Return to the Homepage Home
 Worship Schedules, Education, Fellowship, Outreach Worship & Service
 Sermon Archive Sermons
 A copy of the Sunday Prayers of Intercession Prayers
 Pastor Lynne's monthly newsletter Pastor's Page
 Articles and tidbits from the monthly newsletter Newsletter
 This month's events as well as the monthly calendar Current Events
 Read the Sunday School News Letter! Sunday School News
 Events for grades 7 to 12 Youth
 Other websites of interest Links
  
 Login to Administer this site Admin Login

St. Luke's Zion Lutheran Church
2903 McPhillips Street
Winnipeg, Manitoba
CANADA R2P 0H3
http://www.stlukeszion.ca

Phone: (204) 339-0412
Fax: (204) 339-0412
E-mail: stlukeszionchurch@gmail.com
site design by clayton rumley

 

First Sunday of Advent
Sunday, December 2nd, 2012

click here for past entries

Loving God, you call us into relationship with you through Jesus Christ and ask us to be alert to your presence and power.  Grant us the vision to be able to see you at work among us and in our world and fill us with the gifts of faith, hope and love through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

    So... are you making any plans for Christmas this year?  Do you think we’ll still be here?  There are all kinds of predictions floating around as to what’s going to happen on December 21st this year.  Apparently the Mayans might have predicted the end of the world and possibly Armageddon.  It seems that Nostradamus also had something to say about a comet plummeting into the Mediterranean around that time.  Others have spoken about earthquakes and meteors and floods happening all at the same time.  So... do you believe them?

    While pretty much anything is possible, I find it highly unlikely that any predicted date will actually mark the end of the world.  Over and over again in the Scriptures we hear that we will not know the day or the hour (e.g. Mt. 24).  Not even the angels know the appointed time, but only God.  It will come like a thief in the night.  It will be at an unexpected hour.  We will not know ahead of time when the end will come.  And so, why do people continue to make these predictions?

    Some might say, “Well all the signs are there!  Of course it’s going to be soon.”  However, the truth is that the signs have always been there, even back in the first century.  There have always been earthquakes and floods and wars.  There have always been odd cosmic events or solar eclipses or a red sun or moon due to smoke in the air.  And so, many times, people have predicted the end.

    Another possible reason for all of these predictions is that it provides an escape from actually living.  It’s a distraction.  I don’t have to focus on life now if I busy myself looking at prophecies and predictions and looking for signs of the end.  And so, people continue to make lots of money selling books and giving lectures and offering teaching sessions focussed on the prophecies and the signs of the end.

    However, a different kind of signs are mentioned in the gospel that we heard today: signs that the kingdom of God is near (Lk. 21:31).  Now, some might interpret these as also being signs of the end.  However, it is important to remember that in Luke, the kingdom of God comes with Jesus.  It is not here in all its fulness yet, but it was inaugurated with the birth of Jesus.  It is in Luke that we hear that “the kingdom of God is among you” - or within you (Lk. 17:21).

    And so, we are instructed in today’s gospel to stand up and raise our heads, and also to be alert and to pray.  What if we were to be alert for signs of the presence of God’s kingdom here and now?  Do you ever see signs that God’s kingdom is here? [responses] (From last week - fruit of the Spirit, ministry to those in need, loving one another – when God’s healing power breaks in – whenever God’s love and forgiveness are shared with another)

    I wonder how many things we would see this week if we were to watch for signs of God’s power at work – signs of the power of the name of Jesus – signs that the kingdom of God is among us.  My suspicion is that most of us are very good at looking for the negative signs – signs that the world is getting worse – signs that things aren’t as good as they used to be – signs that people pay little or no attention to God.  And so, seriously consider adjusting your vision this week, and looking for the signs of God’s power at work.

    At the same time, we do well to pay attention to the instructions in today’s readings about how to live now – as opposed to trying to figure out when the end will come.  From today’s gospel:

Be 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, like a trap (Lk. 21:34-35).

Now, drunkenness and the worries of this life I think we understand, but dissipation?  It is a most interesting word!  In fact, once you know what it means, dissipation is everywhere.

    It can mean an amusement or a diversion.  It can mean wasteful consumption or expenditure.  It can mean indulgence in pleasure with no moral restraints.  And some translations use the words feasting or eating, which don’t quite suggest the full meaning.  What we’re talking about here are things that draw us away from God and prevent us from having a right relationship with God: drunkenness, the worries of this life, wasteful consumption, unrestrained indulgence in pleasure, amusements or diversions.  When these things are at the forefront of our lives, our hearts are dulled, and we are unable to be in a life-giving relationship with God.  We are also entirely unprepared for the end, which will happen in one of two ways: either Christ will come again, or we will die.

    And so, instead we are called to watch and to pray and to grow in love.  It strikes me that in a congregation, too, it is possible to get weighed down or dulled by the worries of this world.  Especially on this anniversary Sunday, we are aware of those who are no longer with us.  We are aware that attendance isn’t what it used to be and that the offering doesn’t add up to what is needed.  And so, it is easy to slip into worrying about the future.  However, as soon as we go there, we also are unable to be in a right relationship with God.  This is God’s church, and our attitude needs to be one of faith and trust and seeking God’s direction and God’s mission.

    We also need to be doing all of the things that have been mentioned here today:  Looking for signs of the kingdom of God among us; being alert to what God is doing; praying, and growing in love.  There is a prayer in today’s second reading that was the prayer of Paul, Silvanus and Timothy for the congregation at Thessalonika.  It is also my prayer for you today:

May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you.  And 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 (1 Th. 3:12-13).

    May you increase and abound in love.  Faithfulness and love: That is what God is after!  When it is all about us and our survival, we have already departed from God’s mission.  However, when we are seeking first God’s kingdom and God’s righteousness, all that is needed will be provided.  May the Holy Spirit continue to strengthen us in faithfulness and love, empowering us to make Christ known for many years to come.  Amen.

Advent 1(C)                                Luke 21:25-36
December 2, 2012                            1 Thessalonians 3:9-13
St. Luke’s Zion Lutheran Church
Pastor Lynne Hutchison

© 2012 Lynne Hutchison  All Rights Reserved


Previous Sermons
March 2024
February 2024
January 2024
December 2023
November 2023
October 2023
September 2023
August 2023
July 2023
June 2023
May 2023
April 2023
March 2023
February 2023
January 2023
December 2022
November 2022
October 2022
September 2022
August 2022
July 2022
June 2022
May 2022
April 2022
March 2022
February 2022
January 2022
December 2021
November 2021
October 2021
September 2021
August 2021
July 2021
June 2021
May 2021
April 2021
March 2021
February 2021
January 2021
December 2020
November 2020
October 2020
September 2020
August 2020
July 2020
June 2020
May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
February 2020
January 2020
December 2019
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
February 2019
January 2019
December 2018
November 2018
October 2018
September 2018
August 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016
July 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016
December 2015
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015
August 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015
March 2015
February 2015
January 2015
December 2014
November 2014
October 2014
September 2014
August 2014
July 2014
June 2014
May 2014
April 2014
March 2014
February 2014
January 2014
December 2013
November 2013
October 2013
September 2013
August 2013
July 2013
June 2013
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012
January 2012
December 2011
November 2011
October 2011
September 2011
August 2011
July 2011
June 2011
May 2011
April 2011
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011
December 2010
November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
August 2005
July 2005
June 2005
May 2005
March 2005
February 2005
January 2005
December 2004
November 2004
October 2004
September 2004
August 2004
July 2004
June 2004
May 2004
March 2004
February 2004
January 2004
December 2003
January 2003
March 0201