1st Sunday in Advent Luke 21:25-36 29 November, 2009
Each year as I grow older I have noticed a subtle change taking place within my life. I have noticed that I have an inner curmudgeon that is slowly trying to break out and take over aspects of my life.
What is a curmudgeon you might ask? As far as I can best describe it, a curmudgeon is like that cranky neighbor who tends to complain and gets testy when others are having too much fun. When I think of a curmudgeon I often envision a guy who is probably retired—but not necessarily-- and has too much time on his hand and tends to be rather opinionated and is not afraid to share his wisdom and view on life, even when no one is really all that interested.
Sound familiar? Do you know a curmudgeon or two? Are you married to one? Well, I'm afraid that in time Julia will be married to one—me.
I say this because I have noticed that there are certain events and occasions that trigger this otherwise sleeping inner curmudgeon. And Christmas is one of those times. In the weeks that have been leading up to Thanksgiving and as I listen to all the commercials regarding "Black Friday Sales" and as I can't help but notice all the decorations that have been up since Columbus Day – my inner curmudgeon begins to stir. And I find myself getting testy and even a little belligerent toward the mess we've made of Christmas.
Don't get me wrong. I love Christmas and being a curmudgeon is not the same as being a Scrooge. But my inner curmudgeon tends to get antsy this time of year because it seems like Christmas in the Mega Malls gets earlier every year. I began to notice some Christmas items in the stores this year in September. It is only the third day since Thanksgiving and I have heard strains of the "Little Drummer Boy" and it is already a little irritating because I know that I will hear it about 10,000 times before Christmas Day.
And because of this my inner curmudgeon wants to break out when ever I think of what we have done with Christmas. The lovely old carols played and replayed until their effect is like a dentist's drill or a jack hammer; the chilling commercialism, people spending money they can't afford, for gifts that those receiving them neither need or want; "Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer; all the false glitter; the Hallmark Virgin Mary. By all rights we actually should have destroyed Christmas by now with all the commercialism and schlock. But it keeps on coming back, breaking into our lives, rising from the ashes—and perhaps that is one of the miracles of Christmas. No matter what we have done with it, it keeps on breaking free to give us yet another chance to get it right.
I know that the folks who attend the Daily Discipleship Bible Study are shaking their heads, because they have heard this rant far too often. They too have had occasion to become familiar with my inner curmudgeon, and God bless them, they have been very patient and tolerant of me.
As I said earlier, love Christmas. I also love the season of Advent, a season of the Church year that the rest of society neither understands and chooses to ignore. And as a result, the fullness of Christmas gets lost in all the commercialism and cheesiness. And yet, amazingly and thankfully, for all our distorted efforts we never quite manage to ruin it, because the real Christmas story is not about all the trappings that we have manufactured around the season.
The real Christmas story is basically about people not things, and it is basically a love story - God's love for people, like you and me. When that love gets through to us we experience the miracle of Christmas. But I am ranting; my inner curmudgeon is trying to break in on this morning's sermon. Forgive me.
As you have heard, today is the First Sunday of Advent, a word that means "Coming" and in the Scripture passages today there is an emphasis on the Coming of the Messiah. In the Gospel, Jesus mentions a number of tragic things that have and will happen and goes on to say, "People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."
These passages may be referring to the end of time, the end of the world, and the second coming of Christ which we should always be prepared for, but they are also about the way that God comes to us at any time - in present time. It is often in the midst of our turmoil, doubt, despair and darkness that Christ and the Love of God breaks into our lives. This is truly the coming of Christ.
It is said that when the going gets tough, the tough go to the mall. Some people say that the tough go to the fridge. There is a different message here in Luke's Gospel. When the going gets tough look up and see where God is breaking into your lives. It is not a time to despair at the muck and mire of the world. God has something more for us. It is time to look for God's Coming.
We are experience the Coming of Christ in many ways.
I heard a pastor friend share a story recently that involved a man who had a run-in with another parishioner years before, and hadn't been in church for years because of that. One evening he came to a church social and quite by accident he was thrown into a group with this other man that he had the dispute with. In the course of the evening they reconciled their difference, discovered that they liked each other after all, and he became a regular worshiper at church once again. God had broken into their lives in the reconciling power of Jesus.
From my earlier years in my first parish I recall one man, a war veteran who came to church periodically but never took communion. His wife and daughters were quite active and were communicants. He himself had been baptized and confirmed and I always wondered why he didn't receive communion but I never really had the opportunity to talk to him about it. One Easter he came to church after a long absence, and something caught him during the service. I don't know what it was - he never articulated that. It could have been the hymns, the special music, the sermon, the lessons, the general atmosphere, and the sense of community...I don't know...but he received communion that day. He said to me after the service almost in tears. "That is the first time that I received communion since the war years. Today Jesus was real to me. I've never felt so good."
These experiences can be considered ordinary...but to the people involved they were deep experiences of God breaking into their lives with presence and power. Sometimes we experience the coming of the God just in the way that other people touch our lives. It can be quite simple.
Garrison Keeler tells of seeing a young boy one cold winter day in Minnesota stepping out on the steps of his home doing up zipper of his jacket, just standing there for a moment and taking deep breath of the cold air, being excited by the air. You could see that the cold air just raced through this kid. All his nerve endings just sort of lit up, and his engines were fired up and he was off the porch in two leaps, picked up a handful of snow and through a perfect strike at a stop sign - hit it right in the "O". Then he was off down the street and out of sight. Keeler says that it was impressive to see somebody get out of the starting gate like that. Most of us are getting to be too old to be excited by the air we breathe, and even if we were our engines wouldn't start up like that necessarily. But we can still get excited by people. You are never too old to be pumped up by people, having them around, the sound of talk, and the touch of people, and that is some of the main pleasures of life no matter how old you are and where you live. (1)
Whenever in the days of our lives you experience the victory of good over evil, light over darkness, wholeness over brokenness, freedom over oppression, community over estrangement, love over hate, life over death...Whenever we experience reconciliation, forgiveness, or renewal - whenever love gets through, it is the coming of Christ breaking into our lives, our world.
It is Advent experience. And it is worth noting and it is worth celebrating.
So, as we enter into this season of Advent, yet again, take time this year to worship more, not in the cathedrals of commercialism, but in the presence of our Lord; spend less, consider one less gift, consider avoiding the additional debt none of us can afford; give more, more of yourself, to those who need your attention and affection and love all God's children both near and far, remember that the holy days we are awaiting and preparing are not about things, but people, about relationships.
That's my Advent rant this year: Worship more. Spend Less. Give more. Love all of God's children near and far.
Amen
Pastor Stephen Blenkush
Zion Lutheran
Milaca, MN
www.ZionMilaca.org(Sermon Archive)
