November 27, 2016

FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT

Ready for the Bus?

Is 2:1-5 • Rom 13:11-14 • Mt 24:37-44

What are we going to do with Advent? Rev. Edwin Cooper, in the publication LectionAid, tells about a group tour. On Cooper's trip, some had a problem being punctual. He said that their guide, knowing this,

told the group, "If you are one minute late returning to the bus, you will have to sing to gain entrance to the bus. If you are two minutes late returning to the bus, you will have to dance to gain entrance to the bus. If you are three minutes late returning to the bus, you can sing and dance where the bus was before it drove off and left you!"

Our readings speak of the unexpected arrival of Christ and call us to be prepared. Isaiah said that the Son of Man would come unexpectedly and to be prepared. Using the story of Noah's flood, Jesus said that He will come again at a time we least expect and to be prepared.

Four weeks from now we will celebrate Christmas. Since we know it is coming, there will be no excuse for not being ready. The best plan is to get ready right away and not drag our feet. If you haven't finished shopping, do it ASAP. Know where and when and what your Christmas banquet will be. Mail your cards this week or by next week's end. If we are prepared — and prepared early — then, if the unexpected does happen, we can face it with far less stress.

Advent reminds us, and particularly the Gospel today, that Christ will come again. This is harder to prepare for because we don't know when or how this will happen. It's hard to get excited about preparing for an event sometime in the unknown future. For many people, the thought that Jesus will come again simply isn't real. As in the time of Noah, they just keep doing what they're doing.

{This section, in brackets, was not preached in church ---

Some Evangelical Protestants interpret today's Gospel as being about "The Rapture." This notion, that first appeared in the mid-1800s, is that just before the "Tribulation" (the time of terrible hardships and turmoil that will precede Jesus' coming), Jesus will take up all faithful Christians to heav­en at once, allowing them to avoid suffering. But, all Scripture must be seen in context. This warning by Jesus is in the context of the flood of Noah. Those who are left are the blessed ones. Those who "will be taken" are like the wicked people of Noah's day. They died in the flood.}

Paul tells us to "awake from sleep." In Paul's thinking, this sleep meant living in the Old Testament. We are not living in the Old Testament. "The night is far spent," and salvation is at hand. We must throw off the darkness of that time and put on the "armor of light," the armor being the truth as taught by Jesus. Some of our behavior must go. We must be concerned with things that please our Lord.

Advent can be a wonderful time of getting things ready: shopping, wrapping, baking, decorating, attending parties. What are we going to do with Advent? It can be a practice for preparing for the next Coming of Christ, an occasion that will be filled with even greater joy. We want to be ready for the bus! Let's watch our time, use it well, and show up when we are supposed to. This will make for a great Christ­mas and a great future.