This Week's Sermon:

       First Advent, Year C

                 December 3, 2006:

     The preacher had waxed eloquently and long about the meaning of the Advent season.  Not only was it long, it was also very boring, filled with lots of theological words.  After the service the parishioners filed out of the church without much being said to the preacher.  Near the end of the exiting procession was a thoughtful lady who always commented in a positive way on the sermons. 

     “Pastor, today your sermon reminded me of the peace and love of God!” she said.

     The preacher was thrilled to hear such a wonderful evaluation.  “No one has ever said anything like that about my preaching before. Tell me why you came to that conclusion."

     “Well,” the kind lady said, “It reminded me of the Peace of God because it passed all understanding and the Love of God because it seemed to endure forever.”

     Well, I have good news for you today.  Since this service will be followed by the Annual Meeting of the congregation of St. John’s, Bedford, this will be a relatively short sermon.  Notice that I said “relatively.”  I do take seriously the challenge to share something of the Good News with you anytime we meet for worship.  The Word should never be read without the accompanying attempt by some poor preacher, even a boring one, to say something about the way in which it might be applied to everyday life.

     We have entered liturgical year C in our church.  This is the First Sunday of Advent.  Christmas has not yet arrived, even though Jose Feliciano has sung Felis Navidad since Halloween and Cher has chimed in with a rare rendition of O Holy Night.  If we search hard enough we may find some rare gems in the Gospels appointed for this Advent season.

     The first of those, I would suggest, can be found in Luke 21:25-31, appointed for today.  We are invited by the Lord of this life and the life that is to come to “look at the fig tree and all the trees.”  He points toward spring just as we have now entered fall and will soon face winter.  That sleeping state is the one Jesus uses to alert people to the need to wake up.  Being fully awake might help us “know that the kingdom of God is near.”  From the awakening fig tree we learn the crucial lessons for Advent.

     The first is that this is, by design, a time of anticipation.  Something in this season alerts us, awakens us, and calls us to be prepared.  This can be a time of spiritual growth and productivity.  This is the season that speaks to our souls, down deep where we live and move and have our being.  Advent comes at the beginning of a barren time.  Most of the leaves are gone, the flowers have faded, and the grass no longer needs mowing.  If we aren’t diligent in our Advent preparation we may find ourselves a bit depressed.  Darkness comes a little after 5 o'clock, the air has a chill, even during the brief daylight hours, and outside activities are limited.  A year that began with resolve and hope comes to the last month with many dreams dashed, many resolutions unfulfilled, and many people who have just given up.  Businesses have filed for bankruptcy, marriages we assumed to be strong have ended, loved ones have been buried, children have rebelled and gotten that piercing or tattoo and disappointed parents, parents have broken promises to their children, illnesses have taken their toll, and temptations have won out over personal commitment.  It is precisely for these reasons that Advent is so needed in this final month of the year.  Under the spot where the leaves were raked out of the flower bed lays the bud of promised new life.  Down in the root system of the dormant flowering trees is the sap of energy that will bring the new leaves and flowers in a few months. 

     That leads to renewal.  Leaves and petals spent several months being a receptacle for sunlight that is so necessary for life and health.  So Advent is a time to turn our spiritual antennae to the Light in order to grow and flourish in spirit.  Leaves and petals strive to turn toward the sunlight.  Some varieties spent the whole day twisting and turning to point their surface to the sun.  We, created in the image of God, need to do a bit of twisting and turning and changing in order to find the Light in a darkened world.

     The question that comes every Advent asks what needs to be changed in us so that the Light can help us grow.  Advent calls us to be prepared again to look at God’s annual breathtaking performance, a gift that illustrates the existence of an infinite love and a God who will take the ultimate step to open the way back into the eternal presence.

     So, dear friends, as you shop during this Advent season or as you sit on the bench with others like me, turn yourself toward the Light that has come and is coming into the world.  Offer a brief prayer for that young single mother shopping for that child she must bring with her.  Mention that older couple who look for something to take to their son, who has not spoken to them in years (perhaps your prayer will tip the scale this time).  Offer a thanksgiving for places like the City Rescue Mission and Bedford Christian Ministries that will provide meals for those who could not otherwise afford them. 

     No amount of darkness can keep that Light from reaching you.  The Light that has come and is coming into the world is far more powerful than any darkness.  All of that surpasses our understanding and will endure forever. Amen.