Sunday, December 8, 2019

Advent Dreams, Advent Actions: Fireworks in the Season of Advent

Rev. Jimmy Moore, preaching
Matthew 3:1-12

This goes into the category of “Don’t try this at home, kids.” I once accidentally caused a ruckus at a holiday meal at my home when I was boy, old enough to know better. It was raining and I was bored, so I went to the back of the house to “play”. To my surprise, and joy, I found some firecrackers and some matches, and commenced lighting the firecrackers and throwing them out the window. The rain was loud, and the window was high, and no one else could hear anything.  But once I got a little crossed up, and threw the match out the window, and kept the lit firecracker in my hand. I realized my error just in time to drop the firecracker before it detonated but not in time to drop it outside. When it exploded, it sent a regrettably loud noise throughout the entire house, to say nothing of the unmistakable odor of gunpowder.  This sent my visibly irritated mother back to where I was…back to the room where I wished I was not.  Let’s just say that the next hour or two of my life were not pleasant. I won’t be chronicling them.

 We assume that fireworks really don’t go well with the Advent/Christmas season. But if that is so, why do the lectionary passages of Advent include John the Baptist. He was nothing if he not a firecracker, ready to cause emotional and religious distress to many of the settled parties of his day. Clearly the church in its longer and deeper wisdom have wanted us to see in Advent a time to see settled structures undergo some loud shaking, and to see fear and greed be asked to remove themselves from places of prominence in our hearts.

 So are we not entering a season of peace and goodwill? Why bring up John the Baptist, and his finger pointing and fiery sermons? Sure…it is a time in which the ages old longing for peace in the heart and peace in the world finds hope.  But it is also a time when we are reminded that much of what we have built is keeping us from peace…from the deep experience of the Divine in our midst. And this, too, is Advent.

 We’ll talk about this in the sermon on Sunday morning in worship which is titled, “Advent Dreams, Advent Actions: Fireworks in the Season of Advent,“ arising from Matthew 3: 1-12. During the service, the Chancel Ringers will ring, and the Chancel Choir, directed by Gerry Sousa, will lead us as well. And we’ll celebrate the baptism of one of our very young ones. We look forward to seeing you this Sunday.