What does this Advent season really mean to us?
What other than preparing and remembering the birth of Jesus at Christmas does this season mean?
What does this church season offer us meaning and purpose in a way that we are affected in our soul at the core of our being?
When I was in the Army in my youth – what seems like centuries ago now – there was a particular phenomenon that happened annually called the IG inspection.
This was an annual inspection by the regulations done each year by inspectors who came from the higher headquarters and some actually from the department of the Army. They looked at everything by the book, paperwork, inventory, operational functioning, personnel literally everything was under the microscope, evaluated according to Army standards. Officers at every level of leadership were stressed to the max until this was over; successfully over. This could make or break careers.
It always seemed in the Army that there were two ways to get things done: the way things were done on a day to day basis, which seemed in most cases to be the most effective, and the Army ‘by the book’ way. And seldom did these things match up.
So for about 30 days prior to the inspection there was a flurry of activity to get ready.
People, paper, and things were moved, cleaned, measured, checked, painted or hidden; I heard of one unit that actually had an entire extra helicopter that they disassembled, put in conn-exes, and moved off post, so that everything was right for the inspection.
Occasionally the inspection would find something amiss that actually was helpful, but for the most part, when the inspection was over, things went back to normal, including heart rates and blood pressures, and you got on doing the mission.
It may just be my perception, but most of the time there was never any real change, at least in the good units. There was just a 30 day period when everything was Army perfect, and then everything went back to business as usual.
I think many of us deal with Advent in pretty much the same way. We make a seasonal change but not a permanent change. We take on maybe a special discipline: prayer, Bible study, daily Eucharist. We might make a special effort to do good deeds or be nice, and that is well and good but if we see it as a burden and can’t wait for the season to end so things can go back to normal, what good is it?
This season, and its message, is intended to have a long term effect: it is to prepare us not for Christmas but for eternity.
This season calls us to remember Christmas and to prepare for it because why Christmas had to happen – Jesus the Messiah was born to be the lamb slain – Jesus’ birth took place so he could die for us sinners. He came to us in this world so that in time we could come to him in his.
The messages of Advent come as sign posts, warnings, directions, guides, as we travel along the road of our lives, to live life safely, in light of what Jesus has done to secure our salvation, and to get us safely to him: our ultimate destination in life as Christians.
In today’s gospel reading we hear one of those warnings. We read one of those sign posts from John the Baptist: repent for the kingdom of God is near.
In every one of our worship liturgies there is the invitation to confess our sins but do we intend, actually intend, to repent?
Repentance means to undergo a change in frame of mind and feeling-to change in thought, perception and motivation, to make a change in principle and practice.
Repentance has to do with being brutally honest with ourselves, holding up not only our deeds, but our thoughts, motives and principles to judgment against God’s holiness and perfect will as revealed to us in scripture.
It is not something we do with the intent to return to business as usual as soon as we leave, but something we do that intends a long term and permanent change to be different.
So when we confess, do we really intend to repent? Or is it a short term preparation to pass the moment, so we can go back to what we consider normal?
The Book of Homilies is a series of homilies that used to be read in Anglican churches and is a wonderful source of Anglican Christian formation.
The concluding paragraph on the homily on repentance reads:
Whereas, if we will repent and be earnestly sorry for our sins, and with a full purpose of amendment of life flee unto the mercy of our God, and, taking sure hold thereupon through faith in our savior Jesus Christ, do bring forth fruits worthy of repentance [Matt. 3:8.], he will not only pour his manifold blessings upon us here in this world, but also at the last, after the painful travails of this life, reward us with the inheritance of his children, which is the kingdom of heaven, purchased unto us with the death of his son Jesus Christ our Lord. To whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be all praise, glory, and honor world without end. Amen.
Today’s Advent message is to repent; the intent to make a long term change to the way we do things, not just to get through this season like an inspection just to return to life as usual after. And there is a sense of urgency to it. Failing the IG had pretty serious consequences, failing to hear the message to repent likewise has serious consequences.
Let us now take a few minutes in silence to reflect on John the Baptist’s words. How will they affect our lives for Jesus? How will they help us to prepare to greet him when we see him?
Sermon preached by the Reverend Richard C. Marsden
The Church of the Redeemer
2nd Sunday of Advent
8 December 2013