As I was working on this sermon early Sunday morning, I heard a sound outside the sanctuary. When I investigated, it was an older woman who had spent the night outside the church and needed help. Although I initially tried to find a quick way to deal wiht the situation, when I went back to practice my sermon, the sermon's words pushed me back outside to help the woman. We were able to get the police to help her and arranged for a motel room for her through our Pastors' Discretionary Fund. when I preached the sermon, I included that story in Move 1, point c.
“Reimagining Advent: What Does Comfort Look Like” December 13, 2020, SAPC, Denton; Dr. Richard B. Culp;
Isaiah 40:1-11
Comfort, O comfort my people,
says your God.
2
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and cry to her
that she has served her term,
that her penalty is paid,
that she has received from the Lord’s hand
double for all her sins.
3
A voice cries out:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4
Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
5
Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all people shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
6
A voice says, “Cry out!”
And I said, “What shall I cry?”
All people are grass,
their constancy is like the flower of the field.
7
The grass withers, the flower fades,
when the breath of the Lord blows upon it;
surely the people are grass.
8
The grass withers, the flower fades;
but the word of our God will stand forever.
9
Get you up to a high mountain,
O Zion, herald of good tidings;[a]
lift up your voice with strength,
O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings,[b]
lift it up, do not fear;
say to the cities of Judah,
“Here is your God!”
10
See, the Lord God comes with might,
and his arm rules for him;
his reward is with him,
and his recompense before him.
11
He will feed his flock like a shepherd;
he will gather the lambs in his arms,
and carry them in his bosom,
and gently lead the mother sheep.
Introduction: We are spending Advent this year reimagining traditional themes in our current situation.
We often use the holiday season like comfort food - the pains and challenges of the year are forgotten for a moment, or eased by the familiar holiday traditions.
That comfort food has been hard to come by in this year of pandemic.
Thanksgiving and Christmas traditions - oops, not this year.
family gatherings - oops, not this year
Special times, special moments — oops, not this year.
And yet, here we are, gathering around God’s word during Advent listening as the prophet Isaiah speaks of comfort.
So let’s take a few minutes and reflect on what comfort might look like in this moment.
Move 1: Comfort looks like caring for others and being cared for by others.
a. “Comfort, O comfort my people” is the word of God the prophet Isaiah brings us about caring for others.
1. It is in the imperative voice.
2. A command.
3. We will be comforted.
4. we are called to comfort others.
b. Isaiah gives the image of a shepherd
1. he will gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep.
1. Powerful image of shepherds.
2. God caring for you.
3. Our being God’s care for others.
b. Cyprian, he bishop of Carthage during the mid-3rd century time of plague.
1. Christians were a minority.
2. Some blamed christians for the plague.
3. in some circles, the plague is still called Cyprian’s Plague because he preached a sermon that is still preserved in which he described the plague in great detail. It is apparently one of the best resources for those studying that place.
4. In that sermon, Cyprian called for Christians to help their neighbors, care for the sick, bury the dead,
c. As we reimagine Advent, we claim our role as ones being into a hurting world to extend God’s love and care to others.
1. Comfort this year means more than finding comfort by looking back to celebrate the birth of Christ and finding comfort by looking forward to when Christ will come again.
2. Comfort means extending ourselves to others, providing support and care in concrete ways.
3. It is not easy, but it is important for us to live out God’s call to comfort, even as we find ourselves comforted by those God sends into our lives.
Move 2: Comfort is about everyone.
a. Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
tThen the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all people shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
1. Isaiah prophesies God’s expansive understanding of comfort that comes for all people and goes to all places.
2. We are sent into all the world to all the people, not just our own little circle.
b. Back to the 3rd century
1. Bishop Cyprian preached that the Christians should help their neighbors even if their neighbors were not Christians. Why? Because Christians have a shared humanity with their non-Christian neighbors.
2. Interestingly enough, Cyprian does not spend much time in his sermon or in his other writings blaming God or blaming others for the pandemic. His concern is extending care to everyone.
3. Looking back at this time of plague a decade later, Bishop Dionysius of Alexandria noted that the people were attracted to the Christian faith because pagans abandoned the sick and the Christians reached out to care for the sick. (Christians’ Responses to Plagues: A Glimpse at the History, Catherine Gunsalus Gonzalez, Journal for Preachers, Volume XLIV, Number 1, Advent 2020, 15-16).
c. The God who sends us into the world sends us to comfort all the world.
Move 4: What does comfort sound like?
a. We hear again the prophet Isaiah: “A voice says, ‘cry out.’
1. again the imperative.
2. the command to speak words of comfort to the world.
3. But what should we say?
4. Again, the prophet gives voice:
You who bring good news to Zion,
go up on a high mountain.
You who bring good news to Jerusalem,[c]
lift up your voice with a shout,
lift it up, do not be afraid;
say to the towns of Judah,
“Here is your God!”
b. I hear that as a call to share a word of confidence as we talk to others about the challenges we face.
1. confidence in God.
2. Not false confidence that ignores the real problems people face.
3. not false confidence that minimizes the pain.
4. Not false confidence in all we can do.
5. But confidence in the God who continues to be at work in our midst.
c. We read the opening verses of Mark’s gospel this morning.
1. Mark does not tell stories of Christ’s birth, or shepherds, or stars in the night, or wise men.
2. he goes straight to the announcement - Jesus Christ, the son of God is about to arrive.
3. Jesus, a Hebrew name which means “Yahweh saves” now the given name of the son of God.
3. we bear his name as Christians, and we announce his message - ‘Yahweh saves.’
4. God’s saving power will not be thwarted by any human plague or pandemic, or anything else.
5. A truth we share with confidence to the world.
d. I am also struck by John’s comment about not being able to untie the thong on Jesus’ sandal.
1. I get the point that John is trying to make about his not being in the same league as Jesus.
2. But I am fascinated that the first description of Jesus in the Gospel of Mark includes his wearing sandals.
3. The sandal on the foot, so common - everyone wears sandals on their feet as they move about in that time.
4. A reminder Comfort from God arrives in the immediate moment.
5. yes, we can look to the future and speak of the comfort of eternal life and the return of Christ, but God is a God of presence.
5. God is at work even in the pandemic.
conclusion: With confidence, we join with the prophet Isaiah and proclaim to the world: “here is your God.” In our midst.
Words accompanied by our actions that bring God’s comfort to life.
Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment