Loving God, in the midst of distractions, anxiety and fear, you come among us, empowering us for the work of your kingdom.  Renew in us the gifts of faith, hope, and love, helping us to see you at work in our world, through Jesus Christ our Saviour.  Amen.

           “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God – the beginning and the end (Rev. 1:8).  We heard this last week, on the last Sunday of the church year, and today, here we are, on the first Sunday of the church year, looking, once again, towards the end – the apocalypse – the Parousia – the time when Christ will come again.  Whether we are at the beginning, or the end, or somewhere in between, only one thing is constant: God is there; Christ is there; the Holy Spirit is there.  “Heaven and earth will pass away,” but the Word of God remains (Lk. 21:33).

         It might be important to remember Emmanuel – God is with us – in the midst of some pretty scary and chaotic times.  The gospel we heard from Luke mentions the powers of the heavens being shaken, and signs in the sun, moon, and stars, and distress and confusion among the nations (Lk. 21:25-26).  Perhaps understandably, people are full of fear and foreboding, just like when Isaiah described similar events hundreds of years earlier (Is. 13:4-13).  However, the followers of Jesus are instructed to do a very strange thing when they see these signs in the heavens taking place.

         Have any of you ever been instructed on what to do in case of an earthquake, or a nuclear blast, or even a tornado?  Have you ever heard of duck and cover?... It’s natural for us to duck down and try to protect ourselves in the face of really big, scary events.  The gospel of Luke, on the other hand, tells us:

Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near (Lk. 21:28).

As people who have put our trust in Jesus, there is no need to cower in fear.  Stand up and raise your heads.  Your redemption is drawing near.

         Your redemption is drawing near.  “The kingdom of God is near” (Lk. 21:31).  - Promises for the people of God at a time when simply confessing faith in Jesus could lead to imprisonment, torture, and even death. – Promises in the midst of chaos and fear.  Regardless of anxiety about the future, the kingdom of God is near – even now.

         Wherever the hungry are fed or the thirsty are given a drink, Jesus is there.  Wherever people in need are given shelter and clothing, Jesus is there.  Wherever people receive God’s forgiveness in repentance and faith and are set free, Jesus is there.  Wherever the love of God is shared with one another and with all people, Jesus is there.  Wherever the lowly or the downtrodden are lifted up, Jesus is there.  And when this congregation engages in any of this kingdom work, Jesus is here.

         Of course, perhaps particularly at this time of year, it is easy to get distracted by other things.  Today’s gospel mentions things like dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life that can weigh down our hearts (Lk. 21:34).  Dissipation, for those who might like to know, can mean wasteful consumption or expenditure, reckless indulgence in pleasure, or even an amusement or diversion.  It is surprisingly common for a word that we don’t use very much – which makes me wonder how many of our hearts are weighed down right now.

         Given that many of us are excellent worriers, are some of our hearts weighed down by worry?  Diversions, or amusements if you prefer, are also readily available to most of us, and wasteful consumption, or even over-consumption are easy to find.  Are any of these things, or drunkenness, weighing down our hearts and pulling our attention away from God?  It is frightfully difficult to see the power of God at work or the presence of Jesus when our attention is on so many other things.

         Perhaps it is because we are so easily distracted that Jesus instructed his followers to be alert and be on guard and watch.  After all, when anything seems to be taking a very long time, we tend to move on to other things.  Still, Jesus is not absent during this “in between” time.  While some speak of his Second Coming, others speak of his Final Appearing – a reminder that Jesus comes to us, even now.

         On this First Sunday of Advent, we start with the frail sign of just one small candle. - One candle, and the colour of hope – the colour of the sky just before the dawn.  Rather than spending our time predicting when the end will come, we are called to be faithful, trusting that Jesus is with us always.  We are called to lives marked by gratitude, love, and holiness until that time when Christ will come again – just like the Thessalonians so many years ago (1 Th. 3).  Amen.  Come, Lord Jesus.  Amen.

Advent 1(C)                                      Luke 21:25-36

December 1, 2024                           1 Thessalonians 3:9-13

St. Luke’s Zion Lutheran Church

Pastor Lynne Hutchison

© 2024 Lynne Hutchison  All Rights Reserved