Hope

Have you guys heard of a show on Apple TV called Ted Lasso? I bet most of you have heard of it. The show and its team of actors and producers have been nominated for several awards. At first, I thought the show was shallow and trite. And Ted has this weird hair thing going on. But the more I watched, the more I saw the beauty in its simple dialogue and plot.

The show focuses on a man, Ted Lasso from America, who accepts a job in the UK to coach football, a sport that we across the pond refer to as soccer. Now Ted knows nothing about European football, but he DOES know about people. And this is his gift. Along with being able to overlook and forgive the fans for calling him a name that I cannot say out loud this morning.

And while his team struggles to win, its players and leadership begin to grow in their faith of each other, and their trust in each other thereby giving them hope in their success and future. People begin to see each other in a new way. They are kind to each other because, well, Ted teaches them the importance of caring for others. And this change is powerful not only in their personal lives but in their professional lives as well.

And as they learn to respect and love each other, they begin to love themselves, giving them the confidence to stand up for things that they believe in and to love others with the abundance of love that they have developed for themselves.

Now I am in no way suggesting that Ted Lasso is a Christ-like figure, but his simple tactic of seeing the best in everyone is certainly a message that we need to hear today. And through this loving of neighbor, he creates hope for goodness. The same hope that we are called to hold on to, a Hope that God will keep his promise and that the kingdom of God will be our place of refuge.

Our lectionary readings this morning focus on the hope that Fr. Jim prayed for as the first Advent candle was lit. The Old Testament reminds us of God’s promise to save us from times of trial, to return to execute justice and righteousness by taking care of his chosen and to find a place of rest and peace and safety. In Chapter 22, ten chapters before our reading this morning, the armies of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, are advancing on Jerusalem. The streets of Jerusalem will soon be filled with the corpses of her people (Jeremiah 33:4-5), and the prophet Jeremiah himself is imprisoned by King Zedekiah (Jeremiah 33:1). Anyone can see that the city is doomed to destruction and her people will be in exile.

But the Prophet Jeremiah gives the people of Jerusalem hope. He has purchased a piece of land as a pledge, a symbol of God’s redemption. God had promised that land would once again be purchased by Israelites for themselves to own. And so, in the midst of impending doom, a sign of hope is enacted.

Similarly, in Chapter 33, the prophet speaks of the coming restoration, the restoration of normal, everyday life. There will come a time in the land of Judah when “there shall once more be heard the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride” (Jeremiah 33:10-11).

And now, in this passage, Jeremiah speaks of the restoration not simply of daily life (as momentous as that is), but also of one of the chief signs of God’s favor, the restoration of the Davidic line. A righteous Branch will sprout from the line of David. The promise of Christ himself to bring the kingdom that God has promised.

Hope is a powerful thing. It can get us through the hardest of times. It can help us to believe in our own ability to succeed and overcome.

But we need more than hope. We need action. We are “get it done” kind of folks. We like to conquer, to succeed, to send it as my son taught me this weekend is the latest vernacular to what I would have used bring it!

So, we begin with a reminder of God’s promise. And then we hear about God’s working in our lives to bring about the kingdom by being ready for the Messiah.

Paul’s situation with the Thessalonians reminds us of just that: that God is working in us and through us all of the time. After Paul was kicked out of Thessalonia, he really did have trouble getting along with others, he sent Timothy back to check on the new converts. And Timothy returned with a good report. While Paul realized that he had not finished his work there, good things were happening! God had taken care of what was lacking in Paul’s work. By actively working in the hearts of those early followers. Paul opened their hearts and minds to God… and God did the rest….strengthening their hearts in holiness to love one another so that they will be without blame to following God’s call to love and serve. To lead and to teach each other to God’s promise.

As Bishop Logue has been saying this past year and used as a theme for our convention, we plant the seed. We do what we can. We let God’s direction guide us. And then we leave the growth up to Him.

So how can we open ourselves up to allowing God to direct and lead and teach all of these things so that we are ready for the work he has for us to do while we are waiting for the Messiah. God is the one doing the action. Our role, then, is to be open and receptive to the change God is going to be enacting in the new world. Change is coming. But Are we ready?

Every Advent 1 begin with an apocalyptic text. This year our reading is from the gospel of Luke. But we have more than the Christmas story. This is about getting us prepared to see what God is doing, not just in a manger in Bethlehem, but in the world. In our reading from Luke, Jesus uses the parable of the fig tree to point out the signs of change, of growth, and of newness in Christ. No apocalyptic doom and gloom that so often we hear on those fire and brimstone sermons! The end is near! Get ready!

Jesus gives us positive signs of change. In the smallest and simplest of things after the time of rest and growth in the darkness, the spring will come.

But then Jesus does add that once we see the signs, we are to be on our guard. In a defensive stance, not out of protection but out of readiness for action while we wait. We are waiting for the Messiah to bring justice and righteousness. But if God is working through us, we can rely on him to bring that very action through us.

Like Ted Lasso, we can be the light of hope for those who have lost their way. Our faith in the hope of what is to come feeds us with the abundance of God’s love so that we can share it with those who are having a difficult time believing. Let’s not just look up to the heavens, but look out to each other.

Fr. Jim has made several changes to our liturgy this morning. Changes that are to help us to experience the meaning and significance of Advent. While not Lent, this Advent season of 4 weeks is a time for us to stop and slow down before the coming of Christ so that we are ready. Historically, once the dates for Easter and Christmas were set, around 300 AD, serving as anchors for the Christian year, other seasons or tides were put in place in preparation for both major feast days. And for the baptisms that were scheduled during this time. And so, while eager candidates waited for their initiation into Christianity, they prepared. Taking weeks to get their lives in order to make that commitment to receive Christ.

We too are given these next 4 weeks for preparation. We are in a time sometimes referred to as a mini lent, meaning a time while not as penitent, is a time to be penitential, to be deliberate. To be ready, to commit or RE-commit our lives to our faith in Jesus Christ. As the darkness and the stillness of these longer nights arrive, leading up to the darkest night of the year in December, the natural world is resting, resting and waiting for the upcoming light of spring.

For us, that light is Christ. So, while the natural world rests and gets ready, we, on the other hand, may find ourselves in a whirl of Christmas preparation: decorating, baking, shopping, wrapping, planning, traveling. Which I certainly understand and can easily fall into myself.

But the church offers us something more than filling stockings and giving gifts. The church offers what all else in our lives is built on: our waiting for the coming of the light with hope with the same fervency as the early church, and the reflective knowledge of the church today.

We are called to speak words of hope and promise in a world often filled with fear and uncertainty, even despair. Especially in this season of Advent, we speak words of hope. In the midst of darkness, light is about to break in. In the midst of despair, hope erupts. After long waiting, a branch will sprout. The complete fulfillment of God’s promises has not yet happened, but it is coming. Such is Advent faith, and Advent hope. AMEN.

Source:

Two Bubbas and a Bible.