Monday, December 3, 2018

advent-1-2018-st-johns.md

Homily – The First Sunday of Advent

December 2, 2018
St. John’s, Winnsboro

Opening

I’ve prepared enough Advent sermons to remember a time that one of the main challenges was to get people to think in terms of apocalyptic, end of times, the day of judgment, and so on. When I first began preaching many people, myself included, would primarily associate such thinking with the crackpot who stood on the soapbox stand in the middle of Times Square and called out to everyone and no one in particular, “The end is coming. The end is coming.”

Jesus message: “your redemption is drawing near” when you see these things. Jesus addresses his followers and says look around you. What do you see. Do you see terrible things happening? Terrible things on the horizon? Does it seem like the present course of things can’t be sustained?

Well, he says, you’re right. Redemption is near at hand.

Look around and see the “signs of the times”. That is look at the fig tree … pay attention … pray for strength to withstand what’s coming … wait, prepare, get ready.

These are the watch words of Advent. A time the secular world doesn’t observe – unless you’re in the business of selling purple candles.

Advent is about having the end in sight. Really it’s in sight whether it’s 2018, 30 of the Common Era. 1492 or 10,000 Before the Common Era.

The end for all of us is within our sight. Advent is the invitation to be intentional about seeing it and recognizing God’s hand in all of it.

End times

Today I think most people can readily imagine those apocalyptic times taking place right before us. I think it doesn’t matter what side of the political divide you are on, we look out at the world and see the possibility of judgment day right around the corner.

Environment

We’ve just had a report put out by the federal government that paints a very alarming picture of the very real and practical impact of global warming. It didn’t get very far in the press before it took on a political dressing. Whatever side or perspective you may come down on, it seems to me that there is broad agreement that there are likely some really bad times approaching on the horizon.

It seems to me it’s not difficult to imagine that the next generations are going to be facing times and circumstances that we can easily describe as apocalyptic In every generation, of course, what is expected doesn’t quite turn out to be what actually happens. God doesn’t work that way.

One of the things that I believe with my whole heart is that God does not work in ways or times that we expect or that we anticipate. Nevertheless, we clearly live in challenging times.

Science-fiction becoming a reality

Change has become so rapid in our lifetimes that it has outstripped our ability to adapt. In my adult life heart bypass surgery has moved from fantasy to every day reality. I remember how I marveled at a Calculator that ran on four AA batteries and could do all the work that the adding machine could do at the office. Now most of us carry a computer in our pocket that is more powerful than the computers that took our astronauts to the moon and back.

Artificial intelligence has become very much part of our every day reality. A plane crashed in Indonesia killing everyone on board because the artificial intelligence – the auto pilot – took over the the plane and the pilots could not regain control. That feels like a parable of the time we live in. We live in apocalyptic times. We don’t have to conjure it up in our imagination.

We don’t have to work at making Jesus’s own words from today’s Gospel passage relevant and pertinent to our lives. Pay attention he says. Look at yourselves. Be prepared to change.

Self-examination

What do you see when you look at the lives you’ve made for yourselves. There will be things to be glad about, and there will be things to be sad about. But regret over things left undone, or things committed that can’t be taken back, will get you nowhere. Repent and ask forgiveness; for it is only in God’s graciousness that we can be redeemed.

Compare the values of the kingdom of God with the values of our consumerist society. Be alert at all times Jesus says, praying that you may have the strength to find repentance.

Prepare

We can so easily be satisfied, comfortable, confident of our own righteousness. But we need to wake up to what is right before our eyes. A popular Indian Jesuit, who died some years ago, Anthony de Mello by name, said that if we are honest and open our eyes to what is around us, we will see the stuff of nightmares.

That’s the apocalyptic part that Jesus points to today.

In de Mello’s view, the nightmare that we see is why so many of us prefer to just keep our eyes closed – to be asleep as he characterizes it.

“Wake up" by Anthony de Mello

Spirituality means waking up. Most people, even though they don’t know it, are asleep. They’re born asleep, they live asleep, they marry in their sleep, they breed children in their sleep, they die in their sleep without ever waking up. They never understand the loveliness and the beauty of this thing that we call human existence. You know ~ all mystics ~ Catholic, Christian, non-Christian, no matter what their theology, no matter what their religion ~ are unanimous on one thing: that all is well, all is well. Though everything is a mess, all is well. Strange paradox, to be sure. But, tragically, most people never get to see that all is well because they are asleep. They are having a nightmare.

De Mello illustrates his point by telling a story. I’ve heard the story told with slight differences; so I know it’s a common story. Perhaps you have heard it yourself. In fact the story itself gets acted out from time to time in our household at home. He tells this story at the opening of one of his more popular books, titled, Awareness.

Last year on Spanish television I heard a story about this gentleman who knocks on his son’s door. “Jaime,” he says, “wake up!” Jaime answers, “I don’t want to get up, Papa.”

The father shouts, “Get up, you have to go to school.” Jaime says, “I don’t want to go to school.” “Why not?” asks the father. “Three reasons,” says Jaime. First, because it’s so dull; second, the kids tease me; and third, I hate school. And the father says, “Well, I am going to give you three reasons why you must go to school. First, because it is your duty; second, because you are forty-five years old, and third, because you are the headmaster.” Wake up! Wake up! You’ve grown up. You’re too big to be asleep. Wake up! Stop playing with your toys. 1

The End

If we have the courage to open our eyes, and if we have the heart to be honest, we will acknowledge that things look bad. That’s what Jesus said to his followers so many years ago. It’s what he says today. It looks like a nightmare out there – and in here too (pointing to my heart.)

But we have seen the movie (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel) and we have heard the word: “Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end"? 2 It’s the message that de Mello says comes from all the mystics throughout the world and throughout history.

It is the promise that brings us here today. It is the hope that we can also see being fulfilled in our midst – just beyond the horizon. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end. Julian of Norwich said it this way in the 14th c., “All shall be well and all manner of thing shall be well.”

Advent turns our attention from the distractions around us to watching, waiting, and self-examination. Then, finally, to preparing. To preparing for celebrating, giving thanks for, rejoicing in, the Christ appearing for redemption, fulfillment …

In the end Advent prepares us for Christmas.

Appendix

Lectionary

Next week

  • December 2:Channing Moore Williams, Missionary Bishop in China and Japan, 1910
  • December 4:John of Damascus, Priest, c. 760
  • December 5:Clement of Alexandria, Priest, c. 210
  • December 6:Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, c. 342
  • December 7:Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, 397

  1. Most people tell you they want to get out of kindergarten, but don’t believe them. Don’t believe them! All they want you to do is to mend their broken toys. “Give me back my wife. Give me back my job. Give me back my money. Give me back my reputation, my success.” This is what they want; they want their toys replaced. That’s all. Even the best psychologist will tell you that, that people don’t really want to be cured. What they want is relief; a cure is painful. … Waking up is unpleasant, you know. You are nice and comfortable in bed. It is irritating to be woken up. That’s the reason the wise guru will not attempt to wake people up. I hope I’m going to be wise here and make no attempt whatsoever to wake you up if you are asleep. It is really none of my business, even though I say to you at times, “Wake up!” My business is to do my thing, to dance my dance. If you profit from it fine; if you don’t, too bad! As the Arabs say, "The nature of rain is the same, but it makes thorns grow in the marshes and flowers in the gardens.
    – Anthony de Mello (1931 - 1987) Jesuit Priest reference ↩︎

  2. – Patel, Hotel Manager, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel ↩︎

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