I'm not sure if I preached it word for word, but this is what I typed up from my scribbly outline notes that I'd preached from at the first service (that had arrows and numbers and not the easiest to follow), between the two services since we had no Christian Ed class, so that it would be easier to follow and preach from at the 2nd service. It's pretty close to what was said anyway. Disregard headings, those were for me so I'd know what the basic thought was of the text below.
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Advent
Here we are in 4th Advent. Advent is a unique season. A time of waiting and preparation, and also kind of a mixed bag as different things are emphasized. This mixture is seen in our opening hymn today, “Come thou long expected Jesus” as we hear phrases “from our sins and fears release us”, “hope of all the earth thou art”, “Joy of every longing heart.” There’s an emphasis on our need of Jesus now and in the future and so the readings call us to look at sin, repentance, darkness and light. There is also an emphasis on the incarnation – the mystery and gift of the divine becoming flesh and living among us, and the hope and joy that this creates.
We see some of that expectation, hope and joy in today’s Gospel.
Mary and Elizabeth – sharing good news, bursting into song
Mary has been visited by the angel and received amazing news.
Have you ever had incredible news that you couldn’t wait to share with others? Maybe you did well in school, or someone recovered from an illness or had a successful surgery, maybe you got a new job, became engaged, or were expecting a baby. And what do we do when we have good news? I think sometimes it doesn’t feel real until we’ve share our news with someone. So we want to share our good news with others, we celebrate, maybe we have a party, or sing, or send out announcements.
Think about Mary. Her situation. She has amazing news, but who is she going to tell? If she tells people they are likely to think she’s crazy talking about an angel visiting her, or they may think she’s trying to cover up some impropriety. But the angel has shared with her that her cousin is also having an unusual pregnancy. I think she goes to Elizabeth hoping for support and understanding. Maybe she will believe her, maybe this older relative can help and guide her since she’s farther along in her pregnancy.
When she gets there, Elizabeth knows her good news without her saying a word. The baby John the Baptist who is to prepare the way of the Lord, is already preparing the way as he leaps in Elizabeth’s womb. Elizabeth affirms her and blesses her.
I think Mary is joyful about the good news she has, but is also happy and relieved that someone believes her and that she’s been given this affirmation. Her response, like many of us when we celebrate is to break into song. She takes pieces of scripture and what she has been taught about God her entire life and creates a spontaneous song to express what she’s feeling.
So as we come to the close of advent we have 2 expectant mothers.
We are like expectant mothers – waiting, preparing, nesting
It’s appropriate because as we come to the end of advent and wait for Christ’s birth we are like expectant mothers.
Think about a pregnant woman in the 8th month. It’s been a long time to waiting and preparing and many are more than ready for the birth. Some even try to hurry it. You hear stories of people going for walks or eating spicy food to speed things along.
And we’ve had a long time of waiting and preparing in advent and all around us we are told that it’s Christmas. We want the birth to be here, we want it to be Christmas.
But usually, even if we’d like it to happen sooner, the baby comes in it’s time, when it’s done developing and ready to be in the world. And so parents have to wait and be patient. And so we have to wait for Christmas to come in it’s time.
Sometimes during the waiting and being patient mothers will engage in nesting behavior, and they may not even realize it. Unaware of how close labor is, they are drawn to prepare and clean, and make the house ready for the coming of the baby.
Today’s Collect – Preparing a mansion, building, setting up house
As we wait and are patient in the end of Advent, how might we be like a nesting mother?
In our collect today we pray that a mansion would be prepared in us for Jesus Christ. What could it mean to prepare a mansion within ourselves for God? Not a small corner, not a box, not a room or a modest dwelling, but a mansion. Any one who knows about contracting will know that you can’t build such a thing overnight. Even moving in and setting up a house can take some time.
I’ve told you about how I’ve been trying to unpack and set up my own house. I’m still trying to figure out each things place, and there are still unpacked boxes. This week I had people come to set up TV at my house. I’d put unpacked boxes in a closet, and the pile of laundry that had been outside another closet I stuffed in a laundry basket and hid in the closet so they wouldn’t see it. But it turned out the cable ran through that closet and they needed to get in it, so the laundry I was trying to hide I had to pull out into the light of day. It reminded me of how my sister and I would clean our room as children. Often we would stuff things in toyboxes or the closet or under the bed so it looked neater, but rarely did we fool mom.
When we pray that the babe for whom there was no room at the inn and was laid in a manger will find a mansion in us. I think that means not limiting God in our lives but opening all the doors and being open to God’s daily visitation. I think God wants to come into our toyboxes, closets, into the brokenness and messiness of our lives and world. It’s not easy, maybe it’s something we’d rather avoid, which I think is why we are intentional about looking at ourselves and our need of God particularly in Advent and Lent.
Last Minute Things
As we prepare for time with family and friends tonight and tomorrow we may find ourselves thinking of last minute things that need to be done. That last thing we want to buy, or preparations for a meal we need to be cooking, or one last errand before stores close.
But if Advent is a time for us to be waiting and nesting like expectant mothers, maybe there’s more we should do in the next few hours that are left to us of our Advent Season. Before we celebrate and rejoice at the arrival of God incarnate, our Savior, and break out into song like Mary, it might be good to hang on a little longer, be patient just a little longer, live into Advent a little longer. Let’s take time to reflect back on the season, to think on our need of the Christ child and all he represents – in our lives and in the world. As we wait patiently, what else might we think about or do to continue creating a mansion within us for God and prepare for his birth?
As we sang this morning:
Come, thou long expected Jesus, born to set thy people free; from our fears and sins release us, let us find our rest in thee.
Israel’s strength and consolation, hope of all the earth thou art: dear desire of every nation, joy of every longing heart.
Born they people to deliver, born a child, and yet a king, born to reign in us forever, now they gracious kingdom bring.
By thine own eternal Spirit rule in all our hearts alone; by thine all sufficient merit raise us to thy glorious throne.
Amen.
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