"Seeing Christ in Advent"
A sermon preached on The First Sunday of Advent/Hanging of the Greens, December 2 at Edgemont Chrsitian Church (Disciples of Christ), by the Rev. Christopher E. Yopp. The sermon is based on Isaiah 2:2-5.
I read a rather interesting article the other day that originally appeared in the December 2006 edition of the Daily Mail. The article was titled; Christmas Cards Aren’t So Christmas Anymore. The article stated that only 1 in 100 Christmas cards sold contain religious imagery or messages. It went on to state that "traditional pictures or images of Christmas are dying out and are instead being replace with designs or jokes with little or no relevance to the true meaning, significance or message of Christmas." In fact, the article told of one card suggesting that the shepherds only saw the angel appear on the hillside because they were hallucinating from taking drugs. And another card ignores Christmas altogether by wishing the recipient a "Happy December." Indeed, Christmas cards are losing their Christmas message. But sadly, this is true of Christmas in general. It appears that Christmas is now a multi-million dollar retail industry, that is completely indulged in catering to the consumer’s wants and adding to their debt.
I am always amazed at how fast the Christmas decorations go up in the stores and malls. It appears to me that a lot of times the retail world pushes or rushes Christmas – yet, this is done purely out of selfishness and greed – to make an extra buck. But, at the same time, I thank God for the Church. Advent isn’t the Church’s invitation to "get ready for Christmas," at least not like the retail world does. Advent doesn’t encourage us to make sure that we have our Christmas shopping and cooking, decorations and preparations all done; Advent doesn’t have anything to do with Christmas lists or recipes; rather, it encourages us to spiritually prepare our hearts, our lives and our world for the coming of Christ - to welcome the realm of Christ’s coming and kingdom into our lives - to better prepare our hearts to embrace that kingdom to which Christ came to bring and to embody that kingdom. You see, Advent and Christmas involve us – this season needs our participation, because it is we – the Church who is called to embody this kingdom and to live it. Advent invites us to get ready - to prepare our hearts, in much the same way we prepare our sanctuary. Advent invites us to see what God is doing in our world and what God will do in and through us.
And so, we have gathered here this morning to hear once again the lessons that surround the decorations of Advent and Christmas that we might see Christ more fully. And as we move through this Advent season - lighting candles, singing carols, hearing the words of the prophets; hopefully, that vision of Christ will become more and more clearer and the vision of God’s kingdom will become more and more of a reality for us.
Throughout Advent, the Church invites us to read the prophet Isaiah’s words - to envision the coming of Christ and what that coming means for our own lives and our world. Although Isaiah’s original hearers could not see the glorious future of Zion, they continued to place their faith and trust in God’s promises, as they longed and hoped for that day when the Messiah would come and deliver them. But you and I have seen this glorious future, because we have been given the Light - the true and eternal Light of Christ has come and dwells in us, and we walk in that Light. Thus, Isaiah’s vision is our vision! Isaiah’s hope is our hope. Therefore, let us place our faith and trust in God’s promises. Let us allow God’s light not only to illumine our hearts, but to shine through us as well. Let us truly live as children of the Light. Let us be instruments of hope, peace, joy and love. Let us be those who stand up for justice and extend compassion and grace. For it is then that we will not only discover and experience, but others will too, the kingdom and vision of God - that same kingdom and vision that Isaiah was writing about. May we ever pray; "thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Advent invites us to see what God is doing and will do in our world, and to also see how we might be a part of it all.
Many of the beautiful traditions and customs of Advent and Christmas, as we have heard this morning, come to us from as early as the 4th century, where the Church thought of unique and interesting ways to honor Christ and to reflect upon his birth, life, death and resurrection. The origin of many of these customs came to us from paganism. As often was the case, the Church, seeking to put an end to such pagan practices took many of their customs and traditions, and transformed them into rich, beautiful and meaningful symbols and practices for Christians. As in all things, so it is in Advent and Christmas, we are called to see Christ, and so may we do so as we focus on the decorations and traditions of this season.
I want to close with an illustration that I heard last night. Amber and I are big fans of Garrison Keilor’s, A Prairie Home Companion. And yesterday evening we were fortunate enough, as we were driving around town, to be able to catch some of the show. Garrison Keilor was doing his infamous; "The News from Lake Wobegon." Keilor told about a woman who had an obsession with Christmas. So much so, that long before Christmas she had her house completely decorated – inside and out, all of her Christmas baking done and packed away in the freezer, her dinning room table completely set with neat little Christmas settings, along with a beautiful Christmas centerpiece. Then, to make sure the table would not collect dust and be disturbed she saran wrapped the entire table. And, if that wasn’t bad enough, she also went ahead and made out all of her Christmas cards and even her "thank you" cards. She wrote a nice little "thank you" note on each card, addressed it, but would simply leave a blank space on each one to list the gift she was given. However, one day she left to go and mail her Christmas cards and while she was away a pack of badgers had gotten into her home and completely destroyed all of her preparations. To her, Christmas was done with! It was destroyed! Ruined! And that’s the way it is for many people – Christmas is about the tangible things, rather than the intangible.
In a sense, Advent makes innkeepers out of all of us, asking each of us to make room in our hearts and lives for Christ. And so, I want to encourage you this season, not to get caught up in all of the hustle and bustle, all of the confusion and distractions that you fail to see Christ. Rather, seek ways in which you can make room for his presence in your life. Let us, this day and throughout this season, prepare him room in our hearts, our lives, our homes and even our church that he might be born anew and afresh in us.
I am always amazed at how fast the Christmas decorations go up in the stores and malls. It appears to me that a lot of times the retail world pushes or rushes Christmas – yet, this is done purely out of selfishness and greed – to make an extra buck. But, at the same time, I thank God for the Church. Advent isn’t the Church’s invitation to "get ready for Christmas," at least not like the retail world does. Advent doesn’t encourage us to make sure that we have our Christmas shopping and cooking, decorations and preparations all done; Advent doesn’t have anything to do with Christmas lists or recipes; rather, it encourages us to spiritually prepare our hearts, our lives and our world for the coming of Christ - to welcome the realm of Christ’s coming and kingdom into our lives - to better prepare our hearts to embrace that kingdom to which Christ came to bring and to embody that kingdom. You see, Advent and Christmas involve us – this season needs our participation, because it is we – the Church who is called to embody this kingdom and to live it. Advent invites us to get ready - to prepare our hearts, in much the same way we prepare our sanctuary. Advent invites us to see what God is doing in our world and what God will do in and through us.
And so, we have gathered here this morning to hear once again the lessons that surround the decorations of Advent and Christmas that we might see Christ more fully. And as we move through this Advent season - lighting candles, singing carols, hearing the words of the prophets; hopefully, that vision of Christ will become more and more clearer and the vision of God’s kingdom will become more and more of a reality for us.
Throughout Advent, the Church invites us to read the prophet Isaiah’s words - to envision the coming of Christ and what that coming means for our own lives and our world. Although Isaiah’s original hearers could not see the glorious future of Zion, they continued to place their faith and trust in God’s promises, as they longed and hoped for that day when the Messiah would come and deliver them. But you and I have seen this glorious future, because we have been given the Light - the true and eternal Light of Christ has come and dwells in us, and we walk in that Light. Thus, Isaiah’s vision is our vision! Isaiah’s hope is our hope. Therefore, let us place our faith and trust in God’s promises. Let us allow God’s light not only to illumine our hearts, but to shine through us as well. Let us truly live as children of the Light. Let us be instruments of hope, peace, joy and love. Let us be those who stand up for justice and extend compassion and grace. For it is then that we will not only discover and experience, but others will too, the kingdom and vision of God - that same kingdom and vision that Isaiah was writing about. May we ever pray; "thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Advent invites us to see what God is doing and will do in our world, and to also see how we might be a part of it all.
Many of the beautiful traditions and customs of Advent and Christmas, as we have heard this morning, come to us from as early as the 4th century, where the Church thought of unique and interesting ways to honor Christ and to reflect upon his birth, life, death and resurrection. The origin of many of these customs came to us from paganism. As often was the case, the Church, seeking to put an end to such pagan practices took many of their customs and traditions, and transformed them into rich, beautiful and meaningful symbols and practices for Christians. As in all things, so it is in Advent and Christmas, we are called to see Christ, and so may we do so as we focus on the decorations and traditions of this season.
I want to close with an illustration that I heard last night. Amber and I are big fans of Garrison Keilor’s, A Prairie Home Companion. And yesterday evening we were fortunate enough, as we were driving around town, to be able to catch some of the show. Garrison Keilor was doing his infamous; "The News from Lake Wobegon." Keilor told about a woman who had an obsession with Christmas. So much so, that long before Christmas she had her house completely decorated – inside and out, all of her Christmas baking done and packed away in the freezer, her dinning room table completely set with neat little Christmas settings, along with a beautiful Christmas centerpiece. Then, to make sure the table would not collect dust and be disturbed she saran wrapped the entire table. And, if that wasn’t bad enough, she also went ahead and made out all of her Christmas cards and even her "thank you" cards. She wrote a nice little "thank you" note on each card, addressed it, but would simply leave a blank space on each one to list the gift she was given. However, one day she left to go and mail her Christmas cards and while she was away a pack of badgers had gotten into her home and completely destroyed all of her preparations. To her, Christmas was done with! It was destroyed! Ruined! And that’s the way it is for many people – Christmas is about the tangible things, rather than the intangible.
In a sense, Advent makes innkeepers out of all of us, asking each of us to make room in our hearts and lives for Christ. And so, I want to encourage you this season, not to get caught up in all of the hustle and bustle, all of the confusion and distractions that you fail to see Christ. Rather, seek ways in which you can make room for his presence in your life. Let us, this day and throughout this season, prepare him room in our hearts, our lives, our homes and even our church that he might be born anew and afresh in us.
posted by Pastor Christopher @ 3:44 PM
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