| The First Sunday of Advent Readings: Isaiah 64:1-9; Psalm 80:1-7, 16-18; 1 Corinthians 1”3-9; Mark 13:24-37 There is always a sense of uneasiness as we enter the season of Advent with its dire warnings of the second coming. Mark warns us of the suffering that will take place. “The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light. The stars will be falling from heaven. The powers in the heavens will be shaken.” He speaks words of judgement. He reminds us to keep alert for we cannot know the time when it will happen. Only God, he reminds us, knows the day or the hour. Not that it has stopped people from making predictions! Throughout the ages there have been dire warnings about the end of time. There is a whole series called “Left Behind” right now devoted to the topic. And what is more, it is being shown, not in theatres, but in Christian churches. In an attempt, it seems to my cynical view at any rate, it presents itself as prophetic word about the rapture and about the future of the world. It seems best designed to frighten people into making a commitment to the faith. One Evangelical bishop for example writes, “The movie is a compelling account of scriptural truth regarding the future of mankind. It confronts human self-importance with the reality of our infinite posturing compared to the eternal plan of God. It addresses issues, which are common to every person alive today. Anyone who views this film should be ready to ask the questions, “What if?’” I do concur with him about one thing. That is, we do need to be prepared. However, my experience of God leads me to believe that it is more about taking responsibility for our actions and for the state of the world than it is about predicting the time and place of its demise. It is about having hope for our world and for all that God has created. It is about allowing that hope to permeate all of our lives so that we bring about transformation, not through fear, but through spreading the love of God, through seeing Christ in others, through gently leading people to the faith and allowing it to transform their lives. It is about awakening to the wonder of all that God has created and realizing what it means that God has put us in charge of creation. We assume greater control daily over our own existence and that of nature. We need to realize that with such control comes greater responsibility. It is not about asking “what if”; It is about living “as if”. It is about living as if God is in charge. It is about living as if we can make a positive change in this world. I watched a documentary on the CBC on Thursday night. It was about a man who had such a deep case of amnesia that he could retain information for only a few seconds. One might think it would be a story full of tragedy, and yet it was one of great hope. The hope lay in the faith of his wife, who even though there is no meaningful dialogue between them, persists in visiting him and reminding him of the wonderful and talented person that she knows him to be. She sees him as if he is the same person she has known and loved. She accepts him as he is. It reminded me of the movie, “Awakenings”. It is the true story of a doctor in a Brooklyn hospital, working with patients struck down by sleeping sickness. Years after their sickness, they are living in a comatose state, which seems to be neither life nor death. The doctor notices certain characteristics about the patients. Certain situations cause their senses to awaken, at least partially. One suddenly reaches out her hand to catch a ball. It addresses issues, which are common to every person alive today. Anyone who views this film should be ready to ask the questions, “What if?’” I do concur with him about one thing. That is, we do need to be prepared. However, my experience of God leads me to believe that it is more about taking responsibility for our actions and for the state of the world than it is about predicting the time and place of its demise. It is about having hope for our world and for all that God has created. It is about allowing that hope to permeate all of our lives so that we bring about transformation, not through fear, but through spreading the love of God, through seeing Christ in others, through gently leading people to the faith and allowing it to transform their lives. It is about awakening to the wonder of all that God has created and realizing what it means that God has put us in charge of creation. We assume greater control daily over our own existence and that of nature. We need to realize that with such control comes greater responsibility. It is not about asking “what if”; It is about living “as if”. It is about living as if God is in charge. It is about living as if we can make a positive change in this world. I watched a documentary on the CBC on Thursday night. It was about a man who had such a deep case of amnesia that he could retain information for only a few seconds. One might think it would be a story full of tragedy, and yet it was one of great hope. The hope lay in the faith of his wife, who even though there is no meaningful dialogue between them, persists in visiting him and reminding him of the wonderful and talented person that she knows him to be. She sees him as if he is the same person she has known and loved. She accepts him as he is. It reminded me of the movie, “Awakenings”. It is the true story of a doctor in a Brooklyn hospital, working with patients struck down by sleeping sickness. Years after their sickness, they are living in a comatose state, which seems to be neither life nor death. The doctor notices certain characteristics about the patients. Certain situations cause their senses to awaken, at leastmso-spacerun: yes"> Another responds to the pattern on the tile floor. When the pattern ends she stops walking. Another is able to feed himself when music is played. The doctor finally receives permission to administer the drug, L-Dopa to his patients. The result is amazing. Suddenly they are awakened. They are alive once more. Unfortunately being a true story, the ending does not, like a fairy tale, come out with everyone living happily ever after. The drug stops working. The condition of the patients reverts to their previous state. However, there is a continuing miracle. The staff continue to see the patients as they were in their awakened state. They begin to treat them “as if”. As if they are still awake. As if they can hear and respond. As if they are living people with personalities, with intelligence, with life. It is that kind of ‘living as if’ that needs to awaken us to the hope to which God is calling us. That is especially true when you consider the state of the world in which we live. Today we begin a new church year. The secular year is coming to an end. The readings convey to us the suffering and anguish of people in distress. The passage from Isaiah is part of communal lament. The people of Israel are pleading with God to intervene in human history on their behalf. They are suffering from a deep sense of despair and alienation from God. They plead with God. “If only you would help us!” They feel as if they have lost touch with God. They are in despair. Yet they remember that God is the potter and they are they are the clay. Standing amid the rubble of a not yet rebuilt temple, they ask God, not to reshape their present reality, but to shape them to meet its challenges. That is truly living as if. It is the wonderful and abiding grace of God that reminds Paul to seek that in the people of Corinth. They face extreme life conditions: poverty, slavery and brutality. Paulonds to the pattern on the tile floor. When the pattern ends she stops walking. Another is able to feed himself when music is played. The doctor finally receives permission to administer the drug, L-Dopa to his patients. The result is amazing. Suddenly they are awakened. They are alive once more. Unfortunately being a true story, the ending does not, like a fairy tale, come out with everyone living happily ever after. The drug stops working. The condition of the patients reverts to their previous state. However, there is a continuing miracle. The staff continue to see the patients as they were in their awakened state. They begin to treat them “as if”. As if they are still awake. As if they can hear and respond. As if they are living people with personalities, with intelligence, with life. It is that kind of ‘living as if’ that needs to awaken us to the hope to which God is calling us. That is especially true when you consider the state of the world in which we live. Today we begin a new church year. The secular year is coming to an end. The readings convey to us the suffering and anguish of people in distress. The passage from Isaiah is part of communal lament. The people of Israel are pleading with God to intervene in human history on their behalf. They are suffering from a deep sense of despair and alienation from God. They plead with God. “If only you would help us!” They feel as if they have lost touch with God. They are in despair. Yet they remember that God is the potter and they are they are the clay. Standing amid the rubble of a not yet rebuilt temple, they ask God, not to reshape their present reality, but to shape them to meet its challenges. That is truly living as if. It is the wonderful and abiding grace of God that reminds Paul to seek that in the people of Corinth. They sees in them the capability of grace. He sees them, not as they are, but as Christ sees them. The Gospel is written to a church expectant, watching with hope for Jesus’ return. They are not passively watching filled with fear. They are alive in Christ, excited and energized by their new faith despite the persecution and suffering that it brings to them. They understand history as a process in which God is both the beginning and the end. They know that being ready means living fully and creatively in the present, offering oneself to God fully. They live as if all of creation would turn to God, as if the suffering and persecution they are enduring has meaning. It would be very easy in our modern world to allow despair to take over. There is so much that can keep us from living “as if”. Our year began with a devastating Tsunami that caused death and destruction in Southeast Asia. Last summer we watched the apocalyptic force of hurricane after hurricane unleash its fury on our neighbours to the south. We live in a world where there is poverty and homelessness and where millions suffer and die because of AIDS. In our own cities we experience violence as young people kill one another. How do we live with a sense of expectancy and excitement? How do we learn to live “as if”? As if the church can make a difference to society. As if the church is relevant. As if the world will come to a state of grace. As if we can be agents of change and transformation. As Christians we are called to be on the move. We must be ready to explore new paths and pursue new directions. We must be willing to grow in faith and find better means of proclaiming the gospel and of serving humanity. Projects, methods, institutions, might have to give way to a changing situation. It means not holding on to the past. It means not giving in to despair. It means asking ourselves how we can best manifest God’s love and service in a changing world. It means waking up to everything that is going on in our world. It means being alive and transformed ourselves.<-spacerun: yes"> He sees them, not as they are, but as Christ sees them. The Gospel is written to a church expectant, watching with hope for Jesus’ return. They are not passively watching filled with fear. They are alive in Christ, excited and energized by their new faith despite the persecution and suffering that it brings to them. They understand history as a process in which God is both the beginning and the end. They know that being ready means living fully and creatively in the present, offering oneself to God fully. They live as if all of creation would turn to God, as if the suffering and persecution they are enduring has meaning. It would be very easy in our modern world to allow despair to take over. There is so much that can keep us from living “as if”. Our year began with a devastating Tsunami that caused death and destruction in Southeast Asia. Last summer we watched the apocalyptic force of hurricane after hurricane unleash its fury on our neighbours to the south. We live in a world where there is poverty and homelessness and where millions suffer and die because of AIDS. In our own cities we experience violence as young people kill one another. How do we live with a sense of expectancy and excitement? How do we learn to live “as if”? As if the church can make a difference to society. As if the church is relevant. As if the world will come to a state of grace. As if we can be agents of change and transformation. As Christians we are called to be on the move. We must be ready to explore new paths and pursue new directions. We must be willing to grow in faith and find better means of proclaiming the gospel and of serving humanity. Projects, methods, institutions, might have to give way to a changing situation. It means not holding on to the past. It means not giving in to despair. It means asking ourselves how we can best manifest God’s love and service in a changing world. It means waking up to everything that is going on in ourspan style="mso-spacerun: yes"> Like the people of Israel we allow God to do the moulding of our lives. Like Paul we watch for the grace in one another, that amazing grace of God that permeates our lives if we let it. Like the early Christian community we keep watchful about what is going on in our world. We do not withdraw from the events of the world. We are the voice of the voiceless. We are bread for the hungry. We are Christ to a world that so needs him to come. |