Some Assembly Required
"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable to you, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer."
"Some Assembly Required"
(Jer 33:14-16, Luke 21:25-36; Mark 1:1-18)
INTRO:
Happy New Year! Probably think I'm crazy, don't you? New Year isn't for another four weeks. But not in the Church. Within the worship seasons of Church, we don't follow the calendar year. Our year, the Christian year, begins four Sundays before Christmas w/ First Sunday of Advent. So, as we begin Advent, and New Christian Year, Happy New Year!
The word Advent literally means "coming" and for us, this is the season of the coming of the Lord in a very special way. We know that ever old, ever told story of the birth of a child who was really God putting on flesh and coming to be one of us. Yet it still has a way of sneaking up on us and catching us unawares and off guard.
One of the writers I read thinks we ought to create a new season for the period of time between a week before Halloween and Christmas and call it Hallowthankmas because all three holidays get sort of mixed up into one. Kind of like what happened in last year's hit movie by Tim Burton, "The Nightmare Before Christmas." It does get sort of crazy this time of year doesn't it? It'll get even crazier if we don't follow the advice of the scripture today. Jesus says, "You will see signs." "The days are coming." says Jeremiah. "Prepare the way of the Lord" shouts John. But then that's what Advent is all about isn't it? Advent is about getting ready. All three call us to get ready.
1. GETTING READY TIME:
And that's what Advent is. It is getting ready time. It's a time of preparation. I know, all the turkey isn't even gone yet and we're talking about Christmas. But stores and advertisers have been getting ready for a long time. The toy and gadget industry has been preparing for nearly a year. Last February, Toy companies went to a toy fair to look at what would be hot this Christmas.
Factories geared up, advertisers put together ads, catalogs, commercials, displays, you name it. The stores have been gearing up for Christmas since at least September. Some even had a few Christmas items out in September. Fall hadn't even officially begun and they were pushing Christmas. They were getting ready.
Remember playing hide and seek as a kid? Someone hide eyes and count to 100. Everybody scatter - hide - try to sneak back to base and get in free. When one who was "it" finished counting would yell: "Ready or not, here I come!"
You had to be ready. You had to have thought of a good hiding place. You had to prepare or you'd get caught. Same with Christmas. Have to be ready for this wondrous event or you'll be caught unawares and miss it.
That's what Jeremiah was trying to tell the people. He was trying to tell them to get ready because the Messiah was coming. He didn't realize that it would be another 600 years. He was just doing what God told him to do. Telling the people to get ready.
That was John the Baptizers job, too. He told people of Israel that the Messiah was coming and they should "prepare the way of the Lord." And now, this first Sunday of Advent they both reminds us that we should get ready. That the signs are all around. The Hymn is right, there IS a song in the air. It is the Messiah's song and it tells us to get ready. We have to prepare ourselves and our families.
2. PREPARE SELF:
A. First thing we have to do to get ready is to prepare ourselves. You can't help others get prepared if you're not prepared. Once, while Dwight Eisenhower was president, he visited Denver, Colorado. He noticed a letter in the local paper from a six-year-old little boy who was dying of cancer who expressed a wish to see the president before he died. That Sunday morning, black limo pulled up in front of that boy's house. Ike stepped out and rang the doorbell. Donald Haley, the boys father, opened the door. He was wearing faded jeans, an old shirt and a day-old beard. Behind him stood the boy.
Ike looked at the boy and said, "Paul, I understand that you wanted to see me. Glad to see you." Then he took the boy out to explore the limo and visit. After awhile Ike shook the boy's hand and said good-bye.
The family and neighbors talked about that visit for a long time but the father always remembered it with regrets because of the way he was dressed and said, "What a way to meet the President of the United States. If I'd known he was coming, I could have showered, shaved, and hand on some decent clothes."
Wouldn't it be horrible to miss Christmas and the meaning of Christmas simply because we weren't prepared?
B. So, how do you prepare? Well, there are lots of ways. First is prayer and worship. These two put the heart and soul in the right place and in the right frame of reference.
Second it might be something that helps you get in the spirit, like an old movie of a series of stories. I never feel like it's really Christmas until I've seen my favorite all time movie, "It's A Wonderful Life." That's part of how I get ready. George Bailey's plight is everyone's plight. And yet at Christmas we are reminded of how much God loves us. Another movie I like is the musical, "Scrooge." I love to see Christmas melt that old miser's heart and make him a new person. Because that's what Christmas is all about, new life and hope.
I also read lots of Christmas stories. Whatever you do, it's time to do it so that you can be ready. So you can interpret the signs for yourself and for your family.
3. PREPARE FAMILY:
That's the second part you have to prepare, your family. This is the most stressful time of the year for individuals and for families.
Kids home form school. Daily routine broken and in a mess. Though we say we don't like routine, daily routine gives life stability. Change cause stress. Have to "prepare" for that too. Have to recognize the stress, if do, that reduces the stress.
We have the effects of the change in routine, now add to that the plethora of parties that we're invited to. Not to mention all the school and civic and Church activities we're expected to be at. Some of things have to do. Others are optional.
Look at list of expected. Spend your time wisely. Map out what you can choose to do. Make sure have some things planned that will build the family. Things like worshiping together each Sunday of Advent and attending the Christmas Eve service. Making cookies together. Choosing the gifts for adopt-a-family together. Read the Christmas stories in the gospels of Matthew and Luke.
It might be getting the family involved in our Advent nights. But we all need to do something to help prepare our families.
Two little boys sitting on front row of Church for a Christmas pageant. The characters of the nativity scene all entered and walked down the center aisle to the stage. When the wise men started forward, one of the little boys nudged the other and said, "Look, here comes the king.!"
The other boy jumped up in his seat, looked toward the back of the room and shouted, "So that's Elvis!"
We all need to be reminded what Christmas is really all about and who all the characters are. Establish a few holiday traditions that remind the whole family of the reason for the season. We don't want any one to miss Christmas.
CONCLUSION:
The story is told of Chief Justice of the U. S. Supreme Court Oliver Wendall Holmes. On one occasion he had boarded a train but couldn't find his ticket. He searched everywhere, pockets, luggage, briefcase, hat band but couldn't find. Conductor recognized Justice Holmes. Told him not worry, railroad would trust him for the ticket, send it in later. But Justice Holmes said, "The problem is not, Where is my ticket? The problem is, Where am I going?"
That's the way it is with Advent. You have to know where you're going. Max Lucado in his book, Eye of the Storm, in talking about slowing down during the journey of life says, "It doesn't do any good to make the trip if you miss this journey." Advent a wonderful journey of faith. About preparing hearts homes for the birth of Christ.
God has been preparing this time for each of us, for you and your family since the beginning of time. But there is some assembly required. Don't miss. The days are coming. Prepare the way of the
Lord. Prepare self and family.
This is the word of the Lord for this day.