OH THAT YOU WOULD COME!

Transcript

1 OH THAT YOU WOULD COME! Wednesday before the First Sunday of Advent (Year B) November 29, 2017 Lessons Isaiah 64:1-9 Psalm 80:1-7, ST Corinthians 1:3-9 St. Mark 13:24-37 Prayer of the Day Pastor David J. Risendal facebook Dave Risendal Twitter: drisendal Saint Peter Lutheran Church 9300 East Belleview Avenue Greenwood Village, CO voice: 303/ fax: 303/ facebook.com/stplc Stir up your power, Lord Christ, and come. By your merciful protection waken us to the threatening dangers of our sins, and keep us blameless until the coming of your new day, for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. waiting and watching empower our faithful lives oh that you would come Sermon Grace to you and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.1 Amen. Welcome to the season of Advent well, actually, we are a step or two ahead of schedule. Technically, Advent begins this Sunday, the first of four Sundays the church sets aside to prepare us for the arrival of Christmas and the Christmas season. But in an act of proleptic courage, we re getting started today because our habit has been to take time on Wednesdays, in Advent and Lent, to prepare us for our time of worship on the coming Sunday. 1 Romans 1:7, 1st Corinthians 1:3, 2nd Corinthians 1:2, Galatians 1:3, Ephesians 1:2, Philippians 1:2, Colossians 1:2, 1st Thessalonians 1:1, 2nd Thessalonians 1:2, Philemon 3; New Revised Standard Version Bible ( 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America).

2 Wednesday before the First Sunday of Advent (November 29, 2017) 2 So our task this evening, is to begin that preparation. To think a bit about what this season can mean to us, and to move our hearts and minds to a place where we can fully enter into worship on Sunday. So thank you for being here to do so tonight! The focus for our Wednesday meditations during this season will be the strong words of Isaiah. One of the greatest prophets in the Jewish tradition, Isaiah lived during the last half of the Eighth Century before Christ. As the introduction to Isaiah on the cover of your worship folder indicates, it was a tumultuous time in the history of God s people. During Isaiah s lifetime, Israel was conquered by Assyria. Throughout his ministry Isaiah warned the leaders of Judah that unless they returned to God, their fate would be the same. Not long after Isaiah s death, this is exactly what happened: Judah is conquered by Babylon, and many of the religious and political leaders of Jerusalem are carried off into exile by the Babylonians. Eventually Babylon is conquered by Persia, and God s people are allowed to return to their home, where they face a complicated situation. After years of deterioration, their cities are in shambles. And the returning exiles have to figure out how to live together with the remnant who have been scratching out a living on the land by themselves during this whole time. It was a difficult and complicated undertaking This evening s lesson is set towards the end of this story. It seeks to connect the message of the Prophet with a time when the people of Israel were living with an incredible amount of social, political and religious uncertainty. What does it mean that they had been removed from their home for so long? How do they understand a world where they are vulnerable to so many other more powerful nations? What does God s ancient promise that King David s descendants would be vast, and that Israel would be a great power mean to them? Why does God no longer seem to speak directly to people any more? A tumultuous and confusing time, indeed! It s no wonder that Isaiah cries out on behalf of his people for God to make a powerful and dramatic appearance. O that you would tear open the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake at your presence to make your name known to your adversaries, so that the nations might tremble at your presence! 2 You can understand why Isaiah would yearn for God to appear in such a way, can t you? You can understand why the people of Israel and Judah would be comforted by such a show of power and might. Capture the attention of our enemies. Make them line up and get in order. Help us to prevail over them. Oh that you would tear open the heavens and come! 2 Isaiah 64:1, 2b, New Revised Standard Version Bible, op. cit.

3 Wednesday before the First Sunday of Advent (November 29, 2017) 3 And to be perfectly honest, there are those of us who wouldn t mind such an appearance today. We too are living in a tumultuous and confusing time. We talked about this a bit at our Congregation Council meeting yesterday evening. Ours is a time of great change. Especially here in North America, the role of the church in our society seems so diminished from what it was just a few years ago. The civility and respect that once seemed so commonplace in our society seems rare now. And our own country, which once seemed united around a common set of purposes and values, now seems content to nurture division and suspicion of anyone who has a different perspective than we do. Can t you hear Isaiah crying out? O that you would tear open the heavens and come! Shake the mountains. Make yourself known to your opponents. Cause the nations to tremble at your presence. For those of us who are worried about the future of our society the future of our world wouldn t this be a good way for God to call us all back to a more faithful, a more respectful, a more productive way to live? O that you would tear open the heavens and come! But no, as we will discover over the course of the next four weeks, this season of Advent draws us to a different hope. In Isaiah 64, the call for God to dramatically blast into the world gives way to a hope grounded in longing: From ages past no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who works for those who wait. 3 God who works for those who wait. This is the God of our Advent longing. And so as much as we might love it if God were to come thundering into our world, and shake the powers that be, this season and the words of Isaiah call us to a faithful waiting. A waiting that is marked with word, and worship, and meal. A waiting that is lived out as we give our whole hearts to God, and as we love others as much as we love our own. A waiting that draws us together, unites us in the faith we share, and makes of us a people of God. A waiting that even in our longing opens up in our hearts and our homes and in our lives a place for the Christ. Christ who promises to come. In the manger of Bethlehem as the Christ Child. In our hearts and lives today. In the culmination of every believer s future. O that you would tear open the heavens and come to those who wait. As we wait together this year, may our hope in God s promise be renewed. May our commitment to live as God s people be strengthened. May our witness to the world be received. Amen. David J. Risendal, Pastor 3 Isaiah 64:4, New Revised Standard Version Bible, op. cit.

4 Wednesday before the First Sunday of Advent (November 29, 2017) 4 Gospel Lesson; English Text 4 13:24 [Jesus said:] But in those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, 25 and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. 26 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27 Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven. 28 From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. 29 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. 30 Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. 32 But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. 34 It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. 35 Therefore, keep awake for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, 36 or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. 37 And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake. 5 Gospel Lesson; Greek Text: Ἀλλα ἐν ἐκείναις ται ς ἡµέραις µετα τη ν θλι ψιν ἐκείνην ὁ ἥλιος σκοτισθήσεται, και ἡ σελήνη οὐ δώσει το φέγγος αὐτη ς, 25 και οἱ ἀστέρες ἔσονται ἐκ του οὐρανου πίπτοντες, και αἱ δυνάµεις αἱ ἐν τοι ς οὐρανοι ς σαλευθήσονται. 26 και τότε ὄψονται το ν υἱο ν του ἀνθρώπου ἐρχόµενον ἐν νεφέλαις µετα δυνάµεως πολλη ς και δόξης. 27 και τότε ἀποστελει του ς ἀγγέλους και ἐπισυνάξει του ς ἐκλεκτου ς [αὐτου ] ἐκ τω ν τεσσάρων ἀνέµων ἀπ ἄκρου γη ς ἕως ἄκρου οὐρανου. 28 Ἀπο δε τη ς συκη ς µάθετε τη ν παραβολήν ὅταν ἤδη ὁ κλάδος αὐτη ς ἁπαλο ς γένηται και ἐκφύῃ τα φύλλα, γινώσκετε ὅτι ἐγγυ ς το θέρος ἐστίν 29 οὕτως και ὑµει ς, ὅταν ἴδητε ταυ τα γινόµενα, γινώσκετε ὅτι ἐγγύς ἐστιν ἐπι θύραις. 30 Ἀµη ν λέγω ὑµι ν ὅτι οὐ µη παρέλθῃ ἡ γενεα αὕτη µέχρις οὑ ταυ τα πάντα γένηται. 31 ὁ οὐρανο ς και ἡ γη παρελεύσονται, οἱ δε λόγοι µου οὐ µη παρελεύσονται. 32 Περι δε τη ς ἡµέρας ἐκείνης ἢ τη ς ὥρας οὐδει ς οἰ δεν, οὐδε οἱ ἄγγελοι ἐν οὐρανῳ οὐδε ὁ υἱός, εἰ µη ὁ πατήρ. 33 Βλέπετε, ἀγρυπνει τε οὐκ οἴδατε γα ρ πότε ὁ καιρός ἐστιν. 34 Ὡς ἄνθρωπος ἀπόδηµος ἀφει ς τη ν οἰκίαν αὐτου και δου ς τοι ς δούλοις αὐτου τη ν ἐξουσίαν ἑκάστῳ το ἔργον αὐτου και τῳ θυρωρῳ ἐνετείλατο ἵνα γρηγορῃ. 35 γρηγορει τε οὐ ν οὐκ οἴδατε γα ρ πότε ὁ κύριος τη ς οἰκίας ἔρχεται, ἢ ὀψε ἢ µεσονύκτιον ἢ ἀλεκτοροφωνίας ἢ πρωί, 36 µη ἐλθω ν ἐξαίφνης εὕρῃ ὑµα ς καθεύδοντας. 37 ὃ δε ὑµι ν λέγω πα σιν λέγω, γρηγορει τε A list of Bible lessons for the coming weeks is available at St. Mark 13:24-37, New Revised Standard Version Bible, op. cit. St. Mark 13:24-37, The Greek New Testament, Aland, Kurt, Black, Matthew, Martini, Carlo M., Metzger, Bruce M., and Wikgren, Allen, ( 1983, Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft Stuttgart).

5 Wednesday before the First Sunday of Advent (November 29, 2017) 5 First Lesson; English Text: 64.1 O that you would tear open the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake at your presence 2 as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil to make your name known to your adversaries, so that the nations might tremble at your presence! 3 When you did awesome deeds that we did not expect, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence. 4 From ages past no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who works for those who wait for him. 5 You meet those who gladly do right, those who remember you in your ways. But you were angry, and we sinned; because you hid yourself we transgressed 6 We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. 7 There is no one who calls on your name, or attempts to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have delivered us into the hand of our iniquity. 8 Yet, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand. 9 Do not be exceedingly angry, O Lord, and do not remember iniquity forever. Now consider, we are all your people. 7 Second Lesson; English Text: 1.3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 4 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, 5 for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind 6 just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you 7 so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. 8 He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. 8 Second Lesson; Greek Text: 1:3 χάρις ὑµῖν καὶ εἰρήνη ἀπὸ θεοῦ πατρὸς ἡµῶν καὶ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. 4 Εὐχαριστῶ τῷ θεῷ µου πάντοτε περὶ ὑµῶν ἐπὶ τῇ χάριτι τοῦ θεοῦ τῇ δοθείσῃ ὑµῖν ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, 5 ὅτι ἐν παντὶ ἐπλουτίσθητε ἐν αὐτῷ, ἐν παντὶ λόγῳ καὶ πάσῃ γνώσει, 6καθὼς τὸ µαρτύριον τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐβεβαιώθη ἐν ὑµῖν, 7 ὥστε ὑµᾶς µὴ ὑστερεῖσθαι ἐν µηδενὶ χαρίσµατι ἀπεκδεχοµένους τὴν ἀποκάλυψιν τοῦ κυρίου ἡµῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ 8ὃς καὶ βεβαιώσει ὑµᾶς ἕως τέλους ἀνεγκλήτους ἐν τῇ ἡµέρᾳ τοῦ κυρίου ἡµῶν Ἰησοῦ 7 8 Isaiah 64:1-9, New Revised Standard Version Bible, op. cit. 1 ST Corinthians 1:3-9, New Revised Standard Version Bible, op. cit.

6 Wednesday before the First Sunday of Advent (November 29, 2017) 6 [Χριστοῦ]. 9 πιστὸς ὁ θεός, δἰ οὗ ἐκλήθητε εἰς κοινωνίαν τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ κυρίου ἡµῶν ST Corinthians 1:3-9, The Greek New Testament, op. cit.