Hope in the Darkness

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell securely. And this is the name by which it will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’

Psalm 25:1–10 ESV

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. O my God, in you I trust; let me not be put to shame; let not my enemies exult over me. Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame; they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous. Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long. Remember your mercy, O Lord, and your steadfast love, for they have been from of old. Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for the sake of your goodness, O Lord! Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in the way. He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way. All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.

1 Thessalonians 3:9–13 ESV

For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith? Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

Luke 21:25–36 ESV

“And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” And he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. As soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. “But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

Trouble in the World

New Year’s Resolutions

Tensions: living in the now vs the then

Two communities pitted against each other (Jews and early Christians)

focus on coming of Christ not cross (will do vs has done)

Calling Jesus the political leader. The Christian community was determined to take the power from humans and hand it to Jesus.

Trouble in the Text

The Judeans and the Thessalonians were so very different and yet had so very much in common.

Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary: Year C, Volume 1 Theological Perspective

The people have been violating their covenantal relationship with God, and the subsequent Babylonian control would serve as punishment for their infidelity. The complete sacking of Jerusalem, however, is more horrific and absolute than the people might have imagined. The destruction is so severe that God’s voice, through the prophet, also wails in lamentation.

The Thessalonians were mis-focused. They thought Jesus was returning during their lifetime. We don’t always get what we expect at the end of our waiting.

Grace in the Text

community

Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary: Year C, Volume 1 Theological Perspective

Indeed, the incompleteness of their faith is a reason for rejoicing. “For what thanks can we render to God again for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God; Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith?” (1 Thess. 3:9–10 KJV). The fact that Paul can give thanks for a faith that is to come reveals, for our time, the ambiguity of Advent. This ambiguity is evident in our seasonal celebrations focused on an event that happened more than 2,000 years ago, while the message of Advent is focused on a reality that is yet to come. Part of the reason for this ambiguity is that we tend to view Advent through the lens of Good Friday and Easter.

Hope of Jesus’ coming for both.

Grace in the World

Advent. Advent is how we declare that we are a different sort of community. Instead of hemming and hawing about how terrible the world is, what if we looked with hope at the things that are right?

Hope in the Darkness

May the peace of our Lord Christ go with you. . . wherever he may send you.

Paul issues a blessing to the people in the letter we read this morning.

It acknowledges that things get hairy sometimes.

May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm.

But it expresses the alive, anticipatory hope that Jesus is up to something incredible and has great adventures prepared for each of us.

May he bring you home rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you.

And it reminds us how important it is to gather together to share our stories of God’s work in the world.

May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.

Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary: Year C, Volume 1 Exegetical Perspective

Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you.1 Paul prays first that apostle and church might see one another again soon.

Paul issues a blessing to the people in the letter we read this morning. He prays that he will see them again. Just as we do each week.

Every week, I sing the same blessing at the end of the service. I love it because it shares the hope that I have for you all as you go out into your weeks.

May the peace of our Lord Christ go with you. . . wherever he may send you.

It acknowledges that things get hairy sometimes.

May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm.

But it expresses the alive, anticipatory hope that Jesus is up to something incredible and has great adventures prepared for each of us.

May he bring you home rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you.

And it reminds us how important it is to gather together to share our stories of God’s work in the world.

May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.

Our whole epistle passage this morning is a bit of a benediction in ways – it’s a transition that Paul is helping this new church move through from being a brand new little church into a full blown Christian community. This little church is not handling transition well. It seems they had misunderstood Paul when he told them Jesus was coming back. They thought it meant Jesus was coming back. . . really really soon. . . in their lifetimes soon. And when members of the community started dying, they started losing their hope.

Old Testament Reading

Jeremiah 33:14–16 ESV

Epistle Reading

1 Thessalonians 3:9–13 ESV

Epistle Reading

that those who have died in this waiting time they find themselves stu

ck in are not gone forever.

Sermon“Worship Fully” Rev. Charissa Howe

They will be reunited one day.

At the beginning of the service, I said a few words about why we do what we do at the start of our community worship time. There is also a pattern we follow at the end of the service. At the very end of the section we refer to as the “response to the word”, I say what is called the benediction. This is a two part thing. First I give a “charge.” That’s where I say “go forth and do this thing that the scripture told us to do today.” Then I give a “blessing” – a prayer over you the community as you go back out into the world we transitioned out of at the beginning of the service. It’s a transition time – we’re moving from one part of existence to another.

Our wholeepistle passage this morning is a bit of a benediction in ways – it’s a transition that Paul is helping this new church move through from being a brand new little church into a full blown Christian community. This little church is not handling transition well. It seems they had misunderstood Paul when he told them Jesus was coming back. They thought it meant Jesus was coming back. . . really really soon. . . in their lifetimes soon. And when members of the community started dying, they started losing their hope.

It can be hard to figure out how to fully embrace the in between time tha

When they started losing their hope, they got stuck.

t Advent offers to

It is hope that moves a Christian community forward. That’s why we start off the church year with Advent – the season of hope. Faith, hope, and love are often put together as the main points of Christianity and that is because in faith we are given hope and hope spurs us forward into love and mature faith as individuals and as a church.

Christians. We

’

It is the love of the community for one another and the world around them that Paul says is a sign of their mature faith – something he prays earnestly for them to find. And he reminds them that those who have died in this waiting time they find themselves stuck in are not gone forever. They will be reunited one day.

re still a month away from the secular new year when we g

It can be hard to figure out how to fully embrace the in between time that Advent offers to Christians. We’re still a month away from the secular new year when we get to spend weeks trying to write the correct year on every check we write, and the world outside these walls seems to want to charge us straight on through this season to get to Christmas morning and all the presents and cookies.

My friend Terry and I have been running buddies and workout accountability partners for years. I love her, but Terry is notorious for coming up with long run routes that manage to go straight through parades. If there is a parade within 10 miles of downtown on a given Saturday, we’ll crash it together. We’ve been mocked by drunk college kids on St. Patrick’s day, nearly run over by large horses and floats we didn’t expect, and have seen just about every high school marching band in the county performing downtown.

et to spend weeks trying

to write the correct year on every check we write, and the world ou

A few years ago, we were wet and whiny and miserable about 4 miles into our run when we heard the music and realized that once again, we were only about a block away from a parade route. We had just been complaining about all the Christmas decorations that were up already and how we’d barely had time to let Thanksgiving settle, and there we were, crashing the parade that signals the beginning of the Christmas celebrations for many people – Santa was there and everything.

You know what? It was actually exactly what we needed in that moment. We ran toward the sound and cheered like little kids. We took selfies in front of the bands and with a therapy dog marching in the parade. Terry even ran out into the parade to hug Iceburgh, the Penguins mascot. We looked like complete idiots. And it was a ton of fun. We got there just at the front of the parade and because of the weather, there wasn’t much of a crowd. So we were able to run from there to the back of the parade, turn around, and run back to the front again. We got to see the parade twice! On a morning we were going to be happy if we made it 4 or 5 soggy cold miles, I logged over 9 miles because of the excitement of the parade.

tside these walls seems to want

We needed the distraction in that moment. But more than that, we needed the contagious hope and joy of all the people out there celebrating. There were people that actually took their kids out in that gross, cold rain just to kick off the anticipation of Christmas – people who were probably thinking my friend and I are just as nuts for being out running as we thought they were for being out in that weather for a parade. But it gave us something to look forward to – getting back to the front of the parade again.

to charge us straight on through this season to get to Christmas morning a

nd all the presents and

Advent is kind of like that parade. It is the time in which we get to get swept up in the excitement of the preparation for Christmas. Not because Christmas is about the cookies or the gifts or the meals, but because those things are part of the contagious joy and celebration of this in between time as we await the celebration of Jesus’ birth. Advent is a time of waiting, but it’s a different kind of waiting than the quiet, mournful waiting that comes with Lent. It’s an active waiting – it’s when we get to run along the parade route like wacky little kids hugging the mascots.

The secular new year is a bit of a let down for most people. All of the sudden, the holidays are over and we’re stuck in January in Pittsburgh. The first January I lived in Pittsburgh was the second longest month of my life. The longest month of my life was my first February in Pittsburgh. But the Christian new year that we celebrate today? What fun! We begin our year with hope and celebration and anticipation!

cookies.

Wouldn’t it be great if we were so excited about the hope Advent gives us that we went around telling everyone “HAPPY NEW YEAR!” today!? What if we did our new year’s resolutions TODAY instead of a month from now?

Yesterday morning, I went out for a long run with a good friend. Thi

We enter into a new church year together today with excitement and anticipation. Let’s not forget to embrace this season leading up to Christmas as more than just the season leading up to Christmas or the “Christmas season”, but as a holy time in and of itself. Stop slogging along hopelessly to knock out a few miles because your training plan says that’s what is up next and run up and down the parade route like a little kid!

As we sing the songs of Advent – “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”, “O Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus”, “Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates” – remember that they are not just the not-quite Christmas songs that we have to sing before Christmas, but that they are our opportunity to get wound up like little kids and sing, “Oh my gosh, you guys!!!! Christmas is coming! Jesus is coming!!!”

s friend is notorious for

This should be the most robust and hopeful of all the seasons in church. When we run up and down the parade route together on Sunday morning, we can’t help but remember the excitement of it all week long and take that worship into everything we do. It’s not about buying the right gifts or baking the right cookies – although I won’t turn down cookies that any of you might have to offer – it’s about the worship that bubbles over to become the joy of giving, of breaking bread (or pie) together, of decorating our homes to remind us of the celebration. Because, OH MY GOSH, YOU GUYS! Christmas is coming! Jesus is coming!”

coming up with long run routes that manage to go straight through parades

. If there is a parade

within 10 miles of downtown on a given Saturday, we

’

ll crash it together. We

’

ve been mocked by

drunk college kids on St. Patrick

’

s day, nearly run over by large horses and floats we didn

’

expect, and have seen just about every high school marching band in t

he county performing

downtown.

Yesterday, we were wet and whiny and miserable about 4 miles into our run

when we heard

the music and realized that once again, we were only about a block awa

y from a parade route. We

had just been complaining about all the Christmas decorations tha

t were up already and how we

’

barely had time to let Thanksgiving settle, and there we were, cras

hing the parade that signals the

beginning of the Christmas celebrations for many people

–

Santa was there and everything.

You know what? It was actually exactly what we needed in that moment. W

e ran toward the

sound and cheered like little kids. We took selfies in front of the bands

and with a therapy dog

marching in the parade. My friend even ran out into the parade to hug

Iceburgh, the Penguins

mascot. We looked like complete idiots. And it was a ton of fun. We

got there just at the front of

📷

e parade and because of the weather, there wasn

’

t much of a crowd. So we were able to run from

there to the back of the parade, turn around, and run back to the fr

ont again. We got to see the

parade twice! On a morning we were going to be happy if we made it 4 or 5

soggy cold miles, I

logged a total of 9.3 miles because of the excitement of the par

ade.

We needed the distraction in that moment. But more than t

hat, we needed the contagious

hope and joy of all the people out there celebrating. There wer

e people that actually took their kids

out in that gross, cold rain just to kick off the anticipation of C

hristmas

–

people who were

probably thinking my friend and I are just as nuts for being out running as

we thought they were

for being out in that weather for a parade. But it gave us somet

hing to look forward to

–

getting

back to the front of the parade again.

Advent is kind of like that parade. It is the time in which we

get to get swept up in the

excitement of the preparation for Christmas. Not because Chris

tmas is about the cookies or the

gifts or the meals, but because those things are part of the contagio

us joy and celebration of this in

between time as we await the celebration of Jesus

’

birth. Advent is a time of waiting, but it

’

s a

different kind of waiting than the quiet, mournful waiting that comes wi

th Lent. It

’

s an active

waiting too

–

’

s when we get to run along the parade route like wacky little kids hugging th

mascots.

The secular new year is a bit of a let down for most people. All

of the sudden, the holidays

are over and we

’

re stuck in January in Pittsburgh. The first January I lived in Pitts

burgh was the

second longest month of my life. The longest month of my li

fe was my first February in

Pittsburgh. But the Christian new year that we celebrate today?

What fun! We begin our year with

hope and celebration and anticipation!

📷

We enter into a new church year together today with excitement

and anticipation. Let

’

s not

forget to embrace this season leading up to Christmas as more th

an just the season leading up to

Christmas, but as a holy time in and of itself. Stop slogging along

hopelessly to knock out a few

miles because your training plan says that

’

s what is up next and run up and down the parade route

like a little kid! As we sing the songs of Advent

–

“

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

”

“

O Come,

Thou Long Expected Jesus

”

“

Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates

”

–

remember that they are

not just the not-quite Christmas songs that we have to sing before C

hristmas, but that they are our

opportunity to get wound up like little kids and sing,

“

Oh my gosh, you guys!!!! Christmas is

coming! Jesus is coming!!!

”

This first week in our Advent exploration is about worshiping fully.

That doesn

’

t just mean

singing louder or reading the prayers with more gusto, but it

’

s celebrating here together in a way

that bubbles over into everything else you do. When we run up and down

the parade route together

on Sunday morning, we can

’

t help but remember the excitement of it all week long and take that

worship into everything we do. It

’

s not about buying the right gifts or baking the right cookies

–

although I won

’

t turn down cookies that any of you might have to offer

–

’

s about the worship

that bubbles over to become the joy of giving, of breaking bread (or

pie) together, of decorating

our homes to remind us of the celebration. Because,

OH MY GOSH, YOU GUYS!

Christmas is

coming! Jesus is coming!

”

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