SEASON OF EXPECTANCY Sermon Presented to St. Paul s Church Advent I, Jeremiah 33:14-16; Luke 21:25-36, Year C December 2, 2012 Thack Dyson

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1 SEASON OF EXPECTANCY Sermon Presented to St. Paul s Church Advent I, Jeremiah 33:14-16; Luke 21:25-36, Year C December 2, 2012 Thack Dyson Some years ago, Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks did a series of comedy sketches called the 2000-Year-Old Man which prompted several albums. The premise has Reiner interviewing a 2000-year-old Brooks and inquiring about life way back when. Though the humor is somewhat dated, it was popular when it was originally released. In one of the sketches, Reiner asks the old man, Did you always believe in God? Brooks replies, No. We had a guy in our village named Phil, and for a time we worshiped him. Reiner wonders, You worshiped a guy named Phil? Why? Brooks responded, Because he was big, and mean, and he could break you in two with his bare hands! The interviewer asks, Did you have prayers? Brooks answers, Yes, would like to hear one? Reiner says, Sure. Brooks says, O Phil, please don t be mean, and hurt us, or break us in two with your bare hands. Reiner: So when did you start worshiping God? Brooks answers: Well, one day a large thunderstorm came up, and a lightning bolt hit Phil. We gathered around and saw that he was dead. Then we said to one another, You know, there s something bigger than Phil! 1 1 Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks: 2000 and Thirteen, Produced by Joe Smith, Carl Reiner, and Mel Brooks, Recorded August 25,

2 Despite the lameness of the humor, there is some wisdom in this story, especially now on this first Sunday of Advent. That s because today marks the beginning of that short season in the liturgical calendar where we prepare to celebrate the coming of the Lord. It is a season of waiting and watching for the signs of Christ in the world. In other words, it is time to remember that there is something bigger than Phil, or you and me that something bigger we know as Christ. Yet, other than in the prayers we have said this morning and in the hymns we have sung, how many of you have consciously thought about Jesus this morning? How many of you have seen signs of his presence in your life today? Also, how many of you have the discipline to patiently wait for anything, including the Lord? If you are like most of us, waiting is something we don t do very well. In our multi-tasked, fast paced world, waiting is often viewed as a useless waste of time. Our time is too precious, too important, to be spent doing something we perceive as unproductive. Yet, this season calls us to slow down and do just that. We are invited to put our hectic lives on hold long enough to experience the presence of Christ. This makes sense when you think about it because consciously waiting for something important can be formative life changing. A personal example of what I am talking about was the birth of our daughter Virginia. Rebecca and I attended Lamaze birthing classes at Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola. They were facilitated by her OBGYN s wife who was a licensed mid-wife. Rebecca had concluded she wanted to deliver Virginia naturally so we faithfully attended the instruction and prepared ourselves for her entry into the world. 2

3 At about 2:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 19, 1983, Virginia decided it was time to be born. Rebecca and I were staying with my parents in Pensacola at the time in anticipation of her arrival. We already had Rebecca s hospital bag packed and made good time getting to the hospital. From there we began our fifteen-hour vigil. We waited, and waited, and waited. We had been told that Rebecca s doctor had been notified and was on standby until needed. We found out later that afternoon that her doctor was in the middle of Pensacola Bay shrimping with a friend. This was confirmed by his smell and the white rubber boots he was wearing when he finally arrived at the hospital at 4:30 p.m. He scrubbed up and Rebecca was taken to the delivery room. By now the contractions were more frequent and Rebecca s pain level was increasing by the minute. At some point she concluded she didn t want to deliver Virginia naturally and urgently demanded that an epidural be administered for pain. At about 5:00 p.m. the moment arrived and it was time for Virginia s premier into the world. There was a glitch, however. The doctor had trouble getting Virginia through the birth canal and resorted to forceps. The nurse handed him two left forceps and he ultimately discovered the error after he had tried to pry Virginia out. This left a small scar on her cheek that that is still faintly visible. When she was finally delivered her head was elongated for being in the birth canal too long. In a panic I asked the doctor what was wrong with her head and he quipped, Oh, she s just a cone head. In my best lawyer s voice I barked, Seriously, what s wrong with her? Sensing I wasn t in a jocular mood he quickly explained it was a temporary condition and her head would get into normal shape soon. 3

4 That was just the beginning of our odyssey. Rebecca developed blood clots after the birth and her planned two day stay in the hospital lasted eight days. What was supposed to have been a joyful time was overshadowed by one problem after another. At the time Rebecca and I both felt that was the longest day of our lives. The rather rough delivery and subsequent complications made both of us fearful and frustrated. Yet, by the second day of Virginia s life, our attitudes began to change. We realized that other than a few minor glitches during delivery, Virginia was a healthy and thriving baby. Her elongated head was gradually becoming more normal, the little scar on her face was healing nicely, she had all ten fingers and ten toes, and Rebecca was on the mend. By that second day Rebecca and I were totally absorbed and in love with Virginia and were grateful for our little blessing. In retrospect, the long and convoluted delivery helped us to cherish this remarkable gift of life even more. It put things in perspective and forced us to appreciate the really important things in our lives. If nothing else, this experience taught both of us to always count our blessings and that sometimes you have to wait, and maybe experience adversity before you receive a blessing. I share this period from our lives because in a way, it reminds me of the season of Advent. You see, Advent puts Christmas into perspective. It helps us to truly appreciate the significance of Christ s coming into the world. This is clearly evident in our readings this morning in Jeremiah and the Gospel of Luke. Both readings are apocalyptic in nature in that they foreshadow the coming of the end of the age and the return of the Messiah. The Gospel lesson is especially full of imagery of cosmic changes, the roaring of the sea and waves, culminating with the return of the day of the Lord. At first blush 4

5 these readings don t seem to fit on the first Sunday of Advent. That s because we are gearing up for Christmas and the birth of Jesus. In fact, reading the Gospel lesson from Luke on the first Sunday of Advent is like reading how the novel ends before you begin reading the story. And yet, when you think about it, these readings this morning are timely and make perfect sense. They are timely because, as I have said, they help to put the Christ event into perspective. Christmas has become so commercial, so secular, the birth of Jesus is almost an afterthought and only an incidental part of the season. With most of our energy and time this season being directed toward Christmas shopping, decorating the home, and parties, Jesus somehow gets lost in the shuffle. So we begin this season of Advent, this season of expectation and waiting, with a reminder of why Jesus was sent here in the first place. These passages from Scripture remind us that Jesus came into the world not to give us another reason to have a holiday, but to usher in a new Kingdom, a Kingdom of peace and justice, a Kingdom redeemed by love. The Gospel lesson especially challenges us, during this Advent season, to live as people who actually expect God to be near, and that God is doing something new in our lives. In this Advent season of preparation, the time of Christ s coming into our world, we are to live as if we expect just that Christ s coming. We are to see this period as a time of reconnecting with Christ, particularly if we haven t given him much thought lately. To reconnect with Christ means waiting on, and watching for the presence of the Lord in our lives. This requires that we be present to Christ so we will know of His coming. To accomplish this, try to be alone with God everyday. The voice of God is very gentle. We cannot hear it if we allow other voices to compete. When you have this 5

6 prayer time, don t do it with your laptop in front of you and your cell phone glued to your ear. Remember, the object of this prayer time is communion. Prayer is a two-way street. When we pray, we have to allow God a chance to communicate with us. And, in case you were wondering, this is risky business. All prayer is. By inviting God to speak to us, we risk being changed; that is, we risk having our attitudes altered, our perspectives broadened, and our plans modified. This isn t just an Advent thing either. That s because we should spend our lives being constantly vigilant for the in breaking of Christ into our hearts. Just know that every time our hearts are completely open to Him He enters, bringing the fresh gift of His very life. It is then, after He has entered our hearts, that we are reminded of our need for Him. I once read that Advent is like a pregnancy. This observer wrote that Waiting is an impractical time in our thoughts, good for nothing, but mysteriously necessary to all that is coming. As in a pregnancy, nothing of value can come into being without a quiet period of incubation not a healthy baby, not a loving relationship, not a reconciliation, not a work of art, and never a transformation. A shorter period of incubation brings forth that which is not whole or strong or even alive. I like that analogy. It has certainly applied in my life and I think it can apply in yours as well. A properly observed Advent should be a period of growth a quiet period of incubation. Evidence of how much you ve grown during the season will be determined by who you are at the time we celebrate Christ s birth. 6

7 And how might you know you ve grown? You will know you ve grown if the person you see in the mirror on Christmas Day is a kinder, more compassionate person than the one you saw this in the mirror this morning. It s like an I received some years ago from a friend from Pensacola that was entitled, The Advent Virus. It was about signs of growth during the Advent season. I liked it and remembered sharing it with the Episcopal Church Women during one of their meetings shortly after receiving it and later published it in the Tentmaker. It read, WARNING: ADVENT VIRUS. Be on the alert for symptoms of inner Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love. The hearts of a great many have already been exposed to this virus and it is possible that people everywhere could come down with it in epidemic proportions. This could pose a serious threat to what has, up to now, been a fairly stable condition of conflict in the world. Some signs and symptoms of The Advent Virus include the following: A tendency to think and act spontaneously rather than on fears based on past experiences. An unmistakable ability to enjoy each moment. A loss of interest in judging other people. A loss of interest in interpreting the actions of others. A loss of interest in conflict. A loss of the ability to worry. Frequent, overwhelming episodes of appreciation. Contented feelings of connectedness with others and nature. Frequent attacks of smiling. 7

8 An increasing tendency to let things happen rather than make them happen. An increased susceptibility to the love extended by others as well as the uncontrollable urge to extend it. 2 You know, I hope all of us contract the Advent Virus. It will put Christmas into perspective and make it that much more special. Therefore, we should wait and look this Advent season for signs of Christ s presence in our lives. Begin each day with an attitude of thanksgiving for the presence of Christ. See this as God s great Christmas gift to the world. If we do this, then we will begin to understand what it is to long for God and to eagerly await His coming. In other words, we will fully appreciate the true meaning of the season. AMEN 2 Author Unknown. 8