CELC First Sunday in Advent

The First Sunday in Advent – November 27, 2005

Mark 13:24-37

The Word for the first Sunday in Advent from our Lord Jesus himself is: “Keep awake!”

It may seem obvious and clear that you would want to keep awake and wait for the coming Lord Jesus. But, like the five bridesmaids with too little oil for the lamps, we sometimes are not as vigilant as we know we can be. So, Jesus himself reminds us today, “Keep awake.”

Let me illustrate what I believe our Lord is saying to us through the use of the Mason jar I have here with me. Note the rather large rocks I am putting into it. They fill the jar, don’t they? Not quite, though. I can still add these little rocks…and after the little rocks some of this sand. And if I really wanted to fill the jar completely I could add water. Then it would be completely filled.

What am I trying to say? If you are going to fit the big rocks in, they must go in first. You can’t fill the jar with sand and then expect to get the rocks in, let alone the big rocks. This is a simple illustration that the big items of ministry and mission must be first in priority or they will not get done. It is an illustration of getting the priorities straight; an illustration of first things being first.

I believe it is important now in the life of Christ Lutheran Church that we turn to God in prayer to discern what we are being called to make our first priorities. In fact I am so convinced of this and the need to keep awake as we look to our future, that I want to make an important suggestion: let’s spend this new church year in prayer, asking God to reveal to us what God wants us to do. To say it another way, let’s spend this year praying to God asking what it is God is calling us to be and do.

This is no small task. We will need to keep awake anticipating that God in Christ will speak to us, will guide us, and will reveal our calling to us. I would suggest that we can each pray and then gather now and then, perhaps over a meal, and talk about what we hear God calling us to do.

Note I do not say that we will gather to share what we think we ought to be doing. I am suggesting we gather to hear what God is speaking to you in prayer and telling what our calling is to be.

This is a discernment process. It reminds me of what a young person might go through as they select a college to attend. There are the requirements, grades, scores on the SAT test and those extra curricular activities that are noted. Then the student looks at literature from schools. Perhaps visits to the campuses come next. Then, finally, a short list, perhaps three schools, is made. Applications are then completed, waiting follows, until finally the student is notified whether they are accepted or not. With all this accomplished, they then select and go to school.

With prayer, scripture study, conversation and discernment, I hope we will look at the ministry and mission priorities for Christ Lutheran Church. I hope we will be able to put first things first in love of God and one another.

Let me illustrate what I am attempting to share with you this morning. I believe that God is here in our midst calling us to ministry and mission already. The first illustration I would lift up is the blessing Lillian Walge is offering to us by offering the opportunity to pray for the people of the Middle East where a wall is being built rather than peace. Yes, pray for both the Israeli’s and the Palestinians that peace may be their goal, not the building of a wall that divides and defeats all. It is a simple, but profound act of faith to ask God to raise up peace in this trouble part of our world. It is a calling God has for us.

God is calling us to love and support one another as well. A new group for women at Christ Church is forming. LEAP is a small group that can offer support and encouragement. Most of all, as it is a small group of faith, it will nurture and care for all. Perhaps God is calling for us to form this and other small groups for spiritual growth, for bible study and for nurture by the Holy Spirit.

Third and last, let me lift up the feeding of the hungry. I have been so very impressed by the Social Ministry Committee having the month of November be a month of emphasis for feeding the hungry. I have been so impressed by the young children of our parish that have fed a hungry family here at Thanksgiving. I have been so very impressed that the women who sew quilts have led us to support the Verona Food Pantry, which feeds 3,000 local residents each month. It seems God is calling Christ Church to feed the hungry. I am sure that prayer has revealed this need to those who have led us to this calling.

So, let us heed today the words of our Lord Jesus: keep awake. Indeed, we wait his coming again knowing that in the cross he has died and risen that we might be forgiven and made part of his kingdom. How blessed we are that we have a future and that is secure in his love for us. How blessed we are that Christ in the cross offers us a hope-filled future at his kingdom table. So, keep awake and pray that we may discern the call we have as we wait for his coming again. Amen.

Pastor Robert F. Holley