Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Towards Sunday, November 29, 2015 (1st of Advent)

Readings:

Jeremiah 33:14-16 (Seven centuries before the birth of Jesus, in a time when the people of Israel still suffer the loss of their kingdom and live under the control of foreign empires, the prophet looked forward to a day when God will gather them under an ancestor of ancient King David, so they can live in peace and justice.)

Luke 21:25-36  (The early church also looked forward to a great act of God to redeem them and the world; their life as a community was largely built upon the expectation of the return of Jesus to save them and the world from its troubles.  The way they expressed this hope is heavily influenced by traditional Jewish apocalyptic language and imagery.)

We get the picture -- signs in the heavens, distress among nations, the rise of chaos, people fainting from fear and looking for someone (or Someone) to step in and take charge. 

Sounds like the nightly news and the morning paper.  Should it also be the Sunday sermon and liturgy?  It was in the earliest church; should it be a big focus of our faith and life as a church now?

And if so, how?  Leading (and being led) in what direction?

There are (always?) some in the world who see themselves as "the righteous branch" that God uses in their time to cleanse and save the world from evil.  But has there been any case where such apocalyptic leaders and communities have not themselves been part of the evil the world suffers from -- Christian apocalypticists over the ages included?

For good reason we are suspicious of that kind of faith.  But is it a good idea to stay completely out of the conversation, and let the apocalypicists highjack our religion?

Jeremiah says the name of the redeeming movement or leader will be, "The Lord is my righteousness."  What might happen if we begin to engage in more public debate about who "the Lord" and "God" really are in our understanding?

Luke advises Christians not to be so weighed down with the comforts of this life that we are not alert and able to be engaged in whatever redemption God is bringing into the world in our time.  What does this mean for us?  What good fruit is starting to blossom in history, and how are we able to be part of it?

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