Advent week 1

Psalm: Psalm 25:1-10
Old Testament: Jeremiah 33:14-16
Gospel: 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13
Epistle: Luke 21:25-36

Welcome to Advent! I think it is safe to say that this is most people’s favorite time of the year, although for many it comes with acute feelings of loss as loved ones have passed away or are unable to be home for Christmas.  Advent is a time, however, where God invited to live in the hurt and pain, yet remember that we serve a God who came to live with us here.  This is the miracle and mystery of our faith that the Creator and eternal Word came and dwelt among us…But we’re not there yet.  Advent is a time of four weeks where we wait for more than the birth of Jesus.  Why do we celebrate and wait?  For one reason, it is a time to celebrate the birth-- first coming--of Jesus here on earth 2000 years ago.  Another reason is to prepare ourselves so we are ready for his return-- Jesus’ second coming.  Advent reminds us that we are waiting for Jesus’ return and while we should celebrate, we must still be prepared for that return.

The most appropriate place to start this week is in Jeremiah.  If there was ever a group of people that was waiting and hoping, it was the Jews in exile.  Many groups of people and nations have been conquered or even destroyed.  Judah, however, wasn’t just conquered and exiled to Babylon; they had heard from the Lord that they would return back to Jerusalem.  Other peoples conquered by Babylon just assimilated and did quite well; it is the way of history.  But the Jews didn’t have this option.  They were to wait in hope that they the Lord would restore them.  Interestingly, verse 16 says Jerusalem will be called “the Lord is our righteousness/justice.”  This was previously said to be the name of the coming Messiah in Jer. 23:6.  But what is ironic is that this was the name of the last king of Judah when it was conquered by Babylon.  The Lord caused their exile and the Lord would restore them, yet they had to wait. 

Jeremiah 33 also points to the coming of the Messiah who will be the “righteous Branch of David.”  This brings us to the New Testament 500 years later.  That alone should tell us that God works on his own time and not ours.  Jesus comes and spends roughly 33 years on earth.  We find ourselves almost 2,000 years later, 4 times as long as the Jews for the Messiah, again waiting for the Messiah’s coming. 

The message of both our readings in Luke 21 and 1 Thes 3 is that Jesus will come again and we must be ready.  No one knows the day or the hour, but we must be vigilant.  How are we supposed to be vigilant?  Jesus tells us to avoid drunkenness and worry. Paul prays that the Thessalonians would abound in love for each other and be blameless in holiness.  Put this together and we have both things we are to avoid and other things that we are to keep busy with.  Quite simple, really: avoid sin and love God and our neighbors.  This is easier said than done, yet the Holy Spirit is with us as we wait and stay prepared.

Advent is a time of tension.  It is so easy for us to rush towards Christmas.  I’ve tried so hard this week to avoid talking about the Incarnation and the actual “Christmas” event.  That will come, but for now I want to live in the tension of Jesus both having come, yet we wait for him to come again.  Advent is the time in the year when we remember that we are in waiting for Jesus’ return.  This week maybe we could practice waiting.  I’m not sure how this will look for you, but remember that as we wait, we don’t just sit there passively and twiddle our thumbs, but we are to serve God and be about his business.

I will close with a prayer:[1]

God of justice and peace,
from the heavens you rain down mercy and kindness,
that all on earth may stand in awe and wonder
before your marvelous deeds.
Raise our heads in expectation,
that we may yearn for the coming day of the Lord
and stand without blame before your Son, Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.

Grace and Peace

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[1] My normal website crivoice seems to be broken so I got the Scripture reading and this prayer from this website.  It also has the Scripture readings, prayers and art work for each week. http://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/

The picture is the icon Christ Pantocrator or God Almighty as Pantocrator was used in the Greek for the Hebrew El Shaddai.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Spas_vsederzhitel_sinay.jpg