Advent 1: Being Prepared, Knowing Hope

“Be ready for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour”

The whole problem with this is that we don’t know when it will be, so how can we be ready?  When I was a teenager my friends were a little older than me, so they were driving before I was. Whenever anyone was coming to pick me up, Dad would make sure I was ready early, because you shouldn’t keep people waiting. J

It was about always being ready.

It may surprise some of you to know that I was a Girl Guide, and the motto is ‘Be Prepared’.   Going out for a walk would mean a backpack, water, food, money, first aid kit etc. you can imagine the amount of stuff that was packed for a camping trip.

Somehow I don’t think Matthew was meaning ‘be prepared’ by carrying a compass, Swiss army knife, matches, map, ……

What might it mean, in the gospel sense, to Be Prepared?

Much of life just happens, we can’t prepare for every eventuality. In the past few weeks we have heard of typhoons  and storms, and at 10.25pm pm Friday evening, Scottish time, a Police helicopter fell on a pub in Glasgow. When you go to the pub, or out for Dinner, do you plan what you will do if a police helicopter crashes into the building? Of course not, it happens so rarely.

I suspect Being Prepared is about knowing who we are in Christ, more than having a map and compass. Being prepared is living in the way of Christ.

…

Our verse in the candle song today, was ‘Hope is a light to show the way’ .

What does it mean to be a light, to offer hope?

Some of the people I meet do not have hope, and cannot imagine any future different to the one they are living in. I recently met a young man who was living on the street, a few people had befriended him, and they asked for my help in finding a place for him to live. He wouldn’t take our help, he has tried all the government departments, knows what is available and knows he can’t afford even the cheapest rents on unemployment benefits. Department of Housing has a crisis accommodation program, for people like this young man. But, it is one night at a time, and each morning you back up all your belongings, go to the office again, and get another docket for another nights accommodation – not simple when you don’t have transport, and you may not be in the same place as last night, so all your belongings go with you.

After 2-3 weeks, you may be eligible for assistance with private rental bond etc.

No-one plans to be living on the streets.

…..

In the passage from Isaiah, we hear of a different world to what people were experiencing.

This first part of Isaiah, is about God’s judgement on the people of Israel, about how the land will be desolate, the people in exile, yet interspersed, there are some passages of hope. Jerusalem was the site of many battles, and was overrun by other nations. The Israelites saw this as punishment from God. The five verses we heard today are one of these passages of hope, promises of God, hope for a future.

A future that will be different to their daily experience.

Imagine if the people of Iraq, Afghanistan, Sudan, were told that their future would be one without war – how easy would it be to believe that sometime in the future, fear and violence would not be part of daily life?

….

 

Each week during Advent, I will have a symbol for you to take home. today it is a gold bauble for you to hang on your tree, or around the home somewhere:

 

I want you to think about:

What is my experience of God’s hope in the world today?

 

When you look at the bauble, I want to think about God’s hope in your life.

…

Last Saturday I went into Circular Quay, to the Give Hope gathering. There we saw the banner created from over 250 patches from around the Synod. we worshipped, we prayed and we sang.

Here is a clip of the event. [show YouTube clip 1.5 minutes  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G90wQNlaykw&feature=youtu.be ]

 

In what ways might we offer hope to those who are without hope?

Hope

First reading – Isaiah 2: 1-5

Gospel - Luke 1: 5-25

Monologue  Elizabeth – [from candles and conifers p 204-5] 

Proclamation of the Word

In Advent we talk about Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. Today I want us to look at the images we have of Hope in today’s readings. This may not have been the first word you thought of, but to me these are hopeful passages.

This first 39 chapters of Isaiah are predominately about divine judgement. Jerusalem was the site of the temple, and therefore an important religious centre. But Jerusalem was also the political capital, the seat of the throne of the house of David. This first part of Isaiah, is about God’s judgement on the people of Israel, about how the land will be desolate, the people in exile, yet interspersed, there are some passages of hope. Jerusalem was the site of many battles, and was overrun by other nations. The Israelites saw this as punishment from God. The five verses we heard today are one of these passages of hope, promises of God, hope for a future.

A future that will be different to there daily experience.

Imagine if the people of Iraq, Afghanistan, Sudan, were told that their future would be one without war – how easy would it be to believe that some time in the future, fear and violence would not be part of daily life?

Many people have attempted to update these verses for Isaiah, especially the section about they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks. This was an agricultural society, so if you can turn your fighting implements into farming tools, life is about life, not fear and death.

Some modern phrasing*: 

 -They will turn weapons into welcome signs
........and bombs into tools and toys.
 - They'll turn their swords into shovels,
       their spears into hoes.
 - They shall turn their bombers into flying doctors,
        and their warships into food freighters;

- a song by Willie Dixon, talks of the money spent on war could be used to feed and house and educate people.

- how would you phrase this for your life?

A hope for peace, living in peace. For us war and violence may seem a long way away, but try getting into an airport and you have to go through security procedures because the world is not at peace.

The hopeful image from Isaiah seems like a dream, but sometimes dreams come true.

Zechariah and Elizabeth had given up dreaming about a child. Zechariah was a priest, that means he took his turn serving in the temple.  One day an angel appeared, and the angel said: do not be afraid. Your prayers have been answered and your wife will bear a son.  That sounds nearly as far fetched as Isaiah’s peaceful future.

The son of Zechariah and Elizabeth will grow to be great in the sight of God. God works through Elizabeth and Zechariah, not just for them, but for Israel and for God’s purposes.

This story from Luke isn’t about hope fulfilled, Zechariah and Elizabeth had given up hope long ago.

These two passages are about God’s future, a future so far removed from our experience of life it is hard to even imagine.

What kind of kingdom can we imagine, one of accusation, blame, shame; one of consumption and corruption; one of pride and humiliation; power; deception; oppression? These are the kind of kingdoms we live with, kingdoms that are not in line with God’s kingdom, kingdom’s that make God’s kingdom of hope, peace, justice, righteousness sound like a pipe dream.

BUT, there is one whose birth we celebrate in a month, one whose life showed  a different way, one whose death revealed love, one whose resurrection holds our resurrection. We prepare for Jesus to come as a baby, but also as the prince of peace, the ruler of a new kingdom.  

What is our part in all this – are we waiting, praying, ready to respond when God sends and angel? Are we turning swords into ploughshares, or the other way around?

Isaiah says: God will show us the way he works, so that we can live the way we’re made. Come, people of God, let's live in the light of God.

* modern phrasing form Laughing Bird, Bruce Prewer and The Message