Candle: HOPE
First Sunday of
Advent
Rev. Thomas B.
Cundiff
Luke 21: 25-36
Luke 21: 25-36
The Coming of the Son of Man
‘There will
be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among
nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will faint from fear
and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens
will be shaken. Then
they will see “the Son of Man coming in a cloud” with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to
take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing
near.’
The Lesson of the Fig Tree
Then he told
them a parable: ‘Look at the fig tree and all the trees; as soon as they sprout leaves
you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. So also, when you see these
things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God
Exhortation to Watch
‘Be on guard
so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and
the worries of this life, and that day does not catch you unexpectedly, like a trap. For it will come
upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. Be alert at
all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things
that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.
I.
Clouds
and storms and pending challenges – these are palpable struggles that surround many
in our midst as we prepare for Christmas.
What
are some of these clouds of threatening storms and struggles? We have an extraordinary number of members of
this church with “health issues”: tests,
surgeries, and various procedures planned for these coming weeks. Several members are struggling with
“relationship issues” with major decisions pending as we come to the end of the
year. Advent, this season of preparation
for Christmas, is a time for many when a massive cloud of depression can overtake
the most positive, optimistic and resilient among us!
My
invitation today: let’s put our issues
and questions -- our storms and struggles -- in the hands of God. Let’s give God this hour! Let’s use worship to release our struggles. Let’s replace our struggles with the bread of
life and cup of salvation – reminding us again that Jesus is with us and all
around us to support us through anything that may befall us.
My
invitation today: as we sing beautiful &
hope-filled hymns that capture the reality found in this season of anticipation,
to remember “Jesus Comes with
Clouds Descending”
[1]
into our lives and hearts!
My invitation today:
in the context of the hope we bring into our worship in lighting the
first candle:
JESUS WHO LIVED AND LIVES AND PROMISES TO COME
AGAIN CAN AND WILL TAKE CHARGE OF
THE FUTURE IF WE HAVE STEADFAST FAITH THAT HE CAN HELP US GET THROUGH
ANYTHING. THE LORD WHO COMES TO US UPON
“THE CLOUDS DESCENDING” IS THE ONE IN WHOM WE LIVE, AND MOVE , AND HAVE OUR BEING. HOPE CAN TRULY BE FOUND ON THE HORIZON -- TO BE EMBRACED AS WE
WORSIP AND COMMUNIE WITH JESUS
OUR LORD.
II. Turning a page in
this message:
Scripture
is principally about the reign of God. All
we have to do is look at the world around us to discover this “Reign” is not
without struggle, issues, depression -- storms.
Just like the changing seasons in the world around us, life is not
without some changing weather and with changing weather comes storms. Thus, we look to God to help manage our way
through the issues and struggles and weather changes and storms that befall
us.
Scripture
from Luke takes place long after the birth of Jesus – toward the end of his
life. This is done in our ascribed texts
for today so that we can understand what happens throughout his entire life –
not just when he is born.
Luke
talks about Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem Jerusalem
The
journey for Jesus from birth until his death was not a life without issues and storms
and struggles.
The
challenge we face in this season of Advent is to prepare for this one fact:
Jesus lived and died and rose from death so we could
know we never have to face the storms in life alone.
Something
I come back to almost every year is this three-fold
way Jesus comes into our lives -- past, present
and the future.
Because Christmas
has little meaning
without
Easter!
Perhaps
that’s why the lectionary texts ascribed for today take us to the end of Jesus’
life. Jesus who lived is not just a man who
lived and died. We also believe he lives
with us now, the living Christ, as we await again his birthday and renewed
presence in our lives.
JESUS IS NOT JUST THE
“HISTORICAL JESUS” WE WORSHIP BUT ALSO THE JESUS WE BELIEVE LIVES WITH US TODAY! We
say this often: We are the living body
of Christ! Jesus is with us and in us
and all around us. We have faith. We have hope. We know that whatever storms befall us, God is
going to be with us! I probably say this
every week we are together: God is with
us!
The
question: if God is with us and Jesus is
all around us: WWJD? What Would Jesus Do? For me a better question to ask: What would Jesus have me do? The problem with this pop-culture WWJD? We don’t always see clearly what Jesus would
have done or what he would have us do!
The key issue: Are we at least
going to try to figure out what Jesus would do or have me do in any given
situation?
LOOKING AHEAD WE BELIEVE JESUS
WILL COME AGAIN! This is difficult scripture and I will focus on this “coming again” theme next week. Scripture tells us—admonishes us to not be
weighed down in despair. As one of my
favorite preachers, William Willimon, says:
“The one who
comes on the clouds, that strange, powerful, cosmic Son of Man has a face which
is none other than the face we meet in the babe at Bethlehem
This
is the Good News of the Gospel. Jesus
Lived! Jesus Lives! And Jesus will continue to live again –
eternally – because the future is always God’s! Jesus will come again!
IV. Christmas – Year
After Year
One
last question: What is the value in
walking through Advent and celebrating Christmas year after year? The answer for me is simple: Each year we are at a different place in
our lives to hear and experience where God wants to be in our lives. A personal example:
Just 33 years ago
Nancy and I went through Advent with a new born baby, Emily, born in November
of 1980. Just a few years ago we were
awaiting again, the marriage of our daughter Emily to a wonderful young man,
Ken. This year we are awaiting with them
the birth of their first child, our first grandchild. Every year is different. Every year brings new challenges. Every year, for all of us, we await something
fresh and new. Every year, and this is the GOOD NEWS OF THE GOSPEL, we walk
through these seasons of change with the living Christ by our side—knowing God
is always be with us.
So
this first Sunday of Advent, as seasons in life once again change, we know that
God will always be with us.
May
this season of advent be a time of reflection as we consider where we have been
in the past; where we are now with God by our side; and what we can plan and
hope for in the future –always with God by our side.
With
God by our side, we can get through anything!
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