December 8, 2024 – The Second Sunday of Advent

Fr. Cal Calhoun

The Church’s tradition around the season of Advent is very different from the secular/commercial season going on around us right now. Advent is traditionally a season of quiet waiting and preparation for the arrival of the Christ Child. The season of Advent goes until Dec 24. In the tradition of the church, on the eve of Christmas we begin our celebration of the arrival of the Christ Child. You might note that, in church, we don’t sing Christmas carols until Christmas Eve and the season that follows. And the 12 days of Christmas are those days after Christmas that proceed to the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6, the celebration of the arrival of the magi or wise men.

Now, I’m not opposed to Christmas lights. I do think they should not show up before Thanksgiving, but I feel more strongly that they should left up until January 6, and not come down on Dec 26. And while suggesting the idea has resulted in my being called a “grinch,” I still admire the now very retired priest who went with his family every Dec 24 to get a tree. Of course, they had to settle for whatever was left. But they embraced the idea of the “Charlie Brown” Christmas tree and enjoyed decorating some poor, pitiful tree together as a family on Christmas Eve. I have thought too, that if you exchanged gifts on January 6, I mean that’s when Jesus got his gifts after all, think of all the money you could save shopping those post-Christmas sales!!

In Advent, we are like Mary. Waiting. Preparing. Expecting. And to that end, in our readings this morning, we are reminded of John the Baptizer, who prepared the way for Jesus and his ministry. In our Gospel, we hear the words from Isaiah: “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’” Now I don’t want to get too far down the John the Baptizer’s approach, because really, who wants to wear camel’s hair and exist on a diet of locusts and wild honey?? That was for a certain place and time.

But in the midst of what has become a very crazy, busy season before Christmas, how might you prepare to receive the Christ Child? What might you do differently in the days ahead to make room, not in the stable, but here in your heart, for the Christ Child. How might you quiet the noise and make a straight path for Jesus? Maybe it is carving out some quiet time for yourself? Maybe it is re-reading the stories of Mary and Joseph leading up to Jesus’ birth each day in Advent? Maybe it is sitting with Episcopal Relief and Development’s Advent reflections? Maybe, if you have children or grandchildren, it involves lighting an Advent wreath and opening an Advent calendar at home, that reminds us that we are awaiting the arrival of the Christ Child more than we are awaiting the gifts under the tree. Ok, maybe that last one is not very realistic, but hopefully you are getting the idea.

I also want to mention that this waiting, this preparation, this anticipation has an element of trepidation. Like the expectant mother, who anticipates great joy at the arrival of a child, she also knows that, especially in Jesus’ day, childbirth didn’t always go has hoped, so there is a bit of fear and trepidation. In our Advent blessing at the end of the service, we hear:

May you who rejoice in the first Advent of our Redeemer, at his second Advent be rewarded with unending life. May he whose second coming in power and great glory we await, make you steadfast in faith, joyful in hope, and constant in love.

In that last one, we hear the nouns from our own Good Sam mission statement: faith, hope, and love. Grow in faith. Live in hope. Share God’s Love.

If we are honest, there is something a little fearful in the second coming of Jesus. Because we can’t be sure exactly how that will go. Of course, there is also a lot of conversation about when that will happen. It seems no one has been right about that for the last 2000 years!

I have begun to wonder if we have missed the whole thing that Jesus intended.  Think about that prayer that we Christians pray more than any other prayer:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

What if God’s kingdom, or the reign of God, happens when God’s will is done on earth as it is in heaven? Or put more personally, what if the kingdom of God is waiting on us to do God’s will on earth as it is in heaven? Every time we do one of the Rise Against Hunger food packaging events, I am reminded that we have enough food to feed the world. What we have is a distribution problem. Those of us in wealthy countries like this one, have more than we need or can consume. And countries, like Tanzania, where our friend Bishop Given is from, struggles to feed their people, especially if there is some disturbance like a drought, which seem to more frequent. I wonder if the Kingdom of God will arrive when we realize there is enough for everyone and we make sure that all have enough, rather than some have in abundance, and others suffer? I wonder if the Kingdom of God will arrive when we make it so, rather than waiting for some cosmic event?

From the Song of Zechariah, which we heard in place of a psalm this morning:

You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, *
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
To give his people knowledge of salvation *
by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God *
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the
shadow of death, *
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

How will you go before the Lord to prepare his way? Amen.

Year C  –  The Second Sunday of Advent  –   December 8, 2024   –   The Rev. Cal Calhoun