Christ the King-Epiphany, Wilbraham

The Rev. Martha S. Sipe

December 1, 2024 / First Sunday in Advent

Luke 21:25-36

Sigh.  Such a difficult passage of scripture.  And more than a little scary.  And for sure, it doesn’t feel like getting ready for Christmas.  It sounds like getting ready for the end of the world!  Jesus’ admonition to “be on guard” and “be alert” sounds like a warning, an invitation to look at current events – the changes we see happening now and still to come to the world and to life as we’ve known it – and see those changes as confirmation that the end is near.  But let’s not go there – not just because it’s not a very Christmas-y message, but also and more importantly because that interpretation – of doom and gloom soon to come – ignores the fact that, in another place in the gospels, Jesus makes it clear that not even he knows when these things will take place.  And if not even Jesus knew, why would we think that we could figure it out?

So I’m wondering:  what if we read this passage not as a prediction of a future event, but rather as a description of how the world is and always has been?  Let’s be honest – there’s never been a time in human history when there hasn’t been distress among some nations somewhere on earth.  There are always storms that cause the sea to roar, and there are always people fainting from fear and foreboding somewhere.  This is the chaos that is life.  If we read Jesus’ words as a description of how things are, then his promise that the kingdom of God is near sounds like good news.  Because Jesus promised that, every day and in every way, even in the midst of chaos, he is always with us.  In fact, it is in the midst of this chaos that we are most often aware that the Lord is near – if we are alert, if we are on guard, if we pay attention not just to the mess and the struggle, but also to the signs of God among us in the mess and the struggle.

I suspect that you have been aware of these signs of God’s presence.   Perhaps you’ve been ill, and people have prayed for you.  Those people praying are signs that God is near.  Or maybe you’ve been overwhelmed by the stresses and burdens of life, and someone has sent you a note to lift your spirits or run an errand for you to free up some of your time.  These are signs God is near.  Or perhaps you’ve been absorbed with your own problems only to encounter someone who needs you, and you’ve laid aside your own issues to lend a helping hand or listening ear – and then find that you end up feeling better about your own stuff.  That’s a sign that God is near to you, and it’s also you being a sign for someone else.  When we’re in the midst of the chaos of life, God is always nearby.  Knowing this, Jesus’ command to be alert doesn’t sound so threatening.  It may not be as cheerful a command as “Deck the halls” and “Haul out the holly.”  But Jesus’ command is so much more powerful and filled with hope:  “Stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.

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See, that’s why I love Advent.  It’s so blessedly counter-cultural.  In fact, Advent’s command to stand still, look up, and sharpen our alertness to God’s presence among us is a much-needed corrective to the secular season in which there is just so much running around to do:  attending Christmas gatherings, making travel plans, planning and cooking meals, purchasing gifts, pursuing sales, choosing which charities to support, sending cards, baking cookies, decorating homes . . ..  They’re all great things about this season, but honestly, there is so much to do in just three and a half weeks that just being still for a moment to notice God at work in our lives can feel like a luxury that we can’t afford.  But the truth is:  we can’t afford not to take that time.  It is easy to be so caught up in the preparations, in the future, in the getting ready, that we miss the present.  But when we are always looking ahead, when we stop living our lives moment by moment, we substitute doing for being.  And in our constant, unreflective doing, we run the risk of missing God at work moment by moment.

The antidote is a concept that psychologists often refer to as mindfulness.  This means being fully present in every situation, noticing life as it is.  Mindfulness means being aware of what you are experiencing in any given moment.  So, for example, if you are mindfully making dinner, you are acutely aware of the smells and colors and textures of the ingredients as they go together.  Or if you are mindfully shopping for a loved one, you are thinking about them, what is special about them, what brings them joy.  Or if you are mindfully planning your end-of-year charitable gifts, you are paying attention to where the needs of the world are most urgent.  Then, as Christians, this moment-by-moment awareness of the details of your life can also turn your attention towards God’s presence.  Your cooking might become a prayer of thanksgiving for the gifts God gives us, your gift-giving might raise awareness of how the Spirit sparks joy in you, and your charitable gifts might help you to see Jesus in the vulnerable.  When we look at every experience of our lives as a potential encounter with God, we will find that the kingdom of God is near us all the time.

Just think of how much more joyous this whole season will be if we are able to see God’s presence, not just in the birth of Jesus on Christmas Eve, but also in this season of preparation.  Then every present will be a gift of self, even as Jesus gave himself for us.  Every decoration you hang will be a celebration of the joy we feel at God’s coming among us.  Every cookie you bake will be filled not just with the sweetness of sugar and chocolate chips but also with the sweetness of God’s love for us.  If we mindfully approach Advent, then the whole season will be holy.  So in the midst of the chaos that is this world and the impossible demands of time and resources in this season, stand up and raise you heads, because your redemption is drawing near.  Raise your heads, look up, look around you, be alert – and see God coming to us, not just as a child in Bethlehem so many years ago, not just as the Son of Man coming in the clouds, but also coming to us now.  Amen.  Come, Lord Jesus.