Advent 1: Mysterious Season

THIS WEEK’S GOSPEL: MATTHEW 24:36-44 (MESSAGE)

But the exact day and hour? No one knows that, not even heaven’s angels, not even the Son. Only the Father knows. 

The Arrival of the Son of Man will take place in times like Noah’s. Before the great flood everyone was carrying on as usual, having a good time right up to the day Noah boarded the ark. They knew nothing—until the flood hit and swept everything away.

The Son of Man’s Arrival will be like that: Two men will be working in the field—one will be taken, one left behind; two women will be grinding at the mill—one will be taken, one left behind. So stay awake, alert. You have no idea what day your Master will show up. But you do know this: You know that if the homeowner had known what time of night the burglar would arrive, he would have been there with his dogs to prevent the break-in. Be vigilant just like that. You have no idea when the Son of Man is going to show up.

I’m obsessed with time.  Anyone who knows me will bear witness that time controls everything I do.  Through routine and schedule, I am able to do more than I should but not without lethal amounts of anxiety and stress. 

Let me tell you, I could be very stressed about this lesson assigned for our very first Sunday of a new church year.  Advent always begins with the end so I shouldn’t be so surprised that the text reminds us of the end and Christ’s return.  Because I have heard and preached the end at the beginning so many times, this lesson, unlike time, has lost a bit of its power over me. 

However at the beginning of a new liturgical year, I still find myself asking the deeper questions of faith.  Am I aware of what is occurring around me?  Do I intentionally notice where God is in my life each and every day?  Am I seeking to find God in the big and the small, in the conversations of great importance and the menial tasks?  Am I aware of God in the busyness of the day and the moments of shared silence?  Am I living in such a way that elevates God in us and among us or am I just trying to get through the day, finish my chores and survive?  Am I awake?  Am I alert?  Am I alive? 

Please join us for the first Sunday of Advent, December 1 at 10:00am in Christ Church for our annual service of the Hanging of the Greens as we prepare our sanctuary and our hearts for the coming of our Christ.  Looking forward to seeing you in Church!