Some years I struggle with Advent -- should we focus on waiting and preparing, or just move on to themes surrounding Christmas. This year as we hear from the prophet Isaiah, I am reflecting more on the prophetic, apocalyptic aspects of the Advent texts. part of the challenge will be to make that theme meaningful to those who gather with expectations of hearing about Christmas all Advent.
As I have done some work on this sermon, I have found the following:
The pondering moves to praising God for being the only God in all the ages "who works for those who wait for him" (verse 4). Divine attention to and involvement in human well being -- individually and collectively -- varied across the ancient Near Eastern religious traditions. This comparative statement is, of course, is a confessional claim not a scholarly one. Their praise honors a God turned toward humans, in relationship with them and working on their behalf. The persons who receive divine attention are described, not surprisingly, as those working righteousness (verse 5a NRSV: "who gladly do right").
Elna K. Solvang, http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?lect_date=11/27/2011&tab=1
Isaiah 64:1-9 begins and ends with a request. The first request is that God would "tear open the heavens and come down...to make [God's] name known to [God's] adversaries" (64:1a, 2b). The offenders would experience the terror of God's mountain-quaking, fiery presence (verses 1b, 2a).
Elna K. Solvang, http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?lect_date=11/27/2011&tab=1
The other day someone told me about a friend who had been asked to preach in the church of one of the famous television preachers whom millions watch every Sunday. On the way from the airport, the guest received these instructions: “People worship with us in order to feel good about themselves. Therefore, don’t mention the cross in your sermon. And don’t dwell too much on sin. And don’t mention the John Birch Society.” William Willimon, sermon "going against the Stream," as found on http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=1445
Advent looks to the second coming of Christ, which means we encounter apocalyptic texts that prophesy about the end times. sometimes the Advent image of waiting seems very distant from the secular approach to Christmas, which generally suggests getting to Christmas as quickly as possible. but, as I read stories about Black Friday -- robbers shooting people in parking lots to steal the deals that had just purchased; a woman pepper spraying people to ensure they did not get the item she wanted; people pushing and shoving down store aisles -- it sounded a bit to me like the apocalypse!
When the Israelites heard Isaiah calling for God to come down, they could have connected that with the story told through the generations about God coming down and meeting Moses on Mt. Sinai. In that instance, God brought the Ten Commandments for the people to follow. how differently God came down in Christ.
The Lectionarieers assign this reading because of Mark’s midrash on the first verse of chapter 64. The heavens being torn open is the image used at Jesus’ baptism and at his death when the curtain of the temple is torn open. Mark uses this image from Isaiah to say that God indeed has come down out of the Heavens and out of the Holy of Holies to be with God’s people. Mark narrates the coming of the Spirit and the death (and by implication the resurrection) of Jesus as the answer to this prayer put down long ago. Russell Rathbun, http://thehardestquestion.org/yearb/advent1ot-2/
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