integrity. We must be faithful to the calling we have received from on high. And, occasionally, we must be brave. We must also be kind and generous with those who do not see things as we do. BUT … our kindness and generosity may not (and sometimes, must not) take the “edge” off of our words. Most of us need to be taken to the “edge” from time to time to see the larger view.

“Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.”(Psalm 25:4–5 ESV)?

The biggest human temptation is to settle for too little.” Thomas Merton

?1 Thessalonians 3:9-13

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy that we feel before our God because of you??Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you face to face and restore whatever is lacking in your faith.

Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you.?And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you.?And may he so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.