ADVENT 3C - Zephaniah 3:14-20; Psalm 85:7-13; Philippians 4:4-9; Luke 3:7-18 - 17 December 2006 - A sermon preached by The Rev. Peter A. Munson for St. Ambrose Episcopal Church, Boulder, Colorado

 

Responding to Messiah’s Coming

 

INTRODUCTION

 

I’m going to summarize today’s lessons and the lessons for all of Advent in two sentences. Are you ready?

 

First: The Messiah is coming, the Messiah came, the Messiah will come again.

Second: What are you going to do about it?

 

Both sentences are terribly important, and we must start with the first one.

 

TRYING TO MANUFACTURE SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES

 

We get caught up at times in trying to manufacture spiritual experiences. In other words, we say to ourselves - in one way or another - what can I do to make God show up? I think perhaps this tendency of ours is magnified this time of year.

 

Consciously or unconsciously, we act as if we have to do something really significant so that we can experience God.

 

It’s Christmastime, the so-called “season of giving.” Maybe if I’m more generous I’ll experience God in a new way. Maybe then God will show up in ways that I haven’t experienced God before.

 

Or, we think to ourselves, maybe I’ll experience God if I just have more faith - if I pray more and read the Bible more. Heck, maybe if I just start going to church more, my spiritual life will open up for me. Could be. It depends. I have this image of the times when I have sat in church and tried to focus on God with all my might. Or I remember those times, and not just a few times, mind you, when I’ve sat in front of my computer and prayed with a tone that is more demanding than it is open, “Lord, there must be a sermon in the midst of these confusing lessons. Give it to me! Please!” There’s a certain willfulness involved in all of this, and an attitude that says, “God, I expect you to show up right now!” And in my experience, we don’t tend to experience God in those moments.

 

GOD COMES

No, the Good News of Advent and, for that matter, the Good News - period - whether we are in the midst of Advent or some other season, is that God wants to show up, that God does show up, and that God keeps showing up, whether we want Him to or not, and that I don’t have any control over that. I am not that powerful, and neither are you. But fortunately for us, God, at the core of God’s nature, is loving and outgoing. God is the Great Initiator, the Great Lover, the Great Giver. I don’t need to demand that He show up.

 

I don’t need to close my eyes and scrunch up my face and make fists and tremble and say, “Come, Lord Jesus!” He wants to come. He has come. He continues to come. Just take a glance at today’s lessons.

 

The message of Zephaniah is that the Lord is coming and that Israel’s hard days are coming to an end. What kind of things will God do? He’s going to turn away their enemies and give them victory. He will rejoice over them and renew them with his love, deal with their oppressors, save the lame, gather the outcast, gather them up and bring them home, and restore their fortunes.

 

In the Psalm we hear about the Lord bringing salvation and granting prosperity.

 

The Philippians are reminded that there is much to rejoice about. Jesus has come. A new way of life has been given to them. They are promised that the peace of God will be given and will guard their hearts and their minds, in Christ.

 

And in Luke, even though John’s words seem harsh and are harsh, the people realize that he is giving them a chance to repent. There is time yet to make themselves ready for the One who is to come, who will baptize them with the Holy Spirit and with fire. John gives them a warning, some time to reflect and to make themselves ready. Whether they choose to get ready or not is up to them, but he tells them the good news. Messiah is coming. And the crowds came and listened. Regular Jews, religious leaders, tax collectors, Roman soldiers, all sorts of people came and listened.

 

Depending on who you are and where you are and what day it is, one of these statements is true:

 

               Messiah is coming.

               Messiah has just come and been among us and taught us, and brought us healing.

               Messiah will come again, for Messiah keeps coming.

 

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?

 

And so that brings me again to that second sentence, which is a question. What are you going to do about it?

 

What are you going to do about it, knowing that you cannot manufacture spiritual experiences, knowing that you cannot make God show up, any more than you can wave a magic wand and bring peace to the world?

 

Maybe a couple of short stories will help.

 

Every week I sit at my computer, twice a week now, in fact. Once to write a meditation, once to write a sermon. I start with a lesson or two, and perhaps a commentary on the passage. Other than that, there is a blank screen in front of me, and some time dedicated to the discipline of reading and listening and reflecting. I show up, and I trust that God will do the same.

 

Remember: Messiah is coming, Messiah has come, Messiah will come again.

 

I sit there at my computer, and something happens. The Spirit, which is another word for God, another word for Messiah, moves. We can say quite honestly that, depending on my attentiveness and level of openness, some sermons and meditations are better than others. But that is about me, not God. Messiah comes. The Spirit moves. I just need to be open, to be attentive. I just need to receive what the Spirit wants to bring.

 

Second example: Sometimes when Messiah comes, he shines a light on us that we’re not necessarily sure we want shone. You tax collectors, stop skimming off extra for yourselves! You people who think you are so good, and yet you have extra and don’t give to those in need - start being generous! You soldiers who use your weapons to extort money from people, cut it out! Be content with your wages, don’t take advantage of your position, and treat people right.

 

This past week God has been shining that same kind of light on me. Peter, you and Julia have been offering these workshops on relationships, on connection. The Light has said, “What is the state of your relationships? How could your relationship with Julia be better? How come you don’t initiate more with the people you call your friends? Why do you see your sisters so infrequently?”

 

I could run from the Light, in the same way that those tax collectors and soldiers and religious leaders and ordinary folks could have run away from John the Baptist, or from Jesus. I could try and shout the Light down, and say, “But what about this? These relationships over here are pretty good! My relationship with You is pretty good, Lord!”

 

Yes, sometimes when Messiah comes, He reveals something about us that we would rather not see. But you know what the good news is? He comes. And do you know what is even better news? He comes with love and grace to deliver us, to lead us to a better place. And if I can stay open and attentive and receive what the Spirit wants to bring, even if the Light is shining brightly and exposing my shadow and it doesn’t feel very good when I’m in the midst of it... if I can stay open, Messiah is going to bring me to better place.

 

CONCLUSION

 

Messiah shows up, and keeps showing up. What are you going to do about it? You can’t make him show up on your terms. It’s his initiative, not yours and not mine. All you can really do is be open, be attentive. Cooperate and receive.

 

By the way, I'm not really sure there is a season for giving. It strikes me that people are either year-round givers, or they're not. But one thing I can say about this time of year. It’s the season of receiving. Messiah is coming. Jesus is coming to be born anew in you. How will you receive him?

 

 

 

[Some of the content of this sermon comes from reflecting on two meditations, “Yielding to God,” by Philip Britts (December 9), and “The God We Hardly Knew,” by William Willimon (December 14), both found in the book, Watch for the Light: Readings for Advent and Christmas.]