A GOOD ENDING



A GOOD ENDING Isaiah 64:1-9; Mark 13:24-37 November 27, 2011
Today is the First Sunday of Advent, marking a new season and a New Year in the Church calendar. We are at the beginning of something new, but it has become a tradition for this Sunday to reflect on the ending of the story in which we are participants. Both of today's texts contain apocalyptic imagery. To interpret them so that they have some relevance for today is a challenge for the preacher. The great Protestant reformer, Martin Luther, did not have a high regard for apocalyptic writings. It was his opinion that the book of Revelation along with James and a couple others that didn't fit his theology should be thrown out of the canon of sacred literature. The Apocalyptic writings become problematical when readers take the bizarre imagery literally, and fail to see the truth to which the symbols point. Isaiah 64 opens with an apocalyptic theme, a plea for God to come down from Heaven and intervene to resolve the problems of the people: O that you would tear open the heavens and come down, So that the mountains would quake at your presence The prophet voices the feelings of the Jews who have returned to their homeland after years of captivity in Babylon. They find the Temple and Jerusalem in ruins and the countryside a wilderness, and cry to the LORD to restore these holy places to their former glory. It is a historical fact that these problems were addressed. The city and the Temple were rebuilt. It happened under the leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah who put the people to work. However, there is no indication that there was ever any personal visitation of the Holy One. An apocalyptic scene is the climax of today's Gospel: " ...they will see 'the Son of Man coming in clouds' with great power and glory" (Mk 13:26) It is also a fact of history that everything Jesus spoke of, up to this point, did come to pass. Mark 13 begins with words about the Temple of his day. It was a world wonder, commissioned by King Herod to the glory of God and Herod. But the day will come when it will be thrown down. 'Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.' There was a slight exaggeration in these words, because some of the Temple wall remains and you will see it when you go on a pilgrim¬age to the Holy Land. The AWailing Wall remains as a sacred site for Jewish people. Jesus did not say when the Temple would come downBtoday, next week, next year. His words came to pass forty years later in 70 AD, when the Zealot party led a revolt against Rome. The uprising was a disaster. The Temple was levelled. Its treasures were carried to Rome. The Zealots who survived fled to the mountain fortress of Masada (Another site you will visit on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Following his words about the Temple Jesus warns of hard days ahead for his disciples. Persecution, imprisonment, and suffering are in their future. He offers signs to watch for, which will indicate that the end is near. One of these is 'the desolating sacrifice set up where it ought not to be.' (vs 14). This was a reference to the desecration of the Temple during the Maccabean period, when the current oppressor of the Jews, Antiochus Epiphanes, slaughtered swine on the altar in the Holy of Holies. (This incident is recorded in 1 Maccabees 1:41-61). When the followers of Jesus saw something similar to this unfolding, it would be time to flee. We are uncertain of the details of the foretold Temple desecration, but we do know that several Emperors, such as Caligula and Nero, considered erecting images of themselves in the Temple. Because these words of Jesus had been written down, the Christian community which gathered to worship in the Temple knew that the end was near and fled Jerusalem before the Temple and the city were razed by the Roman armies, and unlike their Zealot brothers were saved from that destruction. But there is no record of " 'the Son of Man' coming in clouds." We leave it in the hands of God if and when and how this 'end of the world event' will happen. Numerous people have put much time and energy into solving apocalyptic puzzles. The media takes delight in reporting about some preacher predicting the day and hour of the end of the world or the 'rapture.' The truth in apocalyptic endings is that God writes the ending, and therein we find hope. There is more to any story than the ending. Today we begin Advent, which is about the coming of God. We celebrate a very different coming than the one described in Mark 13. It is not a 'shock and awe' type if visitation, but God comes to us as an infant in a manger. We sing 'O Come, O Come, Emanuel.' The meaning of Emanuel is 'God is with us.' We do not need to wait for the ending to know God's presence. God is with us in the middle of the story. This is the main point of the sermon! Remember this if nothing else. The decisions and choices we make in the 'middle' will determine whether there will be a good or bad ending. I have been privileged to be working on the Future Planning Committee. Every human enterprise has an ending (even the CFL!). I hope this is the case for the Future Planning Committee. Our work seems to have been going on and on. It is our assignment to lead the congregation through a 'Holy Conversation' to discern the future God intends for us. We have been working hard to discern God's will for us, but we move ahead with doubts and fears. It is easy to sympathise with the apocalypticists and like them raise our voices to God, 'Come down and save us..' Couldn't we have a slight parting of the heavens? Couldn't we have just a tiny little burning bush and get some clear direction from on high? But even in that epiphany Moses was left to do the job with what was in his hand. Why have we been struggling with driving questions? Why have we held a series of cottage meeting and workshops? Why have we been rehashing our history? Why have we been gathering data about ourselves and our community? Why have we been writing and rewriting scenarios about our future? We have been doing all of this because we believe in the Gospel of Advent. We believe that we are not alone and that God is with us. And we do not need an apocalyptic vision because God tells us and has told us what is required. A few weeks ago your minister preached a sermon on the two greatest commandments. The first is, 'Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God , the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.' (Mark 12:29-30) This commandment, the Shema is the creed of Judaism. Jesus attached to it a second commandment, 'You shall love your neighbour as your self.' This commandment had been more or less overlooked, or not given any special distinction in the 613 commandments of the law. Jesus lifted it from its obscurity in the book of Leviticus and expanded it and tied the two together. Israel's record of loving God was impeccable. Loving God filled and consumed their lives. But there were prophetic voices, like that of Amos, which declared that faithfulness to the first commandment meant nothing without practising the second. God did not want their offerings, sacrifices, music, and liturgy if they had no regard for the needs of their neighbours. 'Let justice roll down like waters & righteousness like an everflowing stream.' (Amos 5:24) From the discussions we have been having and the responses to the scenarios I see a consensus emerging that we plan for a future where we will be faithful to both commandments. In one of the workshops I facilitated the question was raised, 'What do we believe as the United Church of Canada? How does this figure into our planning?' In response to that question I would point to our Creed. Where our Creed is unique is that it affirms our commitment to both command¬ments. It differs from other creeds in that it is not just about what we believe but what we do. 'We are called...to love & serve others, To seek justice & resist evil' If we plan for a future of living out those two commandments, is there any doubt that Emmanuel has come, that God is with us now, and that the ending will be good? COMMISSIONING AND BENEDICTION God has shown you what is good. What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? May the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and remain with you always. Preached by Howard Hanson Knox-Metropolitan United Church Regina, Saskatchewan