Advent 1 A

Matthew 24: 36-44
I spoke to my mother the other day about Christmas presents. She was telling me about something that she is going to get for my father. I'll have to make sure not to post this sermon to my blog so he doesn't find out because this sure would ruin a big surprise. But would you all like to know what dad is getting? At least one of his presents?

He is getting...A flashlight! Pretty darn exciting gift huh?

Now my knowledge of flashlights is limited at best. But what he is getting is not just any flashlight but a big, high powered, rechargeable flashlight on a stand. A spotlight really.

You see my parents are building a house along a river in what could almost be described as a canyon. It is dark there at night. No lights from the city, no neighbors, no porch lights (at least yet). No street lights. Just the stars and moon and mom and dad. But sometimes, especially on these long winter nights there are things to look at. Animals on the riverbank, a car that needs repair, the pump on the well the dogs running off to bark at something in the woods. And so dad needs a light. Something to overcome the darkness on those occasions.

The light that mom is getting him is something like 10 Million Candlepower. Candlepower is an older way to describe the measurement of light but they still use it for things like flashlights. the equation is very complicated but basically the distance and brightness of this light will be ten million times that of a candle.

Imagine 10 million candles lit and glowing all at one in the same place. It would start with just one light one candle and it would spread first to two, then to Four, then to eight and sixteen and thirty two and sixty four and and one hundred and twenty eight and two hundred and fifty six and then...well you get the point. The river bank is getting pretty bright already.

Advent works like this. We light candles. We start with just one candle and each week we add one, filling the sanctuary with a little bit more light and warmth each time and then by the time we are finished, by late on the night of Christmas eve we will each have our own candles, the sanctuary will be filled with light and warmth and glory and, not just that, the sanctuary down the street at Scared Heart will be filled with candles, and many peoples yards and windows in between with real candles or Christmas lights meant to represent candles. And St. Paul's up on the hill and many yards and windows in between and St. Davids on Brookview and Love Lutheran in East Greenbush. And, well again you get the point, the valley is getting pretty bright already.

We keep adding lights because that is how waiting for Christ works. We keep adding lights. In some ways celebrating advent during the month of December just gives us a chance to think about what we are doing as a church all of the time. We are living in the light of Christ that shone in Bethlehem on Christmas morning and in the light of the empty tomb on Easter. And now in many ways we have the job of acolyte.

We hold the candles and we're promised that all of the little lights will add up and be made complete and glorious through Christ's presence.

I want to go back and reread part of our old testament lesson for today to think about what this might look like. From the book of Isaiah: Many peoples shall come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths. ”For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!

What a wonderful prophecy this is. How unlike the world that we live in today. Weapons of death, swords and spears will be turned into instruments of peace. Not only of peace but of prosperity and sharing. Imagine if suddenly every war effort was turned into an effort to create food and feed the world. And if every institution that teaches trains military everywhere stopped.

Now you have to go out on a limb here because this isn't the kind of stopping that leaves behind fear of vulnerability. It isn't as if the people just decided that they would do away with their standing army. In this vision God does away with war and violence. Completely and forever. Later in Isaiah we hear more about what this would look like. The peace it turns out extends even to the wild animals. Lions will lay down with helpless baby lambs. It will be safe to let your children play right in the midst of deadly snakes. Even nature will be completely at peace.

And there will be no war. Anywhere. Just peace, completely peace. And lifelong soldiers will take their weapons apart and start to feed the hungry and heal the world, this would extend not just to armies but even to cities and towns and families. People will live completely in peace, pain, fear hatred and hunger will be gone. The prophets say "all the tears will be wiped away"

And there is more to the vision, mighty kings with the power to give life to the dead will humble themselves even so much as to be born amid barn animals, dirt and cold and then he will submit to death on a cross.

Advent is about this. About this remarkable peace. This remarkable world where all are safe and all are fed and all are comforted. About these impossible prophecies. And about the impossible that has already come to be. About peace at the last and a growing light in the darkness now.

The first Sunday of advent is the one where we focus what is yet to come. Sometimes it is said to be Prophecy Sunday, sometimes Hope. We spend most of advent time looking forward to the birth of Christ. Retelling the story of the time before his birth up through Christmas. We celebrate and remember the miracles that we have been given but this first Sunday we think more about the miracles that are yet to come.

There are little signs of these miracles all around us, signs of hope, Christ's light in the darkness. And often we get to be the ones who hold the candles. Peace grows in Schodack and in America and around the world and the light gets a little brighter, Wounds are healed and another light shines, angers are forgiven and light shines. Hungers are fed and light shines. We visit those who mourn and light shines. We send food to the local foodbank and light shines. We collect hats and mittens for children who shiver in the cold and light shines. We pray for neighbors who are suffering and light shines. We visit lonely friends and a light shines. We proclaim the gospel in the world and more lights shine. We sing carols at the houses of our homebound brothers and sisters and more lights shine. And, well, you get the point, the world is getting pretty bright already and this is only the very beginning, a very small example of Christ's work in the world, for us and trough us.

With the birth of Christ God's words and promises broke into the world. A candle flame in the dark growing and moving. And it continues to grow and to move. The Prophet says "O house of Jacob come let us walk in the light of the Lord" and I say to you, it is advent and we know that Christ is the light that shines in the darkness, the light that no darkness can overcome, so come, come let us walk in the light of the Lord. Amen.