Musical Prelude and Service.

Isaiah 2:1-5 & Matthew 24:36-44
We enter Advent singing songs of Hope and acknowledging our anticipation of the coming Christmas
season. It is generally seen as a time of excitement; finding ways to gather family and community
together to mark the season. It all makes sense. Let’s make the most of the season. Get out the
decorations, start playing the Christmas songs we love so much. Happy Holidays. Spread the love
and the joy. It’s pretty much impossible to argue against that.
And then some kill-joy member of the clergy comes along and says, “ah, ah, ah. It’s not Christmas
yet. It’s advent. We are still waiting for the arrival of the Christ child. We need to wait for a little
while longer in anticipation.”
You see, I often find myself stuck between two instincts. One is to broaden the excitement and
celebration that is so much what Christmas is about for so many of us. But I also recognize the
wisdom of the rhythm of Christian calendar, that prescribes a time of reflection and anticipation
before Christmas. That it is not just performative, but a pause that we may actually need but not
recognize its importance.
A few years ago, I read something that I unfortunately cannot recall the source, but it describes the
story of the birth of Jesus as an Apocalyptic tale, like so much of scripture. It made me pause and
reevaluate that story and how we approach it. It helps to properly understand what we mean by
Apocalypse as a literary genre. Apocalypse translates roughly as unveiling or revelation. Those stories
that are viewed as Apocalyptic are not intended as horror stories. They are stories of promise and
comfort as the readers struggle through times of challenge and heartbreak. Stories that offer hope in
the face of violence and oppression.
They point to the darkness; the exploitation and the fear that are so much a part of people’s life and
while doing so, they offer the assurance that God has not forgotten us. God has not turned their back
on humanity and will in fact enter the world and our lives in a concrete way to make a difference
once again. So that may help to explain what can be seen as puzzling choices for our scripture
readings from this morning. A promise of a new Jerusalem from Isaiah, and Jesus offering caution
about the end times from Matthew.
The second chapter of Isaiah starts with a description of a renewed sense of purpose importance for
the people of Judah and Jerusalem. It can be seen as wishful thinking on the part of the prophet.
In fact, in the preceding chapter, Isaiah offers an incredibly harsh description of Jerusalem, naming
the cruelty, the corruption and amorality of the people and their leaders. That they have completely
forgotten their commitment to a loving relationship with one another and with God, and in doing so
have left themselves vulnerable to being invaded by the Babylonians.
In that context, the notion of Jerusalem as a wonder that will being a destination for those seeking
peace and wisdom seems fanciful at best. But prophetic vison as I have discussed often in the past
month, is describing poetically God’s desire for God’s people and also offering a goal that we, with
God’s help can work towards. A world of peace, and one where weapons of war are no longer
needed. A world where our efforts are focused on feeding ourselves and one another.
In Matthew, Jesus is seen tempering his followers’ expectations. Don’t become so eager for this new
reality. We cannot know the time. We can only live in the here and now. Don’t spend so much time
eagerly awaiting the coming of the Son of Man when there is so much happening right now. Keep
awake. What is happening in the world right now. Make note of the hungry and the sick. Care for
them as you are able. Promises of an eventual liberation from oppression only goes so far when
someone is lacking food and shelter as we speak.
Being told to stay awake to the troubles of this world can seem overwhelming. I get it. I think that is
one of the reasons we can be so eager to bring on the celebration of Christmas before we even get
to the month of December. We can be ground down by the news of how various forces in our world,
such as governments, corporations, and social media can exploit us, take us for granted, and try to
convince us that our anger and frustration are pointless. Resistance is futile.
It is incredibly tempting to shut it all out and focus on celebrating the coming of Jesus and take
comfort in the warm feelings and the excitement of gathering with family and sharing meals and
presents with one another. Why not draw those celebrations out as much as we can?
Except. Wrapping ourselves in the nostalgia of wonderful Christmases past can bring with it the
stress of replicating what we enjoyed so much and a desire to hold on to those traditions. We can
inadvertently set ourselves up for disappointment and anxiety that we failed to make this season
perfect. We lose sight of who we are and where we are right now. We lose our vision of what we
desire for our future.
Now, please don’t take the last few paragraphs as a sign that I am saying stop decorating; stop
decorating and stop planning Christmas get-togethers and feasts. No. I enjoy those events also, and
look forward to them myself. I am incredibly grateful for the work done by so many people to provide
for those times and spaces tat make the season so special. But I also want to urge people to stop
and take in the Season of Advent. To remember why we anticipate the coming of Jesus once again.
To open our eyes to what is happening in our world right now. To be awake. Not just to the pain and
heartbreak; the sense of betrayal so many may be feeling right now, but also to be awake to the
signs of God’s continued presence around us. To acknowledge the promise that God is entering into
our world again and again and again.
There is a danger in taking in all the troubles in our world without being awake to the promise of God
that is also breaking through. We can become focused on how much there is do. We can stress the
need to be doing and lose sight of listening, of seeing and experiencing. We can forget to take time
and just be.
I am struck by the wording of Isaiah 2:1. Isaiah saw the word of the Lord. It’s not a word that he
read or heard. He saw God’s promise. He witnessed it in the world around him.
So take some time to pause in your efforts to make Christmas just right, to take in the Advent
season. To sit in silence and reflection. To open your eyes, your ears and your senses to listen for the
promise and be strengthened by the hope that something new is happening and we are promised a
world of Peace and Joy grounded in God’s love. Thanks be to God.
Amen
Rev. Warner Bloomfield

Music provided with permission through licensing with CCLI License number
2701258 and One License # A-731789