Advent 1, 2024

 If this reading seems familiar, it is because we had the Gospel of John's version of it 2 weeks ago, "There will be wars and rumors of wars, famines and earthquakes.  When this happens do not fear, this is but the beginning of the birth pangs."  We just wrapped up the church year, with the finale of Christ the King last week.  Now we begin, much the same way as we ended, with turmoil and scary things.  The turmoil is not something we should fear, both Gospels tell us.  The turmoil is because some things are coming to an end.  It isn't that God wants wars and turmoil, but that God's reign is coming into the world and the powers of this world are not willing to let go without a fight.  The powers of this world are resisting God's reign and so they war and fight.  We are not to fear, because we are to see in the coming reign, hope.  We are invited to be part of the reign of God, rather than resist it or fight it.  We are invited to look forward to all that the reign of God promises--the wolf lying down with the lamb, the prisoners set free, the blind seeing, the rich going away hungry, and the lowly being lifted up.

This is the end of one year and the beginning of another in the church year.  Advent begins us in hopeful anticipation of waiting.  We look to the past, how God has come among us in the past--in the form of prophets and a way in the wilderness, in the form of clouds and fire, in the form of people in need, in the form of a little baby born in a cave with no place to lay his head--a baby that grew up to challenge the powers of this world, a baby that grew up to invite us to live a new way in relationship to each other, to have mercy on each other, not to give deference to people with money and power, not to put our trust in possessions or positions, but to die to our sin and separation from each other day and rise to abundant life, shared life, vulnerable life.  So as we look back in Advent, we see that we can trust God because God has always showed up through the years to bring the people new life.  We know God will show up again.

Advent begins in the hopeful anticipation of waiting, and yet, God is already here.  God is here in community, each person here and out there, in friends and enemies, in the poor and hungry, in the refugee, in the homebound.  God is here in Holy Communion, in the waters of baptism, in the stories--the Word present with us in the scriptures and songs. In Advent we're invited to see God already here, which we could easily miss if we aren't paying attention.

Advent begins in the hopeful anticipation of waiting for the return of Christ.  Christ's reign is not fully realized, so we are waiting with hope for the return of Christ and the institution of his reign, that every knee should bow out of respect, that nations will be at peace, that grief and pain and crying will be no more, that the tree of life will provide healing, that heaven will come to earth.

So we say this phrase to express the three realities we live in, "Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again."  Christ has died--the past showing up of God in our midst to sacrifice everything for abundant life.  Christ is risen--the present reality of Christ alive and lifted up in our midst even now.  Christ will come again--the future reality when Christ will bring his reign to earth and all will be at peace.  

The question is whether as one thing is coming to a close, the powers of this world that we are invested in and help us feel secure, are we fearful or are we hopeful.  Lots of people will be afraid, according to the Gospel.  Those are people who have a lot to lose.  They might try to stir up fear in us, too.  But we are invited to be hopeful of the future.  The scripture says, lift up your heads.  Stand tall.  When we are afraid, we get protective.  Duck and cover, right?  We are invited to do the opposite. Lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.  Look up in hopeful anticipation, to see over all the heads of those who are cowering or fighting to keep their power, and see what is right on the horizon, God's saving power.  As you are standing tall, you will be in a better position to see what's going on, to see people in need who need our help, to be seen by others who also are standing tall in hopeful anticipation, and to face the powers of this world that are trying to hold on to power, that are resisting God's reign.

Stand tall and look around.  What are the hopeful signs--we see a cease-fire in Lebanon.  We see our friends from Santa Cruz inviting us to one of their biggest celebrations of Guadalupe.  We see people coming together to eat and sharing their food and love at Thanksgiving.  We see neighbors looking for and finding a missing boy who speaks no English.  We see strangers helping each other when someone's car breaks down, or someone needs gifts for their kids for the holidays, or someone needs a blanket in this cold weather.  

Stand tall and look around.  Who needs help?  Someone is having cancer treatments.  Someone is lonely.  Someone needs a phone call or a letter to raise their spirits.  The Social Justice Committee is starting back up, and will be meeting Monday to raise their heads and see who needs help and how we can work together in hopeful anticipation of God's reign.

Stand tall and look around.  See what is really going on, in what ways are we resisting God's reign and how can we let go of that false hope, and grasp on to the future God is handing us of love, and hope, and peace.

Happy New year, saints.  Some things are coming to an end. Complacency and blindness, a false sense of security, the lies and powers of this world, are all coming to and end, but not without a struggle.  We stand here on the brink and we look up.  We see each other, here to help and encourage.  We see the fig tree, and all the earth bearing witness that life is circular with beginnings and endings and fear and hope and death and new life, the power of the resurrection, the promise of God, Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.