Sermon prepared for Messiah Lutheran Church, Auburn WA

by Gregory S. Kaurin, associate pastor

Morning Promise services, 12/1/02

 

Text: Matthew 13:24-27

Sermon:

Adventures

 

Click to go to: homepage – or – sermon menu – or – sermon archive

 

 

 

Today, we begin the season of Advent, 2002.  It’s a loaded word and a loaded season, kind of like those space “wormholes” in science fiction movies.  Wormholes pull space and time together so that sometimes you can be in two places at once.

Religiously speaking, Advent prepares us for both Christmas, the birth of the Christ Child, and also the end-times, the Second Coming of Christ, the Victorious King.  Seventh-Day Adventists got their start in 1844.  We know them from the first part of their name; they worship on the “seventh day” of the week, on Saturday Sabbath.  But the last part of their denominational name, “Adventist,” describes their focus and expectation for the endtimes.  Advent describes the coming of the Christ Child, the Suffering Servant, and the Victorious King all at once.

 

 

The word “Advent” comes from “ad …venium,” which means, “toward the coming, or the going.”  It is related to the verb, “venio” which means either “to come” or “to go.”  And that comes from the word that describes the movement of the wind:  “ventum” is the word for “wind,” or “an opening” that lets wind in or out.  We have our words, “vent,” and “ventilator.”

Bring all this together: the coming and going of the Spirit, the wind, the birth of the child, the Second Coming of Christ and the Endtime.  You can see that Advent is a loaded word and a loaded season.  Advent is full of Adventures—if you are open for them. 

Advent describes the Christian calling and path because it brings our life together right alongside the Kingdom of Heaven.  Like that science fiction worm-hole, we are always in two places at the same time.  We invite the Christ-child into our hearts, and at very same time, we invite the Victorious King.  And, because we have the promise of Christ in our lives, anywhere we are can be interesting or exciting.  We can risk being different, and standing up for others, just as Christ did for us.

Read together from the scripture passage again:

 

 

 

I think it’s so telling that this word “Advent” brings together both the ideas of “coming” and “going.”  I was at a recent lecture given by Gordon Lathrop who was my liturgy professor when I was in seminary.  It was about our Christian worship, asking the question, “Does our worship, our liturgy, have anything to say about social ministry, about our care for others and the environment?”  His answer was yes.  Our liturgy is a “turning in” as we come together for each other around Christ, but at the very same time it turns us back out to the needs of the world and community around us.  It’s a “turning in” and a “turning out,” a “coming and going” at the same time.

We come together for a small meal with huge spiritual nourishment called Communion.  Each week we gather at God’s table for sustenance, but we are asked to also have our minds turned outward.  Just before we communed, we took an offering.  Offering is not just about paying church bills; it is an ancient part of the worship liturgy in which both coins and food were brought to God’s altar for the needs of people outside the congregation.  It is considered a part of the communion service: we turn in and out at the same time.  Shortly after we commune, we leave the church to return to the world with what we have just received: Jesus Christ, refreshed in our bodies and minds.  We “turn in” and come together in order to prepare us to “turn out” from the group.

Thanksgiving and Christmas are the same way.  These seasons stress the importance of “family,” and thankfulness for all that God has given us.  But our thanksgiving also pushes beyond family, to those beyond our family walls and dinner tables.  We might think of “church,” at these times, but we are also meant to stretch beyond church to those outside, because Christ is out there, too.

Christ is in us, but he always promises to be ahead of us.  When I read scripture, I notice that every time someone draws a line around their group to say, “We’re the in-group; we’re the saved ones,” where do you think Jesus is standing?  Every time someone drew a line between themselves and another group of people, where did Jesus stand?  On the other side of the line.  Our hearts and our Christian lives come in for nourishment, but our Christianity is not complete until we follow Christ outside the lines.

The more we can let go and the more generous we are, the more we will experience Christ in our lives.  The more generous we are, the richer we will feel; we will be experiencing the eternal wealth of God’s Kingdom.

 

 

“Advent” has also been used to speak about birth, or going through an opening—when you can’t see what lies on the other side.  It’s an act of faith to walk through.  For Jeremy Jay, who is about to be baptized, this is his Advent—with decades of life ahead of him, and his walk with Christ.  All our advents would be frightening, except that Christ has promised to go with us.

Every day, every phase of our life is an advent, a birth, when we wake up and open our eyes—not really knowing exactly what’s going to happen to us or around us.  No matter how hard or thoroughly we plan our lives, all plans get changed.  How many of you can look at your life, your work, family, house—how many of us can say that this is how we planned it?  Not a one.

That’s not necessarily good or bad, except how we deal with it and react to it.  We can let it depress or frustrate us, but we are Christians, with Christ in us and around us.  So, we have another choice.  We can accept change and new birth as a part of our life, and deal with the more important things and people as they come and go in our lives.

This doesn’t mean we wander aimlessly through our lives without direction or purpose.  God made us for a reason.  If you read on from our lesson, Jesus told us that no one knows the day or the hour of the endtime, but he followed that by saying, “Be prepared, stay alert.”  Be prepared.

 

 

Advent is a season to check our sense of preparation.  I think preparation, more than anything else, is about trust.  We are prepared when we trust God to keep his promises to be here for us.  We practice preparation when we look for and find God in our world.

I’d like to challenge you to do a few simple things this Advent to build on that trust and your relationship with Christ.  You can call these little “Advent Adventures.”  They are three small ways to let Christ and the Kingdom into your life.  Three Advent Adventures.

 

 

First, “Turn In.”  I challenge you to prayerfully do something each week that “turns in.”  It is a gift for yourself, or for your family.  It should be small and simple.  We give lots of gifts this season.  This will be a gift to yourself or your family, but it’s not about selfishness, because I want you to give it with intentional thanksgiving to God; even if it’s going to the new James Bond movie, or spending time together around a holiday fire, reading a Christmas story.  Once a week: turn in, and ask God to be a part of it.

 

 

Second, “Turn Out.”  This is a critical piece.  After you’ve turned in each week this month, follow it by turning out.  At least as generously as you just treated yourself, or your family, treat someone outside your family.  Maybe you will give gift certificates to the movie theatre, or to a store, or a restaurant.  Give it to someone, or to a family, who won’t expect it.  If you can, give it or mail it secretly.  Give it with a prayer, and you will be giving it to God.

 

 

Last, “Daily Rebirth.”  Frankly, this is the most important challenge that I want to leave you with; if you only do one of these three, practice this one.  It’s simple, and some of you are already doing this.  Every day this December, as you open your eyes—no matter how groggy or perky you are in the morning—first thing, hand your day over to God.  Say a quick simple prayer asking God to be a part of your day, to reveal himself to you, and to help you deal with people and choices the way that he would want you to.  Ask him into your life each morning.  Rebirth.  Everyday.

 

3 small Advent adventures for 2002: turn in, once a week; follow it by turning out, just as generously; and every morning, be reborn by a quick groggy morning prayer.

 

Preparation for Advent and preparation for Christ’s coming, is about trust.  Trust building happens through relationship, through daily conversation, and activities done with and for God.  The more you do these things, the more you will realize that God will always be faithful and generous.

Christ is King, but nobody ever met a king like this.  He is a Servant-king who walks right beside us, constantly lifting us up and pointing to God.  In all our turnings in and turnings out, and every new day and new birth, we will learn that we have nothing to fear.

 

 

This is the Christian Adventure.

 

Click to go to: homepage – or – sermon menu – or – sermon archive