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