A sermon by Senior Minister John B. McCall, December 2, 2007
Isaiah 2:1-5
Matthew 24:36-44
Did you ever want to stop the clock and freeze the moment because it seemed it was as good as it could get? Think about it:
• stock market investors want to freeze the Dow Jones at its recent high of 14,000 points, and avoid the anxiety of its volatile cycles;
• young couples want to freeze the thrill of new love and avoid the frustration of who’s going to do the dishes;
• many worshipers want all the hymns to come from the 30 or so favorites that are in Pilgrim Hymnal and avoid wrestling with texts and tunes that are unfamiliar;
• parents want to freeze their children at some particular age, probably the stage when they were really cute but not yet sassy;
• and the multi-billion dollar cosmetics industry promotes their products that are supposed to stop the clock, and freeze your youthful look so everyone will tell you you look much younger than you really are.
There are lots of reasons for wanting to freeze the frame and stop the passage of time. The known, the familiar, and the reliable all hold a great appeal, at least for those of us for whom life is good. But remember “the good old days” weren’t good for everyone.
While the situation is gradually improving, people of color still bear the burden of discrimination that is deeply rooted in our culture. Gays and lesbians are still silenced by various policies of “don’t ask don’t tell” and closeted by a deep fear of rejection. Women are still subjected to the glass ceiling that denies their worth in the marketplace. Let’s not be too quick to wish we could stop the clock.
All of this talk, of course, is just our imagination. In the bright light of day we know we can’t freeze the frame; we can’t stop the clock; we can’t live yesterday over and over again. As a favorite hymn (yes, No. 1 from the Pilgrim Hymnal!) says: “Time, like an ever-rolling stream, bears all of us away. We fly, forgotten as a dream dies at the opening day.”
Time moves forward. Some believe it’s random; scripture says otherwise. Creation is unfolding, moving in only one direction. And ultimately everything is in the hands of God. Your life, my life, our community, our nation, our world – all of Creation is in God’s hands. And God will write the final chapter.
The first stanza of that hymn I just recited is more familiar: “Our God, our help in ages past, our hope for years to come, our shelter from the stormy blast and our eternal home.”
On this first Sunday in Advent, 2007, we begin again the cycle of lessons, the cycle of seasons, the litany of God’s faithfulness, goodness and grace.
On this first Sunday in Advent, 2007, we remember that what we know of the world will pass away. Human history will come to an end. And all flesh will be reconciled to God from whom we’ve come.
Some believe the final word is judgment – the separation of the sheep from the goats, the righteous from the unrighteous, the saved from the lost. The Gospel lesson is rich in such symbols and signs. The author was writing in the last third of the first century, maybe 50 years after Jesus’ death and resurrection. It’s likely the early church was getting impatient waiting for the promised second coming of Messiah. It just wasn’t happening as they expected.
So the author drew heavily on Jesus’ assurances that the great moment would come, but that no one knew when. Only God. Alluding to the time of Noah, Jesus said that worldly people would go on with life as usual while faithful people would watch and wait expectantly. Two women grinding at the mill – one will be taken and the other will remain; two men working in the field – one will be taken and the other left. And Jesus concludes: “therefore, you must be ready.”
The end is coming. It may be near… we don’t know. But Judgment is coming. To a Christian Fundamentalist this is a judgment by which they’ll be carried to heaven and everyone else will be banished to hell.
I recently read about a man who is being shown around heaven for the first time, by St. Peter, who walks around pointing out the amazing diversity of God’s people, living in heaven in complete harmony. The scene is like the 23rd Psalm: grassy hills, green meadows, still waters. As they walked the man noticed a great fortress without windows on the hillside.
“What’s that?” he asked. “Oh,” says St. Peter. “That’s where the fundamentalists live. It’s not heaven for them if they think anyone else got in.”
As you know, our Diversity Committee hosted the southern Maine premiere showing of a powerful movie on Friday evening called “For the Bible Tells Me So.” It profiles five normal, Christian families who came to grips with the truth that a son or daughter is gay or lesbian.
Well the sanctuary was nearly full and many of you were here. But probably ¾ of those who came are not part of our congregation. All sorts of people, wanting to hear the message of this award-winning film, and feeling safe and welcome in our sanctuary. Among those we welcomed were representatives of the Christian Civic League of Maine. The League’s web page this week featured the movie, our church, and Elsa and me in particular. They used words such as “heretic” and “abomination.” They took copious notes, took photographs of people coming in and out of our sanctuary and tried to create feeling of fear. But they couldn’t frighten away the love and compassion that filled this sacred space.
The message these Fundamentalist Christians carry was represented in an email I got on Thursday that said:
Homosexuality, regardless of how society thinks of it, IS and Abomination to God!!! … You, as a church, will be held responsible before God for this movie and your acception of a sin that grosses God out!!!! You can’t change the Bible, it is very clear in black & white…you can only manipulate it and you will be held responsible on Judgement Day!!!
Is this the Gospel message you hear? Is this what we believe about God’s judgment and the end of human history? I don’t.
The lesson from Isaiah draws quite a different picture: here we read that God’s ultimate purpose is not separating the righteous from the unrighteous, but rather redeeming all the people. The people will build the great temple on Mount Zion to which all nations will stream (2:2). Many peoples shall come and say “Let us go up to the mountain of the Lord.”
Do you hear the message? Doesn’t it tell us of God as barrier-breaker rather than barrier builder? Doesn’t it say that God’s redemption of all people is the final word in this great human drama? Doesn’t it say that God is far beyond all the labels and pigeon-holes we use for ourselves and each other?
The holy vision is a world reconciled and healed, in which all nations, all peoples, come together to the House of the Lord.
On this first Sunday in Advent, as we light the candle of Hope and share the elements of the Lord’s Supper we remember that God has not abandoned us. No, not at all. God is at work in the very heart of creation: calling, healing, reconciling. God turns us to face the future.
We can’t stop the clock or freeze the frame. Instead, we must put all our spiritual energy into living every day as faithfully and compassionately as we can, seeking the will of God, and seeking the wisdom of Christ, and hoping for the final gift of God when all of Creation will be reconciled.
Amen.