Advent 1

Sunday, December 2, 2012
First Sunday of Advent

Midweek Musings

INTRODUCTION
Advent is about the "coming days." God's people have always lived in great expectation, but that expectation finds specific, repeated enunciation in the texts appointed for these four weeks. The ancients anticipated a "righteous Branch to spring up for David." The Thessalonians awaited "the coming of our Lord Jesus with all the saints." Our Lord's contemporaries hoped for the time "to stand before the Son of Man." With them we eagerly await the coming days: another Christmas celebration, a second coming, and the advent of our Lord in word and supper.
Prayer of the Day (ELW)
Stir up your power, Lord Christ, and come. By your merciful protection alert us to the threatening dangers of our sins, and redeem us for your life of justice, for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
First Reading

Jeremiah 33:14–16

In the Old Testament, "righteousness" often has to do with being faithful in relationship. God acts righteously both in punishing Israel for its sin and in having mercy. In today's reading, Jerusalem's future name—"The Lord is our righteousness"—proclaims that the Lord is even now working salvation for Israel.

¹⁴The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. ¹⁵In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. ¹⁶In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this is the name by which it will be called: "The LORD is our righteousness."

Psalm (ELW)

Psalm 25:1–10

To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul. (Ps. 25:1)

¹To ^| you, O LORD,

     I lift ^| up my soul.

²My God, I put my trust in you; let me not be ^| put to shame,

     nor let my enemies triumph ^| over me.

³Let none who look to you be ^| put to shame;

     rather let those be put to shame ^| who are treacherous.

⁴Show me your ^| ways, O LORD,

     and teach ^| me your paths.   R

⁵Lead me in your ^| truth and teach me,

     for you are the God of my salvation;

     in you have I trusted all ^| the day long.

⁶Remember, O LORD, your compas- ^| sion and love,

     for they are from ^| everlasting.   R

⁷Remember not the sins of my youth and ^| my transgressions;

     remember me according to your steadfast love

     and for the sake of your good- ^| ness, O LORD.

⁸You are gracious and up- ^| right, O LORD;

     therefore you teach sinners ^| in your way.

⁹You lead the low- ^| ly in justice

     and teach the low- ^| ly your way.

¹⁰All your paths, O LORD, are steadfast ^| love and faithfulness

     to those who keep your covenant and your ^| testimonies.   R

 

Second Reading

1 Thessalonians 3:9–13

Upon Timothy's report from the congregation at Thessalonica, Paul is exuberant with gratitude for them. In this passage from his letter, Paul voices overflowing thanks, joy, and blessings for the people of this growing church.

⁹How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy that we feel before our God because of you? ¹⁰Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you face to face and restore whatever is lacking in your faith.
¹¹Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you. ¹²And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you. ¹³And may he so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

Gospel

Luke 21:25–36

God will fulfill God's purposes and, already, hidden signs of that fulfillment abound. On that great day there will be dismay, perplexity, confusion, and terror, but God's people shall be given strength to stand boldly and receive God's promised redemption.

²⁵There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. ²⁶People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. ²⁷Then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in a cloud' with power and great glory. ²⁸Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."
²⁹Then he told them a parable: "Look at the fig tree and all the trees; ³⁰as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. ³¹So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. ³²Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place. ³³Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
³⁴Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day does not catch you unexpectedly, ³⁵like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. ³⁶Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man."

Reflection
[Joshua Brown] I’ve had a busy week, so instead of my thoughts as we begin a new church year I want to share the following column by the Reverend John Buchanan, editor of The Christian Century. His words spoke to me and I hope they provide you some meaningful insight as this season of waiting begins. – JHB

Awaiting God’s reign

Nov 28, 2012 by John M. Buchanan

The large Christmas tree in Macy’s department store in downtown Chicago (formerly Marshall Field’s) was lighted in a festive public ceremony on November 2, two days after Halloween and almost eight weeks before Christmas. The event made me think of an observation about Americans that Henri Nouwen made after he’d lived and taught in the United States for decades. We are not very good at waiting, Nouwen noted. In fact, most people consider waiting to be a huge waste of time. The culture says don’t just sit there—do something!

Patience is not one of our stronger characteristics. A flight delay at the airport, an unanticipated traffic jam on the freeway or a doctor’s appointment that leaves us too long in the waiting room can become an emotional and physical crisis, bringing with it stress, a racing heart and elevated blood pressure.

Our culture celebrates action, results and instant gratification. Relentless and highly sophisticated advertising convinces us that we deserve to have whatever we want now. As a result, Nouwen observed, waiting is an awful desert between where we are and where we want to be.

Yet waiting is a major biblical theme. “I wait for the Lord all day long,” the psalmist wrote. Then there’s the promise of Isaiah 40: “Those who wait for the Lord will renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”

The interesting thing about biblical waiting is that it almost always happens in situations that are bleak. People wait while they are in captivity, prisoners in a foreign land. Defeated, expelled from their homes and their beloved city, their beautiful temple in ruins, they are described by the prophet as “sitting in deep darkness.” We sing about those people and about ourselves in gorgeous Advent hymns: “O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel, that mourns in lonely exile.”

Near the end of his life Jesus began to prepare his disciples for something that was still to come. He told his followers to wait hopefully and actively anticipate the future. “Watch. Stand up. Stay awake. Be alert.” Christians trust that something is coming that is not yet fully here: redemption, fulfillment, wholeness, peace and the world as God intends it. The reign of God will be characterized by peace among nations and justice for all people—particularly for oppressed people. In this world, old and young will be secure and safe, little ones will not be shot in random street violence, people will not suffer for lack of access to adequate health care, and weapons will be melted down and recast into farm implements.

That’s why we do some serious waiting during Advent. Yes, Advent waiting is patient and unhurried, to be sure. But it is also living into the promised future. Advent waiting is gently but steadily working for the reign of God here and now. It is waiting for the birth of a child, and working for the future that that child promised and embodied and taught and lived.