Sermon. November 29, 2020  First Sunday of Advent

Rev. John Steitz

With the First Sunday of Advent we begin a new church year.  The lectionary is divided into three years, called A, B, and C.  We are at the start of Year B. The gospel readings will primarily come from Mark.  One of the second New Testament books covered in Year B is First Corinthians.

Our Epistle reading today comes from the first chapter of First Corinthians. In this reading we are reminded that God is faithful, and through God we are called into the fellowship of Jesus Christ.

The reading affirms that the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among us so that we are not lacking in any spiritual gift.

Our spiritual life is about our relationship with a God who loves us.  As the UCC minister, Jane Vennard shares in her book, A Praying Congregation,

“God calls all of us, just as we are, into relationship and offers the possibility of intimacy…When we bring all of who we are into our relationship with God, we open ourselves to be loved unconditionally.”

It is through bringing all of who we are into our sacred and spiritual relationship with God that the testimony of Christ is strengthened among us and we find ourselves filled with the abundance of God’s love and the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Jane Vennard quotes from Tony Hendra’s book, Father Joe: The Man Who Saved My Soul:

“His God was gentle, generous, endlessly creative, musical, artistic; an engineer and architect of genius…who felt…joy deeply, who could be hurt just as deeply but would never give up on you, who showered you with gifts and opportunities whether you acknowledged them or not, who set you tasks but didn’t abandon you if you failed…”

Father Joe’s God, our God, the God of Jesus Christ is loving, creative, and deeply caring God.  This loving God calls us into a deep and personal relationship. A relationship that is personal and for each one of us, and at the same time is a relationship that calls us to love our neighbors, who are also deeply loved by God.

We love our neighbors by answering the three questions Marshall Ganz states are at the heart of organizing, beginning with the first question, “Who are my people?”

Today however we will focus on our personal relationship with the God who loves us.   Consider three more questions. This time from Marjorie Thompson, in her book, Soul Feast: An Invitation to the Christian Spiritual Life.

The three questions are:

• What am I deeply attracted to, and why?
• Where do I feel God is calling me to stretch and grow?
• What kind of balance do I need in my life?

We enter into our relationship with the God who loves us with intention.  One way to do this is through a daily intention to open our hearts to God’s guidance and love throughout the day.

Jane Vennard offers this example:

“Good morning Lord! Thank you for another day! Thank you for my health, my family, my life! What are we going to do today? What new person, new idea, new project are we going to encounter today? How can I make this day even better than yesterday? Let’s go God! I’m ready!”

Others express their daily intention in silence or with movement.  During a brisk morning walk or by looking out on the beauty of God’s creation.  The right way is the way the works for you.

Monastic communities formalize this daily intention through the liturgy of the hours.  Regular times of community prayer when work is stopped and everyone gives their complete attention to praying together.

Another way to be intentional is through a Rule of Life. Benedict articulated a Rule that has guided many Christians for fifteen hundred years.

We can develop our own Rule of Life.  We most likely already practice some rules of daily living.  One of these might be to brush our teeth when we rise and before we go to bed at night.  Some people begin practicing a Rule of Life by adding a short prayer while they brush their teeth.

This is where Marjorie Thompson’s three questions come into play.

The first question, “What am I deeply attracted to, and why?”  leads us to design a Rule of Life we long to follow rather than one we think we should follow.

When you tie your shoes, does the left lace first go over the right, or is it the other way around with right over left?  Both ways work. Both ways result in tied shoes.

The point is that there are many different ways to develop a Rule of Life and what matters most is that it works for you. What aspects of a prayer practice are you deeply attracted to? Do you engage God in silence or do you verbalize your prayers?  Do you write letters to God in a journal quietly in private or do you share the joy or sorrow or concern in your heart in an online prayer meeting?

To build on Howard Thurman, do what makes you come alive.  We will practice our Rule of Life every day if it moves us.  Our Rule of Life brings joy to our lives rather than being another chore.

This can be very simple, and short.  It doesn’t need to go on and on like a never ending sermon.

Thompson’s second question is “Where do I feel God is calling me to stretch and grow?”  This pushes us to take risks, to expand out of our comfort zone.

When water flows it stays fresh.  When water sits too long it can stagnate.   How is God calling you into the flow of life on ways that help you to grow?

Our Rule of Life opens our hearts and minds to creativity and the ways that God offers opportunity to deepen in our discipleship journey. This might involve a leap of faith to try something new.

The third question Thompson presents is, “What kind of balance do I need in my life?

We all need balance and self-care.  The pandemic has pushed all of us off center. If we are feeling “pandemic fatigue” then our lives are out of balance.

Our Rule of Life can help us reestablish balance, renew our grounding and feeling of centeredness. We can face adversity and find the resilience to move forward.

Let us open our hearts to the God who loves us with intention.  Let us be strengthen by the Holy Spirit to practice the Way of Jesus, the Way of Love.  Amen.