O God of all wisdom … infuse us with open hearts and minds … that Your Holy Word, which is spoken today, will enlighten and inspire us anew to Your purpose for our lives. Amen.

Well … here we are … 10 days after Thanksgiving … and have you noticed how, for just about everyone, this seems to be a time of high activity.

· The retail stores, which have been selling Christmas items since Halloween, are packed full with merchandise and eager shoppers

· Everyone you meet is “BUSY, BUSY, BUSY” … decorating their homes, crossing off lists a gifts are bought, giving or attending parties, and trying to figure out if they should serve “turkey” or “ham” … OR BOTH … for Christmas dinner.

And here in the church, there seems to be the same high level of activity … as the Pastor writes sermons and special worship liturgy … as our choir rehearses wonderful holiday anthems … as our treasurer prepares to close the books on yet another year and proposes the budget for next year … as our secretary prepares extra bulletins and answers countless telephone calls … and as our Christian Education committee works feverishly on this year’s Christmas Pageant … making sure the story is JUST RIGHT, figures out who will play Mary THIS year and ARE there ENOUGH costumes … and working hard to make sure that the hymns and carols are PERFECT for the occasion.

Everything and everyone seems to be moving faster and faster … life is busier and busier … AFTER ALL ~ today IS ALREADY the 1^st Sunday of Advent!!! And in the midst of this activity, we gather together ~ as a family of faith ~ to be regaled with stories of angelic choruses AND star light AND beatific visions of a cherubic baby. ONLY to abruptly be brought up short … BAM! … by today’s Scripture lessons that make us feel uncomfortable and confused!!! WHAT ON EARTH IS GOING ON???!!!

Which is a legitimate question … because these readings are not at all what we expected for this time of year. During this season of Advent, we will take a look at each week’s lessons through the lens of “PREPARATION” … as if we were preparing for the Ultimate Christmas Pageant.

But let’s pause for just a moment and consider the meaning of ADVENT: as a word and as a season. Although it is not a word that we use often, we usually associate the word “advent” with the coming or arrival of someone or something special. As a season, we know that ADVENT is a season of anticipation and preparation … of preparing for the advent, the birth, of the Christ Child. We see this depicted so graphically on beautiful Christmas cards, in the songs that are being played on the radio, and in the Advent Calendars all of us love so much … with a special Scripture verse behind the “window” that we open on each day. And, like the work being done on our Christmas Pageant, the season slowly builds to that glorious moment when we receive AND celebrate the most precious gift ever. But, this season is SO MUCH MORE than the narrative AND stories that we know by heart. And, in many respects, Advent is NOT just about Christmas … it is, in fact, about our preparation for the ULTIMATE ADVENT, the coming of Christ.

It is exactly this type of preparation which is at the heart of our Gospel reading for today. Jesus and His disciples have entered Jerusalem for the last time … the Feast of Passover is only days away and Jesus’ earthly ministry is about to end. In these words, we hear Jesus’ forceful message to His followers to look BEYOND the present moment and to FOCUS on that which is MOST important for all Christians … that is, the second coming of the Son of Man and the vision of immortal life. This message contains powerful words of warning: REMAIN ALERT! STAY AWAKE!! BE PREPARED!!! Because no one knows when the most important event for all of creation will take place! No one ~ not angels / not anyone on earth or in heaven / not even the Son Himself knows … only God the Father knows when the Son will return to claim all of creation for His own.

From our Scriptures … from the teachings of God through Christ … we have some sense of what the end-times may be … of the chaos and torment that may take place then. And we don’t like to focus on those images … because they frighten us … and because we can’t seem to justify that vision with the images of the sacred birth that we now anticipate. And while Christ uses vivid examples of what happened to those who were caught off guard, His message is also one of affirmation and hope. Today, we hear Christ’s universal call for watchfulness to ALL people … to His disciples of 2,000 years ago / to each of us today / to future generations. Be prepared / focus on the vision of hope and promise which will be brought about by the advent of the Lord’s coming … and which given meaning to HOW we live our lives in the present.

So, just what IS this vision of hope and promise? The words of the prophet Isaiah ~ shared with the ancient Israelites who had endured the devastation of their nation and exile ~ give us the wonderful image of life as God has intended it to be. Isaiah foretells of a time when the mountain of the Lord’s house … the holy city of Jerusalem … will be celebrated and raised above all other places. And a time when an invitation will come FROM the people TO ALL PEOPLE … not just the ones we know … or like … or see eye-to-eye with ~ BUT to ALL people. “Let’s join together and go to the house of God … where we will learn God’s ways FROM God’s teachings.” The prophet’s words remind us that we are never too old to learn … that learning is NOT just a once-and-done deal but IS for a life-time … and that there is always something new and exciting to break forth from the Holy Word of God. We are reminded that this instruction is for ALL people … of every tradition and background … and it is an instruction that has the power to knit together the peoples of the universe.

The prophet assures us that it is in this place that God will serve as judge and arbiter for the nations … settling disputes as they arise and restoring peace and harmony to the land. According to the prophet, because God offers justice and accord to all people, they will then turn their swords and spears and other weapons of mass destruction into farming implements … that will be used to plant and tend and then harvest the crops that will sustain each person. War will be no more!

My friends, this is the vision of the peace and harmony that God has designed for each of us … for today, if we can achieve it … and for our everlasting future. Through the prophet’s words, we are called ~ throughout this season ~ to dare to learn FROM God THROUGH others. We are called to give up our weapons of war … both the physical weapons that we can wield against each other as well as our attitudes which can be equally as harmful … attitudes of prejudice and hatred … our anger and judgmentalism and feelings of superiority. We are called to turn over to God, our just judge, every negative quality that distracts us and keeps us from following His teachings … and then to beg for His forgiveness. And we are called to allow God transform each perceived difference into attitudes of love and honesty, cooperation and understanding … into actions that truly embody our respect, acceptance and welcome for all people. These words from the prophet call us to approach Advent with a sense of longing and new hope … to embrace the vision of the peace and promise that is offered to us ~ and to set our sights ALWAYS on the advent on the One who will come to save us.

Advent is, indeed, a season of preparation. It is a season of activity and festivities and well-wishes. And, like our Christmas Pageant, it is a season when we can hardly wait to place the infant Christ child in the manger. Advent is the season when past differences are put aside and feelings of love and joy are rekindled in the anticipation of the arrival of the Light of the World. Advent is the season when we are reassured that the dark realities that disturb the life of our world can be overcome by the vision of peace and accord that is promised through the birth of one Holy Child. Advent is the season when we are reminded that reaching the stable to offer our humble praise to Emmanuel ~ God with us ~ is NOT the END of a beautiful story but JUST THE BEGINNING of the most important journey of our lives.

Amen.