Scripture Text (NRSV)
Matthew 24:36-44
24:36 "But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels
of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
24:37 For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the
Son of Man.
24:38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and
drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered
the ark,
24:39 and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all
away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man.
24:40 Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will
be left.
24:41 Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken
and one will be left.
24:42 Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your
Lord is coming.
24:43 But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in
what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed
awake and would not have let his house be broken into.
24:44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is
coming at an unexpected hour.
Comments:
Hi everyone! Yes, I know, I'm early and skipping to this particular
Sunday's lections because I'm assigned by my priest to do the homily
this first Sunday in Advent. Just want to ask one brief question: why
does the lectionary at the beginning of Advent of Year A jump all the
way to chapter 24 of Matthew instead of the beginning?? Most people in
my church are in the throes of the "Christmas" season not really
"Advent" if you know what I mean...
I'm curious to know what people would say...
-Will in CT
Will in CT -- The lessons for the 1st Sunday of Advent every year are
taken from the apocalyptic speech that precedes the passion in each
Synoptic gospel. This is because Advent is about both the first and
the second coming of Christ. Read the Advent prayers, hymns and
lections carefully and you will note this eschatalogical theme. "Oh
come, Oh come, Emmanuel" is really about the 2nd coming, with the
Church in the place of Israel. There is a gradual change from the
beginning to the end of Advent, as the first coming/Christmas part
comes more to the forefront. Hope this helps. -- Mike in Maryland
Late last week, Brother Eric in KS wrote:
Rather than reply directly to Rick's queries about my use of cue cards
in preaching (which will take me even farther afield from the pericope),
I would like to direct us back to the question of how we present the
atonement to a modern/postmodern generation and how to preach from
Luke's gospel.
The following is from the New Interpreter's Bible (Vol. IX, pg. 457,
R. Alan Culpepper writing):
"Luke does not defend any particular theory of the atonement. The
traditional theories generally fall into one of the following
categories: sacrifice, ransom, or moral influence. Luke never calls
Jesus 'the Lam of God who takes away the sin of the world' (John 1:29
NRSV); cf. John 1:36; Acts 8:32). Neither does the Lukan Jesus say
'the Son of Man came ... to give his life a ransom for many' (Mark
10:45 NRSV). At most, the two on the road to Emmaus report, 'We had
hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel.' (24:21; cf. 1:68; 2:38).
No proof text suffices in these matters, but the absence of even such
references as one finds in the other Gospels underscores the extent to
which Luke relies on the account of Jesus' death to carry the message
of its significance. How one chooses to explain it, after all, is
quite secondary to the confession that Jesus is the Christ, our
Savior."
I think the last sentence is particularly relevant both to the dialog
between me and Rick, and to preaching this text tomorrow.
Blessings, (the oafish) Eric in KS
I wonder if Culpepper sees any significance toward a Lukan reference
to sacrifice and/or atonement in Luke 22:19-20?
(Luke 22:19-20 NIV) "And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and
gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in
remembrance of me." {20} In the same way, after the supper he took the
cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is
poured out for you."
I think the Jewish listeners, whether they be allegorical or literal
in their understanding, would see the significance of these words and
their pointing to the issue of atonement/sacrifice...
Wouldn't you say Brother Eric? Or should this Lukan theory, along with
so much of Paul's writing, also be debunked by today's enlightened men
(and women, and of course today, the transgendered men/women) of
letters?
Rick in Va
I enjoy EVERYONE'S posts...
I love to hear, see, experience the struggle of other clergy and lay
people...without being judged an oaf... or worse...
The struggles of others help me with my struggle... to preach
something that my folks can be challenged and empowered by... as one
of my "flock" said leaving church recently...
"I come away from your sermons with more questions than answers."...
to which I replied... "Good, then I've done my job!"...
as I see it our job is indeed to challenge the scriptures when in
comparisson to the day and time they were written.
To confront the comfortable and comfort the hurting... or however that
goes...
True dialogue is a give and take...
driving home last night in a rain storm from Sioux Falls, SD...
north... I came accross a radio talk show...
A caller... was promoting the new "Talk to the Hand" promotion...
their premise is that the world is too concerned about the 9-11
events, anthrax, Afghanistan and the like... and whenever anyone talks
about those "bad" topics... or that "negative" spirit... we are to say
"Talk to the Hand" in other words, "shut up and don't be so
negative"... the kicker was... the person promoting this "campaign" is
a former "date drug" dealer.. the drug used to "rape" innocent
unsuspecting women...
needless to say, he lost all credibility... his defense... "I don't do
that any more..." although that was after he bragged that he sold so
much that he should be serving a 20 year jail sentance...
Callers reacting to the "gentleman" were treated with an almost
incoherent speaking in tongue babble... ending with "Talk to the
Hand"...
oh me...
I'm reminded of UMC Bishop Woodie White Now, may God torment you ---
May God disturb you --- May God keep before you --- the hungry, the
dying, the oppressed, the rejected. Then, may God give you the
compassion to do the work you ?HAVE? to do --and may you do your best
--- Then -- and only then -- - May God grant you peace --- until we
meet again. -Amen-
pulpitt in ND
RevRoger in OH
Just in case you don't review last week's postings, I'm responding
here as well. Yes, I would like to see what you have on the Hanging of
the Greens. My church e-mail is gspc@microconnect.net
Do you want to see what I used in 1998? Thanks for your help.
LL in L
Eric in KS wrote late last week:
Rick, I answered your question about "Christ's killers" and "God's
will" in the hope that we might have a civilized discussion of that
idea apropos of this pericope and the preaching most of us will have
to do on Sunday morning. Now that I have experienced the barbs of your
commentary (and witnessed them directed at others on the discussion
site and the previous discussions of this text), I no longer feel
called to respond to your posts. I am sure that on quite a few things
we could find agreement, but so long as you cannot engage in
discussion with ad hominem attacts on your "oafish" correspondents or
from mischaracterizations of what we say, we will never find out. I
spent several years sparring verbally (and caustically) with others as
a trial attorney; I left that profession and don't intend to engage in
such repartee here.
Peace and blessings, Eric in KS
Eric,
I have replied to your reply. I'm afraid we remain at loggerheads.
As to this pericope...
I would imagine that the Flood would be viewed as allegory by many. So
the references to Noah present a special problem. And the references
to the end-times... well, that of course might engender references to
the best selling Left Behind series, a series written by a couple of
fundamentalists. What special problems does this week's Lectionary
bring to the modern mind, to the ivory tower professional, the
intellectual in the pews (or more specifically the pulpit)? No sarcasm
here... honest questions...
Sincerely,
Rick in Va
Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is
coming.
24:43 But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what
part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and
would not have let his house be broken into.
24:44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming
at an unexpected hour.
These verse caught my attention. What is "awake"? What is "ready"? As
we ready our houses and our churches for the birth of our savior do we
fail to ready our lives? When do we pass on to our children the
meanings behind our symbols? The Christmas tree on a San Antonio float
brought delighted applause- it was covered with flags and other things
military. I am still processing that. my tree has ornaments from the
past and present, things that hold meaning for our family. It includes
many Christian symbols, the Holy family, stars, camels, wisemen. Our
country is a wonderful place but this tree seemed to say "God Bless
America" and to all others be grateful to us for we alone are blessed
by God. Should we "awake" to the fact that God's blessing is for all
of humankind? Just a rambling.... Nancy-Wi
Pulpit in ND thanks for the Bishop Whites blessing. I may use it in
the " annual Christmas letter." Nancy-Wi
If the season of Advent is one of waiting and watching and being ready
why do so many churches fall into the "bad habit" of early Christmas
decorations just like the malls?
I'd never thought of it till last year when I was at a church where
they waited until Christmas to place their decorations in the
sanctuary. I must admit I liked it more than the early hanging of the
greens. It reminded me to wait and not rush the season. Anyone have
any idea? Phil in Iowa
to Nancy in Wi...a resounding "AMEN!" My university-student daughter
and I both began to lament the myopic view we tend to have in our
wonderful country back in September. We covenanted then and there to
make "God Bless the World" our prayer both privately and publically.
Rev. She
to Nancy in Wi...a resounding "AMEN!" My university-student daughter
and I both began to lament the myopic view we tend to have in our
wonderful country back in September. We covenanted then and there to
make "God Bless the World" our prayer both privately and publically.
Rev. She
It's hard to approach this pericope without seeing the "Left Behind"
entertainment that's been pervading our culture. But, looking at it
again for the first time, I see some unexpected calamities used as
illustrations that urge us to stay alert. A flood. A thief in the
night. And, people disappearing. How do we know that the ones who
disappeared were taken to heaven? Perhaps they were kidnapped
mysteriously, and the person who's left is the lucky one? That would
fit the pattern of calamities. Just an early thought. MTSOfan
Yes, I think that we are too quick to put a template over this
scripture, we assume we "know" what it says. It DOESn't say whether
its better to be taken or left,and one could argue that the taken ones
are "swept away" as the people in the flood who were judged, when only
Noah and his family are "left". Also, I find it intriguing that the
homeowner would have kept the thief OUT if only he had known what time
the thief was coming! Do we try to keep Christ out of Christmas too?
Is Jesus an intruder into our lives who would steal the things dearest
to our hearts? Hmmm... Rev P
About Christmas decorations, Phil in Iowa wrote: "I'd never thought of
it till last year when I was at a church where they waited until
Christmas to place their decorations in the sanctuary. I must admit I
liked it more than the early hanging of the greens. It reminded me to
wait and not rush the season. Anyone have any idea?"
That's what we do at St. Francis. We follow the Sarum tradition and
use royal blue for frontals, vestments, etc. in Advent. After the last
Eucharist on the 4th Sunday of Advent, we do our "Hanging of the
Greens" -- no formal service, just everyone pitching in and helping
decorate for the Christmas season -- we do sing Christmas carols as we
work and sometimes the choir & organist use the time to rehearse their
anthems for the Christmas Eve services.
No rushing the season here.
Blessings, Eric in KS
Rev P asked, "Do we try to keep Christ out of Christmas too? Is Jesus
an intruder into our lives who would steal the things dearest to our
hearts? Hmmm... "
I preached a sermon on that idea, the metaphor of "thief" as
describing God. I'll dig it up for you if you wish -- let me know your
e-mail address.
Blessings, Eric in KS
The leader of my young parents class watch the first of the Left
Behind movies. They were impressed with it, but when I later talked
with them about it, they were not at all aware of other ways of
looking at God's vision of the future. I feel I must deal with that
issue for them this Sunday. But what a great Sunday to do it--a time
of anticipation and hope and JOY--not fear (as the movies promote.)
Sharon in Bethlehem
I am trying to decide how to handle v. 41& 42 of the text given the
popularity of the Left Behind Series. I did some checking and the verb
used in v. 41 and 42 translated as "taken" is usually translated as
received and is not the same verb as used in 1 THess. in talking about
the rapture, so I'm not sure that the verses are referring to the
rapture. But reality is many of hte peopl in our pews will assunme
that it is talking about th e rapture and considering there does not
seem to be any distinction between each of the two persons, it could
leave a rather hopeless feeling that no matter what we do, we've got a
50/50 chance. Because it does not say who was better off the one left
or taken or who was "good" or "bad". IN the context of Matthew 24, it
seems to say more about being prepared - we do not know the hour or
the day of the end time - or the end of our own time (our own death)
and so CHrist urges us to be prepared - to live lives ready to meet
our Saviour whether in our death or at the Parousia. Also in light of
events on 9/11; there were some who were taken (died) and some who
were left behind (alive) in the Twin towers and Pentagon - how will
people view these texts in light of 9/11? just rambling - any thoughts
on this? LCShelly in NC
Blessings, Eric in KS
Phil in Iowa. What a struggle. Folks want to sing Xmas carols, have
red poinsettias, and hang greens. Well, here's my middle and hopefully
teaching ground:
We hang greens... even trees up in the Chancel... but no lights... no
ribbons. The smell is there... the hint is there... the promise is
there... the "tension" is there, which I think typifies Advent. I use
Advent hymns til the middle of Dec.... then slowly, scripturally
appropriately start bringing in the more traditional (folks will
actually look for a church that sings "carols.") Then on the last
Sunday before Christmas, white lights and white poinsettias. For Xmas
Eve... gold ribbons. And then we keep it up through the liturgical
Christmas season.
Hope that helps.
Hey.... doesn't anyone think the Psalm is like totally appro pos for
this time in history???
Pax, Pamela
Phil in Iowa. What a struggle. Folks want to sing Xmas carols, have
red poinsettias, and hang greens. Well, here's my middle and hopefully
teaching ground:
We hang greens... even trees up in the Chancel... but no lights... no
ribbons. The smell is there... the hint is there... the promise is
there... the "tension" is there, which I think typifies Advent. I use
Advent hymns til the middle of Dec.... then slowly, scripturally
appropriately start bringing in the more traditional (folks will
actually look for a church that sings "carols.") Then on the last
Sunday before Christmas, white lights and white poinsettias. For Xmas
Eve... gold ribbons. And then we keep it up through the liturgical
Christmas season.
Hope that helps.
Hey.... doesn't anyone think the Psalm is like totally appro pos for
this time in history???
Pax, Pamela
Speaking of decorating. I keep the nativity scene in action. The
stable is there, but the figures move around the sanctury until
appropriate times. The star will be hung but not lighted. This is my
first year in this church. Poinsettias do not come in until the last
weekend.
Verse 44 says to always be ready, for we do not know the time and
place. That is appropriate for a birth too. Never really know when a
baby will be born or where for sure, and you certainly don't have much
of a clue as to how that will impact your life. My question then " how
can we become ready"? Maybe that is where I will start, the journey is
just begun.... Nancy-WI
Are any of you interested in preaching this lection? A lot here, while
interesting, belongs in a different forum - the discussion site. I
don't preach this week but enjoy the breaking of the Gospel bread that
occurs in this forum.
It would be interesting to read why so many have trouble how to preach
end times no matter the season. Certainly this is stock in trade for
some preachers. I just heard a news story about someone who is tying
in Sept 11 to the end times.
How has the prayer of our forebears in faith, Maranantha! turned from
hope in redemption and salvation into a fear filled event? It seems to
me that we are all too comfortable in our lives to have hope in the
future.
Deke in Texas -- Pace e Bene
Nancy in WI:
You've got my creative juices flowing. I'm thinking of that old song
(pretty sure it was Chicago, but maybe Eagles) "Does anybody really
know what time it is?" I, too, interpret wakefulness to mean
alertness, or preparedness (remember both the WISE and FOOLISH
bridesmaids slept). However many may try to interpret the times
(haven't we all seen church marquees foretelling the last days since
9/11), the idea is about being prepared and not looking around trying
to find evidence of the apocalypse. Our waiting is in our faithfulness
to holy work - one will be in the field, one will be grinding meal ...
Keeping on with life, with the added knowledge that our Savior is
coming.
Revealing my generation, I'm Sally in GA
So it is easier for us to discuss decorations during Advent. Okay,
here goes:
We use Sarum Blue during the Advent Season. We put wreathes on the
doors of the church, but with blue ribbon, changing them on the Fourth
Sunday of Advent after the last service of the day. We use only blue
candles in the Advent Wreath.
We will have Christmas Trees in the church with only little white
lights which will not be lit until Christmas Eve at the First
Celebration.
The Creshe is in place but remains empty until Christmas Eve at
theFirst Celebration.
Now for the Gospel.
We will receive four adults as Catechumens on Sunday. Being ready has
something to do with receiving faith. Not only for neophytes but also
for us seasoned and aging Christians!
tom in ga
Someone mentioned being ready and not knwoing even the time of our own
death. My dad died on Nov. 6 after a brief illness. What had really
struck me is that he was prepared (and I don't just mean in the
eternal sense). I described it to one of my friends, "There was a set
to his face." I could tell that he was fine with the surgery, but he
was also preparing himself to die. He wanted to live, but I personally
believe he chose to die when the time came. It's this kind of
preparation that I would hope to have in facing the future: a set to
my face ("He set his face to go to Jerusalem") and a profound trust,
allowing God to lead whatever that will mean. To be prepared and
willing to face what I've never experienced before. Is that not what
Advent points us toward?
Sally in GA
Just a thought or two from my discussion group this week. We spent
quite a while talking about what does it mean for us that Jesus Christ
Will come again? What does it mean for our congregations? I know that
this is part of our liturgy and part of our understanding of the
fullness of God's plan, but just what are we getting ready for? When a
women is expecting, often times she (or the family) will prepare for
the coming of a child -- not knowing the day or the hour... due dates
only work in a theoretical sense, it seems. Clothes are purchased,
nurserys are prepared, perhaps a former guest room or office is
renovated to provide space, dedicated, specific space... as well as
figuring out maternity leaves, child care, differing work schedules
... to provide time. Seems like this may well be part of readiness.
Not about whether or not our presents are bought & wrapped or all of
our decorations are pulled out and put up... That's all for now. Come
visit me over in the Psalms... I'm trying to preach from there this
week and I need some help! Thanks & Shalom -- RevAmy
There was no bad news as such in the Gospel because what was bad
wasn't news. People knew that they were under sentence of death for
sin and that there was no real way out. The good news is that there is
now a way, which is the truth and the light, that leads to eternal
life. Jesus did tell His hearers that not accepting this new way would
lead to wailing and gnashing of teeth in everlasting fire. I don't
think that motivated many to change their minds. I think that the good
news of the Gospel brought far more to Him then those who were scared
into it.
Last week we celebrated Christ the King and the gospel lection was of
the crucifixion and if you think of the cross as the only earthly
throne of our King, then the only command Jesus made from it was to
forgive. He asked our heavenly Father to forgive us and then ushered
in a thief into His kingdom.
We lock our doors out of prudence and hopefully not fear. We know that
there are those who seek to rob and do other harm and so we take
precautions. If we do this out of fear then eventually we become
paralyzed by that fear and are no longer able to function. I know many
that do not approach God out of fear. They are so afraid of God that
they are unable to speak (pray) for fear that He will notice and
destroy them. This was the problem of the Hebrews, they wanted
spokesmen between them and God. Jesus as the Incarnation became both
our spokesman and as God allowed us to interact with God on a sort of
equal basis.
In today's culture in Europe and North America we seem not to
recognize our wretchedness since we have it so "good". What do you say
would make the message of the Gospel appeal to people who feel that
they make their own happiness? That's all for now. Deke in Tx - Pace e
Bene\
My mother died on November 18 after 7 weeks involving two surgeries. I
was lucky. I could be with her and I got to tell her I loved her. I
did that every day I saw her. God gave me and my family time. That
time is denied to many. We did not know if she would live from day to
day. Do any of us really? We know neither the day nor the time. PH in
OH
Sally-Ga Today I had a couple in who were filling me in on their
health and doctors. the man may have to have an anyerusm (spelling
bad!)repaired. He is in every sense of the word "ready" since the
consequences of his surgery may be very bad, he is prepared to live
until the aneyrism give out. I have seen many in my CPE experience
with the same look. I am glad your Dad was "prepared". When people go
on about the rapture, I tell them that if they are true believers in
it, then they should make every effort to be doing what Christ taught
and not a moaning about an eventuality. Nancy-Wi
It must be that sort of day.... I had a couple in the office this
morning who are preparing for the husband's death. He is 54 (she is 50
... my age). He was diagnosed in June with glioblastoma. Glioblastoma
is a very invasive form of primary-site brain cancer -- I am painfully
familiar with it as my brother died at 49 as a result of the same form
of cancer.
This gentlemen has already beaten the odds. 50% of glioblastoma
patients are dead within six months of the diagnosis. The rest die
within two years. So in a very real way, he does know when the hour is
coming with a good deal more certainty than the rest of us. He could,
one supposes, spend his time feeling sorry for himself and doing
nothing. Instead, he and his wife are making all the preparations
together. They have done their estate planning; they have made sure
their two adult daughters understand what is happening; they came in
today to talk about pre-planning his funeral and about encouraging
their adult children, who have never been baptized, to join the
church.
It could have been a real "downer" meeting, but it wasn't! These were
very "with it" people and it was a joy to counsel with them. Everyone
should have the healthy attitude toward end-of-life issues that they
have.
Blessings, Eric in KS
When Jesus says "one will be taken and one will be left" I have always
seen this as one being taken with Jesus to his heavenly home, and the
other being "left out" not left behind to try to make it in the next,
more difficult round. (Sounds likea computer game) Somehow, this
rapture notion seems to an elitist thing, providing only fear, and
maybe even giving the feeling that we don't have to try too hard to
win others, because they will have a second chance during the
tribulation, and they deserve the difficult time it will be, because
they did not come to faith now like we did. I don't find any second
chance after the second coming in the Gospels. This is our chance.
Keep awake! The Son of Man is coming. Now is the acceptable time, now
is the day of salvation. JRW in OH
Often times I hear coaches talking about their team not having a
"sense of urgency" in their play. How often do I get the same feeling
that our people do not have a "sense of urgency" in their faith.
Thanks to those who have given the insight to "One will be taken and
one will be left." The blessing does appear to be for those who are
left to continue to be faithful servants to the Lord. Too often we
encounter people who are "so heavenly bound that they are no earthly
good." The first coming of Jesus was all about servanthood and
sacrifice. There is no reason to think it any different today.
KPM in PA
I'm going to call mine, "Coming and Going" and, with a particular
slant just for this church, consider God's timing over our own. It's
pretty simple, but Christ's coming is to get us going for him. Corny,
I know, but it's only Wednesday!
Anyone else? There seem to be a few posts in this general direction.
PH in OH - my heart aches with yours. It's hard to find good news to
preach when your news hasn't been too good lately. May God bring you
comfort.
Sally in GA
The thief sermon, friends, is on the web... Here's the URL:
http://www.stfrancis-ks.org/subpages/csermons/ordtime-pr14c-y2k+1.htm
You may recall that we had the Lukan version of the theif metaphor on
the 10th Sunday after Pentecost, August 12. That's when this sermon
was preached. Some of you may find your own words in my text -- I
found the DSP discussion very helpful in crafting the homily. Reading
over it, however, I note that I am a lousy typist and that there are
some little words missing ... you can probably make sense of it
anyway.
Blessings, Eric in KS
I am feeling pretty stupid! I thought that the start page had a prayer
for humanity printed on it. I can't find it now. Help! Nancy
Eric in KS -- Tell your man with glio not to give up. We have a lady
diagnosed SIX years ago who's alive today and well.
Tim In NY: Jesus is answer two questions in chapters 24 and 25. The
first part of chapter 24 is Jesus responding to "What are the signs"
of the temple falling. Our passage begins his answer to "when this
will occur," and not "how." His intent I believe in that rapture
remark is to primarily say it will happen quickly, and not so much
describe exactly what will take place. The bottom line of all his
answers is "no one knows, so be prepared." Also, note the change from
the beginning of 24 to the end of 25. It begins with stark warnings of
pain and suffering, but by the end of 25 we are being taught about
being compassionate (sheep and goats). These end time warnings are not
intended to make us disengage from the world, but to embrace the
hurting people as the best way to "be prepared." One final note is
that the greek for eating and drinking and marrying and giving in
marriage is a audically boring, particularly in Luke where there's a
nasal sound to the words. I think the intention is to say the normal
day to day stuff is not enough, but can lull us to sleep.
The mystical spirituality in the proactive hard work of "Waiting",
"Watching", in the sense of not having YHWH; as in the experience of
"thick darkness" where if one is to encounter the "God above God, who
appears out of God's disappearance"(Tillich on "Waiting"), then one
must turn loose of the god possessed in past religious experience, or
in theological doctrine, or in a library of books called the Bible, or
in liturgy, etc.; as in the autobiographical journey in quest of God
recorded by the unknown mystic in "The Cloud of Unknowing"; so to me
the Advent experience as disclosed in this scripture is relevant to
the Benedictine Model of prayer as well as two contemporary poems: (1)
in the Benedictine Model of "praying scripture", the scripture is read
four times with the first reading using raw senses, the second using
the mind, the third using the heart, the fourth in the silent
stillness of nothingness one "waits" upon God to speak. (2) in
Archibald MacLeish's "J.B.": J.B.: "It's too dark to see." Sarah:
"Then blow on the coal of the heart, my darling." J.B.: "The coal of
the heart..." Sarah: "It's all the light now."... "Blow on the coal of
the heart. The candles in the churches are out. The lights have gone
out in the sky. Blow on the coal of trhe heart And we'll see by and
by..."... "We'll see where we are. The wit won't burn and the wet soul
smoulders. Blow on the coal of the heart and we'll know.. We'll
know..." (3) From The poetry of T. S. Eliot: "I said to my soul, be
still, and wait without hope For hope would be hope for thewrong
thing; wait without love For love would be love of the wrong thing;
there is yet faith But the faith and the love and the hope are all in
the waiting. Wait without thought, for you are not ready for thought:
So the darkness shall be the light, and the stillness the dancing."
The sacramental spirituality of Advent "waiting" in "thick darkness"
is hard work! [PaideiaSCO reflections in north ga mts]
If anyone is up to doing a good old fashioned three point sermon with
each point beginning with a 'W', here's an outline I'm using to
introduce Advent as whole. Waking focusing on becoming what we are in
our baptism (see the Romans passage); Waiting as citizens of heaven
for our Saviour who is to come from there; Watching with preparedness
and joyful expectation for his sudden return. I composed a sermon
along these lines complete with a finishing song when I couldn't get
to sleep around 4 a.m. It seemed pretty profound at the time. Now if I
can only remember everything.
R.G. in Ontario
Thanks for your helpful comments. I get so much out of this. Here's
the opening of my sermon. Thought it might be useful for others.
Advent means waiting. We wait for the celebration of the first coming
of Christ. We wait for his second coming. We wait for prayers to be
answered. We wait for God to act. Advent is a very human season — it
is all about waiting, sometimes anxiously, but also with hopeful
anticipation.
How do we wait for God? It’s not passive waiting. It’s not waiting for
the bus to come or the rain to stop. It is an active waiting in which
we live in the present moment to the fullest potential.
Someone once confessed that she'd gone to church for 30 years waiting
... waiting for something to happen, and it never had. Everyone always
thought of her as a pillar of faith, quietly going about the work of
the church. The minister, young and newly ordained, was speechless. He
had always assumed that this sweet old lady was secure in her faith,
confident of her salvation when her day came. Now he realized that the
occasional sorrow he saw in her far off glance was not the pain of
long ago hardships —the pain of Lent, the dark days that come before
the expected Resurrection. No, the pain he saw in her eyes was
unfulfilled hope. She was stuck in the dark days of perpetual Advent,
still waiting to be made new. The minister was speechless.
What would he say to her? What could he say? What can you say? Maybe
after you had given it some thought, you would say something like
this:
A miracle had indeed occurred — a thirty year long miracle — and that
miracle was her faithfulness. Waiting without an apparent reward is a
common theme in scripture. Abraham and Sarah waited to have children
for the fulfillment of God’s promise, Joseph waited in prison in
Egypt, and Job lamented how long he had to wait for God’s deliverance.
Such faithfulness is its own reward. Secondly, her waiting hadn't been
fruitless. She had been an example of faithfulness to others; in her
caring and sharing she had helped keep the love of God flowing through
her church. Instead of waiting for a gift, she might consider the
possibility that through these 30 years, she herself has been the
gift, the gift for others. That is the message of Advent. Keep alert,
Jesus says. Wake up from your slumber, Paul warns. Stay faithful. Keep
waiting but try not to imagine beforehand what you are waiting for.
Try instead to expect the unexpected. The trouble with expecting the
unexpected is, you may not even notice its arrival. Most people didn't
expect a baby born in a manger to be the Messiah, even though they
were all expecting him. The woman thought she had been waiting for
naught all these thirty years, and never noticed the miracle of
faithfulness. One of the Advent readings warns us to be alert because
two women will be grinding the hand-mill and one will be taken, and
the other left. (Matthew 24:41) One woman lived in the moment, and the
other did not. One enjoyed the beauty of the day, and the other was
always looking for something better. Advent is about waiting. It is an
active waiting. Waiting patiently means paying attention to what is
happening right before our eyes and seeing there the first rays of
God’s glorious coming.
(Now I just need to flesh it out more -- easier said than done).
Rev Helen in Ontario
Paideia in N. Ga. Mts: Thank you!!! Not just for reminding me of
Tillich but for the ts eliot quote(that actually happened to me during
prayer a couple weeks ago - it was a trust that stepped aside to
reveal a more perfect - and frightful - trust). It's often when God
"goes" that he becomes more perfectly revealed. I see a paradox: is
this God's action or our perceptions of God? I vote that it's a
combination of God's work and our discernment. In other words, is it
God coming to us or are we going to God?
Some quick thoughts at 5:20, before I go pick up my daughters!!!
Shalom.
Sally in GA (and a little homesick for the NGa mts)
Helen in Ontario- Nice start. I found it helpful because I was so torn
this week I am doing three mini sermons one for Isaiah, Romans,
Mathew. Mini bites of the Bible. Happy fleshing out! Nancy-Wi
Any chance that the "thief" in the second mini-parable is not Jesus
coming for us...but rather a thief who would break in and steal our
hope, our faithfulness, who would distract us from our Christian
"duty" of living each day to the fullest as we await the Second Coming
of Christ? For this kind of a thief, we must all be watchful....or
else be like the folks of Noah's time who were all washed away in the
midst of their everyday lives...., those who were not focussed on the
task of living out the Christian duty assigned to us....
I just received a wonderful story about a woman who planted 50,000
daffodil bulbs in a mountainous area, and a young woman had to
literally kidnap her mother away from her life and fear of driving in
the fog to see this spectacular beauty.....
The tulip planter lived on the premises in a little house, and put
this note on the door to answer the most often asked questions...
(1) 50,000 (2) one old woman, with two hands, two feet and very little
brain (3) I started in 1956.
The point being....that when we are given our tasks as Christians and
we faithfully attend to our spiritual assignment, our lives will
result in something beautiful...for the Kingdom...and whenever Jesus
comes, we will be "free" to go with Him....
Jude in Wash
I remember attending a "Left Behind" play... in Minot when we lived
there. I went so I could "comment" from the pulpit about the stupidity
of such a show.... sure enough... they "SCARED THE HELL" INTO the
people who were there! Little kids were crying as we all watched in
disbelief... SATAN had more "power" apparently than did GOD. The
Actors/Actresses ANGELS protected heaven with drawn swords. I about
puked! The images were those of good people... who stayed home instead
of going to church... the child who went to church and her mother who
didn't was "left behind". I'm sorry I guess I believe in a Universal
Type of afterlife... MY God would not take some and leave others...
I went to court today with a colleague... a pastor... while we were
there I saw a middle aged man going to the "judge"... he had been
picked up for the 4th time for driving without a license. The judge
said, we gave you one chance, two chances, three chances, and now a
fourth chance... what you do from here on out is up to you... if you
come back again, you're going to jail. It's up to you!"
I think God gives us chance after chance... remembering how Jesus says
when asked how many times we should forgive our neighbors... his
response... infinity... or 70 times 7!
pulpitt in ND
Pamela, Nancy, Sally, Amy, Eric, LCShelly... and others... you've got
MY juices flowing.... I like the hard questions of your
interpretations... sensible answers to what many in the pew have
learned and like those adults that come to church... stop
questioning... I think youth say it best... we need to be more
responsible in our interpretation of scripture... thanks for the
discussion... and the mental excercise you all do every week...
It's much appreciated! ;?)
pulpitt in ND
Keep up the good work! GREAT WORK! You make my sermons sound good! :?)
Anyone have any good stories about staying awake versus falling
asleep?
I want to talk about how we have been in such a state of high alert
since 9/11. But eventually people will get tired of waiting in extra
lines, having their bags checked everytime they walk into a large
building (I live in NYC). When nothing bad happens we let our guard
down. We lose our sense of urgency. Comfort and safety make us fall
asleep.
What does it take to stay fully alive and alert, even if we are not
living in obvious danger? That is what we are being asked to do
spiritually. But not just alert to danger, and spiritual sleepiness,
but also alert to signs of God's presence among us.
DGinNYC
In the Noah story God makes a covenant with us to never bring such
universal, unexpected devestation. How does this fare with this story?
...Seems to me that in this story Jesus is speaking enormous hope. We
have choice in this story unlike the masses in the Noah story.
Jesus has come and come and come and is still coming and will continue
to come...sometimes we might recognize the presence several times in a
single day. Sometimes we may not notice for decades.
The " enexpected hour " is most often unexpected because of the
presence of Christ in the most unexpected people. For me there is most
often no exchange of " religious " language at these unexpected times
with these unexpected people.
Kairos
Hey, gang! Here's a pretty good sermon about the Left Behind stuff,
the so-called Rapture, Jesus' end-times comments, and so forth:
http://www.presbyterianwarren.com/left-bh.html
It's entitled "Left Behind ... The Books, The Movie, The Truth" (based
on Mark 13:31-33, delivered 2/11/01) by the Rev. Dr. David E.
Leininger, pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Warren, Pennsylvania.
Blessings, Eric in KS
If you go to the www.pcusa.org website and type in "Left Behind" as a
search - there are several articles that are descriptive of the
dispensationalist argument and the differences it has from the
"Reformed" tradition's perspective. The lectionary texts from November
11 also got me thinking about this subject - so I'll add a little
sermon brief from what I preached that day (not to jab on anyone's
beliefs but to explain the traditional Presbyterian approach):
"...Trust me, this view of the end of the world (i.e. the "Left
Behind" series)is tremendously exciting! We who live in this
media-saturated world are enticed by stories of prophecies coming
true. It makes for best-selling fiction, highly dramatic plot lines
for movies, and it grotesquely satisfies our own worst nightmares
about what is yet to come. You can really eat popcorn to this kind of
stuff. It keeps you on the edge of your seat. But there are some
significant problems with this scenario. Besides the fact that John
Calvin, diplomat that he was, called this theological reasoning “too
childish either to need or to be worth a refutation,” (Bohler, article
1) the most devastating problem from the Presbyterian point of view is
that it fails to proclaim a final victory in the cross from the very
first. There seem to be stages of salvation. First, for the saints who
are raptured away, second for the converted Jews and believers in the
in between time, and then final victory only happens after the
Anti-Christ is defeated after a seven-year struggle on earth.
Wait one minute! Our theological undergirding tells us that Christ’s
work on the cross is COMPLETE for salvation. We are on the one-step
program, not the three or four-step program.
Presbyterianism may not be exciting in a big-screen kind of way, but
our focus takes us on a more hopeful journey about the outcome of the
world. For example, a Presbyterian eschatology takes what happens to
be a biblical long-range view of salvation. The more important
question isn’t the selfish, “What happens to ME when I die?”; it’s,
“What has God already done for the whole world?” “For God so loved the
WORLD, that God gave us God’s only child so that we might have life in
him.” (John 3:16) To me, that’s honestly compelling; that has some
real meat on it. God’s not picking and choosing God’s favorites on a
whim or on a particular test of our belief system. God seeks and saves
the whole world through this one amazing act of love and grace. Now
there’s something to be talked about!
Certainly, we do speculate about the time beyond time, the time we
cannot explain or know. In saying we don’t have all the details and we
can’t say for sure – we’re not copping out. We’re saying that there
are some things we frail human beings may not be capable of knowing in
this life. God, the wise One, might have some wisdom that even our
greatest sages might be totally unaware of. Rather than try to force
obscure texts into a prophetic outcome, we believe in living the texts
of scripture that are made quite plain. “Love one another.” “Serve one
another.” “Go, therefore, and make disciples, baptizing and teaching
in the name of Christ.”
Hope this helps someone! I'm continuing to preach about the "Second
Coming" through Advent and I am offering some evening time to talk
about these things. People are certainly hungry to discuss their hopes
and fears in this world, but I believe that the only certainty the
church can offer comes through God's grace alone.
Peace & Watchful Waiting - Pastor Kerra in PA
Perhaps I am repeating an earlier offering on the discussion site, but
I wonder why 9/11 has to be attributed to either God or Satan. I'm not
sure it can be reduced to such a simple dichotomy when human nature
and free will are brought into the equation.
I think we're back to a question of theodicy that we won't likely
resolve today (and if we do, it'll make CNN for sure!). Personally, I
resonate with Kushnier's thinking that the reality of our world is
that evil exists, this cannot be denied. That means that God is either
all-loving or all-powerful, but not both. I have to go with
all-loving........which means that there are times when God is not
all-powerful. Is this somehow enmeshed in the gift of our free will?
Certainly.
This isn't the focus of my sermon this week, but I thought I would
throw in my 2 cents worth. As for the "left behind" aspect, I liked
the earlier comment about one of the women living in the moment, and
one not.
Later, SueCan
My belief in prevenient grace (now THAT's a Methodist term!) tells me
that God is ALWAYS there; we're just not aware of that fact until we
come under conviction of our sin. Our limited understanding of God and
God's actions go away bit by bit because of his presence in our lives
and our further seeking God, going on to perfection. Thus, the
revelation is in God's continuing to call us (Wesley said, "woo")
throughout our lives. The hope, or dare I say expectation of Advent is
that our omnipresent God will be incarnate and living in our lives
anew and remind us of the mystery of faith: Christ has come, Christ is
risen, Christ will come again. Whether or not we agree on how or why
it's going to happen, the Incarnation is not yet perfectly manifest on
earth. At least, I don't see wolves and lambs eating together yet.
God comes to us in the Incarnation and unveils our dark ignorance.
Sally in GA
this summer I went to visit an uncle who has been very sick for the
last three years. they said that he could not have a kidney transplant
because he was not a good canidate and so he has been on diaylisis
(spelled wrong. Anyway I have always been close to all of my uncles.
One day we sat in the kitchen talking, my aunt was at the Drs. and my
husband was outside. My uncle asked me how my son was doing and I told
him how well he was doing. My uncle looked at me and told me how proud
he was of both my son and myself. He then proceded to tell me how
proud he was of his own wife and sons. I asked him if he had told them
and he kind of smiled and said no, he did not want to spoil them.
Three weeks later we buried him. In fact it was 9/12, he died of a
heart problem that he supposedly did not have. He was prepared the
rest of us were not. We never know when it will happen and I think
that Jesus is telling us we need not only to set our houses in order,
but to keep them that way. Don't just clean the house for company for
the holidays, keep them in order for all the time. MR in NY
I find it interesting that many comments here mention the left behind
series and its impact on our homeletics. I read the book and the poor
attempt at a movie and decided to do some independent research. It is
told to the character Buck that the disappearance happens as according
to 1 Thes. 13-18, have you read it? The passage speaks of the coming
of the Lord and the dead shall rise first, the those who are left will
be join him in the clouds. It does not mention tribulation, rapture or
destruction - it should be more seen as God's reclaiming of creation.
Left Behind presents creation as evil, the earth and its inhabitance
aren't "good", so their left behind. Yet creation is good, at least
that is what my scripture says in Genesis and as in the flood story,
God was reclaiming what was good and those left were the chosen. Seems
to me to be left behind might not just be the bad place to be.
For me this passage is speaking of the second advent that we await in
rememberance of the first advent. And the hope we have is that through
the second advent God will be reclaiming all of creation and as the
ancient prophets (Isaiah and Jermiah) spoke of justice and righteous
will reign in God's kingdom and creation.
Just a few thoughts
DM in OK
Presumably you are familiar with these thoroughly Biblical, thoroughly
traditional, and thoroughly ecumenical words:
"He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his
kingdom will have no end." (The Nicene Creed)
As to the timing and the mechanics, I profess ignorance; those, I
believe and preach, are in God's hands.
As Sue has said, quoting the BCP, "Christ has died. Christ is risen.
Christ will come again." In the meantime, let's get on with the
business of feeding the hungry, housing the homeless, visiting the
prisoners, caring for the sick, clothing the naked, teaching all
nations, and baptizing all people in the Name of the Father, and of
the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Blessings, Eric in KS
I am preaching, "Getting Ready for Christmas", using the analogy of
how we get ready for Christmas in material ways and how we should also
get ready for Christmas spiritually. Christmas being the celebration
of the birth of CHRIST and in conjunction with Advent the second
coming of CHRIST as well. I am afraid theologians tend to tell us the
things we must do i.e. be ready for the coming of CHRIST....but fail
to tell us how to be ready. Anyone have 3 basic points to support how?
Initial thoughts: 1)consecrate 2)repent 3)be a light
Pastor in OK
Well it seems that this is a particularly long disucussion this week.
To totally throw a monkey wrench into the discussion..... is anyone
besides me aghast at the McCarthyan "state" of affairs unfolding???
This is truly scary to me. Don't question the president, his policies,
or how he is going about them... In this discussion of end time
scenarios, I see very disturbing signs on the horizon... our
horizon... and the Church is complacent. Chrisitianity equals
patriotism equals Christianity. I'm tired of it and I'm scared of it.
But more than anything I'm scared by our silence and apparant lack of
critical thinking.
Pamela
I am reminded by the old Bill Cosby routine about Noah. Once you get
past the funny part about Noah and the Lord having this improbable
conversation - "Who is this REALLY?" and Noah gets down to building
the Ark - the people around him are offended - he's blocking their
driveway. I wonder how many people are too busy getting ready to go to
work to get ready for the Coming of God. RevRick in So. Ga.
I've seen and read a few people on this site elsewhere allegorizing
the thief, trying to make it either God or Jesus. I think the thief is
just a thief. Jesus' point is that if we knew when a thief was coming,
we'd be ready. But we don't know when the thief is coming (because
they usually don't let us know we're on their schedule), and we don't
know when the 2nd coming is coming, so we should always be ready.
Along that line, if Jesus doesn't know when the 2nd coming is (as he
says in v 36), how can Tim LaHaye? -- Mike in Maryland
RE: Son of Man
I was told (at Drew) that Son of Man was a political term used by the
Jews to mean "Meshuah will come on a white horse and save the people
poltically as well as spiritually".
Jesus rarely uses that term, but those who wrote the gospels did as
they were people of their time.
rokinrev-Albany NY
How does it change our conception of Advent if we think of it as
waiting "on" God instead of waiting "for" God? These are contrasting
images for me. One says we will wait like a waiter/waitress, ready to
serve God by waiting on others(loving them). The other says we will
sit down at the counter and wait for God to come to us. Advent is
proactive waiting, not passive expectation. What do you think?
Robin in OH
Thank you Pastor Kerra in PA for your post of 11/30 about
Presbyterianism and "Left Behind." It was helpful. This text goes well
with the Romans text on waking up and being ready. DGinNYC
Someone wrote: "Advent means waiting." I looked it up in the
dictionary to be sure, but "Advent" means "appearance, or coming."
Sally in GA
Jude in Wash: Go to the Text This Week site and follow the links at
Matthew 24 site to the Five Gospel Parallels. There is a parallel in
the apocryphal Gospel of Thomas which takes this same track that
you're speculating on concerning the "thief." Happy hunting! Ken in WV
When my son, Asa, was about four years old (he's now 18), he was a
very verbal child, but sometimes got just a little confused by the
English language. One day, while watching soap bubbles pop and vanish,
he proclaimed "They dis-ed-appear, Mommy!" You see, he knew that the
past tense usually had an "ed" on it, he just hadn't figured out all
the rules, so he didn't know where to put it. To this day, we use the
word dis-ed-appear instead of disappeared as a gentle jibe at Asa and
a happy memory of our little one who's not so small any more.
There is, however, a life lesson to this story, and it's one that fits
well with part of our gospel reading today. So often in life, we don't
know all the rules, we don't understand the whole plan, and we jump to
the wrong conclusions. Hearing Jesus talk about those who dis-ed-appear
while going about their daily work can lead us to lengthy discussions
about "the rapture," or it can lead us into greater attempts at living
into the kingdom. Since we don't know all of what the plan is, it's
probably best to focus on what we do know. There will come a time when
we will be judged according to our actions. Jesus taught us well about
how we were to live. Seems like we ought to be trying to live up to
that. If we do, we just might be among those who dis-ed-appear instead
of those left behind.
Confession: I've contributed without reading anything you've all been
writing. Now I'll see what the discussion's been about.
Pam in San Bernardino
re: Son of Man, Drew....& Rockinrev
I respect the scholarship at Drew and appreciate your reminder in
regard to spiritual and political implications of the title.
There's that old saying that we can miss the forest by looking at the
trees. This text can be very simple when we look at the " forest " of
the text...which can speak very clearly to us about being proactively
waiting ( as another contributor pointed-out )...breaking-down
barriers between one another rather than re-cementing the naturally
cracked mortar which is cracking because the walls have been-up long
enough.
If a " 2nd Coming " is by someone who fleshes-out both the political
and the spiritual nature of our Creator, all of us who split doctinal
hairs will be caught off-guard. In our global world, now, I can't
imagine an incarcation in any other form.
This site would be a reasonable place to expect tolerance.
Kairos
It's late -- I know that, but I thought I'd take another look to see
what others have said these past few days.
Eric in KS, I'd love to have the opportunity to share with you about
family members with GBM -- my older brother (age 56) was diagnosed a
year ago this past July with a GBM and given 6 months to three years
to live. He died four and a half months later. Ergo, I too am
painfully familiar with the trauma that affects the family --
If you want to (or would be willing to) dialogue about this, please
contact me at Dale_Durnell@email.msn.com
Grace and peace
Dale in OK
I know that i will not be the only one to see this beautiful typo....
which Eric of Kansas wrote on the atonement. Didn't know that one of
the theological positions was the "running away of God"...actually it
preaches!...thanks Eric
<<"Luke does not defend any particular theory of the atonement. The
traditional theories generally fall into one of the following
categories: sacrifice, ransom, or moral influence. Luke never calls
Jesus 'the Lam of God who takes away the sin of the world' (John 1:29
NRSV); cf. John 1:36; Acts 8:32).>>
don hoff, elmira, ny
Previous:
Keep awake ....
How to live with expectation instead of fear? How to live toward the
future which is now? What is it that I am getting ready for? The myth
of the Son of Man coming is difficult for us to embrace! The only
thing that is sure is taxes. How do we reenter the salvific story and
embrace the coming of the Son of Man into our lives? As you can see
this preacher needs help, he's not desperate, but on the verge of
being in trouble!
Tom in GA
Gee, Tom in GA. I am excitedly living in expectation that that next
soul I help lead to faith in Jesus might be the last one to squeek in
just before the door is slammed shut. If you consider Jesus coming a
myth, I'm afraid you might NOT have any reason to live in expectation.
Sorry. A pastor told me once there are two kinds of preachers. Ones
who have to find something to say and those excited ones who have so
much to say you can't keep them quiet. revup
HW Please contact me. You know how. I need to talk with you
Pasthersyl
In response to smething which Tom from Ga said.... <<What is it that I
am getting ready for? The myth of the Son of Man coming is difficult
for us to embrace! The only thing that is sure is taxes. How do we
reenter the salvific story and embrace the coming of the Son of Man
into our lives? >>
Tom I'm glad you began there... don't know why coming of the Son of
Man is considered a myth...... actually if it is a myth and only a
myth it should very easy to accept....... I believe that the biblical
teaching on the coming of the Son of Man is complex.... I'lltake time
to review that this week... I am of the mind that the teaching that
Christ comes again... and again has a power which must not be
ignored..... Advent, if it does more than behave like a "little
pre-Christmas" have to take the coming of Christ seriously.... It
makes no sense to me without it... maybe you'll want to clarify what
you mean by "myth"... thanks tom...
Don Hoff (now a former dps DS) Elmira, NY As far as taxes being
certain.... that seesm to be a poor folk saying .... but I know of
plenty of rich folk who don't believe that saying.... and have found
many ways to avoid paying taxes...
Tom in GA wrote: "How to live with expectation instead of fear? How to
live toward the future which is now? What is it that I am getting
ready for?"
Let me add something from my files from a few years ago, an answer to
the question, "Who is the Christ you are waiting for?"
"When I think about that question, I realize that my answer is shaped
by my own appreciation for the Christ I have already met. I am
convinced my image of the Christ I am waiting for is influenced by
what I am willing to let God show me now. When Christ comes in glory,
I imagine I will see the many faces of those in whom I have seen the
Christ already. For we, "who with unveiled faces all reflect the
Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with
ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."
(2 Cor. 3:18)
Am I waiting for this glory which is yet to be revealed? Most
certainly yes. But perhaps more importantly, I realize I must allow my
eyes to be opened now. I must allow myself to see the Christ already
revealed through the people who invite me into their lives. It is
through such encounters that I will learn to recognize the Christ when
he comes again in glory. And as I live out my baptismal covenant I
also realize I must allow others to see the Christ revealed through
me."
How to live with expectation instead of fear? It is something we
practice/live each day--expecting to see the Christ in others rather
than expecting fear from our encounter with them. It seems to me this
way of living with present expectation rather than fear is what
prepares us and allows us to live toward the future that is now (that
wonderful paradox of the already and the not yet).
LC in NY
I appreciate very much the various responses. I am very surprised that
"myth" remains a nasty word for some. Myth is simply larger than fact
- it point to archtypical stories which are beyond history yet still
true. If I offended, mea culpa. I am sure all of you are family with
Saint Bernard's Three Comings: His First Coming in the birth of the
Christ Child; His Second Coming in the Sacraments and moments of grace
in the lives of others (when did we see you hungry, naked, sick, in
prison?); and the Third Coming at the end of time. Therefore to Keep
Awake is being aware in whose time we live.
tom in ga
Interesting that readiness, in this passage, consists solely in being
awake, aware - like if your Eudora file is not on, you won't hear the
mail beep - not in anything else you do. What does that mean? kbc in
sc
If you have not already used it, this might be a good time for the
Classic "Martin the Cobbler story." I started thinking about our
vacation last year. We came home and saw that the sound system was on.
My husband was miffed, sure I had left it on for the two weeks we were
away. Then I began to notice things out of place. "Foreign" garbage in
the trash. A pack of cigarettes. Then, like Goldilocks, I saw that
"someone had been sleeping in my bed." I went out to the garage where
my car had been. The garage was empty. Someone had obviously been
living in our house while we were gone -- found the keys to my car and
took it. (later found the car had been wrecked and left in a ditch.)
Boy, if I had known the Unexpected Guest was coming, I would sure
would have stayed home...or at least had someone watching my house. I
don't think the story means that God is a thief, but merely that the
coming of the Kingdom and the presence of Christ is quiet, sometimes
hidden and unannounced. It can be missed. therefore, we are to live
ready, awake, eyes open to the events and signs of his coming. How
exciting...the Lord is not just coming sometime at the "END" of
things, but is coming to us all the time. I think that is tremendously
exciting. Where will we see him? Wait. Watch. Be Ready. RevKK
Has anyone noticed that the Jews waited in expectation for the Messiah
to come in glory?
He came in a barn.
As we prepare for Advent, does our waiting in expectation for Christ's
return in glory parallel that of the Jews?
Are we in danger of missing the second coming? Is it possible that the
Messiah will be born a second time -- on the streets of Calcutta, or
in the hills of Appalachia?
Don, I look forward to your research on the Son of Man. I really
appreciate using all of you -- especially since my time is so limited.
We will be travelling to TN Wednesday night, returning to Illinois on
Friday. Spending Thanksgiving with my 84 year old father and his wife.
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!
RevJan
So, before I read all these wise things you all are writing, I was
wondering how the heck I was going to connect Advent with this
troubling Eschatological passage. During the last several weeks the
lectionary has taken us to the Eschaton and the Second Coming and now
there is more. Is there no rest for the weary? Anyway, I just
wondering if I got this straight: During Advent we are waiting for the
Christ child to come at Christmas but we are also reminded of the ever
present wait of the Second Coming during the End Times and that is how
this passage connects with Advent? Am I right? I guess, according to
Tom, we are also waiting for the next time we take communion and the
next moment of grace? Is this right? Tom will you please post for all
were we can get this St. Barnard ref? Thanks alot.
Kelly in Alberta
