The Time of God’s Coming

On this final Sunday in the Advent season we have arrived at the final days of our preparation for the birth of God in human form.  It is the time of God’s Incarnation, God coming into our midst in the person of Jesus of Nazareth.

Elizabeth, the mother of John, and Mary, the mother of Jesus were related so their sons were cousins.  In the gospel of Luke these two women were waiting expectantly for the birth of their children.  We just heard Mary’s song, the Magnificat, sung by our choir.  Mary expressed what she experienced in her own life and hoped for in the lives of others: "God has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.  He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty."  

This passage in Luke, and the verses of Mary’s song are a reversal of what had been taken for granted during those days.  The accepted values and norms were to be turned upside down, and a new day of justice, fairness and equity was coming.  It reflected what the ancient understanding of the year of jubilee was all about.  It was "the promise God made to Abraham and his descendants."

Today the great Song of Mary reminds us that we need places where friendship and companionship are a reality without regard to social status or economic standing.  The upside-down values of the Magnificat tell us that God's economy is different from ours, that people and relationships matter, and true fidelity to God and others demands a renewed or a new attitude and understanding about respectful human relationships and the purpose of life.

The biblical scholar Walter Brueggemann said, “We are summoned by both cousins.  John issues a call to disciplined readiness; Jesus is an agent of deep newness.  Readiness and newness are counter-intuitive in a weary society like ours.  We are invited to embrace that which is deeply inexplicable among us. When we do, we may be amazed like those who heard the shepherds’ testimony (Luke 2:18) and exuberant like the singing church (Colossians 3:12-16).”

In our weeks of worship in this intimate Parish Hall setting we have been fortunate in coming together as friends and companions without regard to race or class.  We are truly members one of another and we look forward with hope for the completed restoration of our church.  New windows have been installed, cracks and falling walls have been repaired, the interior has been freshly painted, work on the roof is underway.  Soon we will be back in a renewed and restored sacred space for worship.

All this has taken much longer than imagined or anticipated, so I want to express my thanks to all of you for your patience and understanding along the way.  Maintaining a building like this, given its age and structure, is an ongoing effort.  Even as we finish the current phase there will be more work to do, including masonry repair on the brownstone, and the clerestory stained glass windows. Their day is yet to come.

During coffee hour following our service we shall set up a projector and screen so you can see a power point presentation of the work that has been done so far.

In the meantime as we move toward the celebration of Jesus' birth, born in a manger while shepherds stood around, may we sing praise to God who brings to birth our human yearning for freedom, peace and justice for everyone.  Amen.