Sermon - Advent 1 - November 29, 2009

Year C - The Year of Luke

Today's Gospel makes one thing clear - the end of the world is coming. A judgment day is approaching. From the very beginning, the Christian faith has proclaimed this. Jesus spoke of it. It will be a cataclysm. It will strike fear and awe in the hearts of people. It is true. It is not just a story. The end will come. There 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. People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world.

Advent begins with descriptions of the Apocalypse - the end of the world. It does this to remind us that although our faith looks at the past, it always focuses on the future. Advent begins with a description of the Apocalypse to remind us that the Church is more than just a service organization - the Church is about the future of each person.

Every year, just a surely as putting up the Christmas tree, people and organizations come out of the woodwork to attack Christmas and anything related to its celebration. People, who are never offended by any thing on television, suddenly take offense at the mere hint of Merry Christmas, Silent Night, or anything that would actually reference the reason we have Christmas in the first place. In this season that celebrates Christ's birth, anything that mentions God, Christ, or faith, is attacked as bigoted, offensive, and wrong, and must be silenced.

In light of all this, it is fitting that Advent begins reminding us of the future. It sets forth our priorities. Where does your heart lie: God or idol? In other words, does your heart lie with God the Creator or those earthly things that command and demand our attention?

The atheists have the answer to this question. They want us worshipping the earthly idol of the self. More accurately, they want us worshipping their wisdom and insight. In fact, one prominent atheist does not what them to be called atheists, but “The Bright Ones” or the “Brights.” They are the ones in the know. They understand every thing.

Since atheism has nothing of hope or inspiration to offer, it can only attack, belittle or undermine. In contrast, Christianity offers life, resurrection, forgiveness, and God’s kingdom.

We begin Advent looking at Judgment Day, not to frighten us into the faith, but to remind us that Christianity is about bigger things than what the atheists offer. By beginning with the readings on the end of the world, we are reminded that Christianity is about the worth of every human being. It tells us that every person’s life matters and holds responsibility and accountability. We have meaning because of our God. What we do, and what we are matters.

By contrast, the atheist will tell us that we have no meaning. We are born. We consume. We die. There is little consequence to our lives beyond that. The only meaning is what society chooses to give us. Life begins with nothing, and it leads to nothing.

Advent tells us that life is leading to something. In fact, Christ was born because everything is leading to something. Our future matters. Our future is one of hope. Our future is filled with the promise of God’s kingdom.

Why does the world now attack Christmas? No other time of the year announces so strongly and so pervasively the message of the Christ Child who brings us this kingdom. No other time of year is the message of Christianity so openly present. All of this challenges everything for which the atheist stands. To those who oppose Christianity, every little aspect of the season must be suppressed, belittled, and degraded to intimidate the celebration of the message.

We begin Advent with the end of time to remind us what our time here on earth is now about and for which we are living. In the Gospel of Luke we hear Jesus say, “They will see the ‘Son of Man coming in a cloud’ with power and great glory.” More importantly, “Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day catch you unexpectedly, like a trap.”

Jesus warns us to “be alert at all times.” Throughout our lives, we live between little “g” gods, idols, and God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We hear words about the end of time not to frighten us, but to remind us that we need not fear because Christ came for us. God gave his only son for us.

Be alert to this message because the world will try to take it from us. However, as long as we live in the light of Christ, the world cannot succeed. There will be voices that will try to silence the message of our faith, however, the message of Advent and the joy of Christmas cannot be silenced. Be alert for the world will try to rob you of our hope. However, it will fail for the Son of God is coming, and his kingdom will never end. Amen.