Sermon Illustrations for Advent 1 (2023)
Illustration
Isaiah 64: 1-9
Forgiveness is our hope. The presence of God is our anchor, the foundation on which we stand. Isaiah prophesies to a community that has lost their hope, who has not felt the presence of God in some time. They claim there is no one to call out to God. Have you ever felt that way? Lost and alone without feeling the presence of God. For me that would be the biggest challenge ever. My life has had ups and downs, joys and sorrows, and yet, I have always known that God is present. That is my faith. Oh, the pain that must be present when faith and hope are lost, when God feels so distant that the presence of the divine is missing. May we turn toward God. May we be the ones who can call out to God — in pain or joy — with a strength offered by the divine.
Bonnie B.
* * *
Isaiah 64:1-9
Nicole Wallet wrote in Illumination magazine, “When a child brings home a drawing from school the parents ooh and aah and then display it on the refrigerator. Stuck there for the world to see, held by a few mismatched magnets. It stays there until space is needed for other paintings, report cards, awards, and other items worthy of celebration. That’s how it always was and that’s how it should be.”
I think Ms. Wallet is correct. When parents put a child’s artwork on the fridge, it provides the child a sense of worth, value and affirms that s/he is loved and matters.
God’s people, it seems, wanted to still have their pictures on God’s refrigerator. In this prayer found in Isaiah 64, God’s people recognize their sin and confess it to the Lord. This prayer is a lament. In verse 8 we see that they realize they are still the people of God. He is their father. He is the potter, and they are the clay. They are the work of his hand. They implore him to remember their sin no longer and to consider that they are still his people. God’s people, though sinful in Isaiah’s time, sought affirmation. They wanted to know they were loved. People still want to know that God loves them. Does he still hang their pictures on his fridge?
Bill T.
* * *
Isaiah 64:1-9
In my installment of Charting the Course for this week I make reference to the opening of Shakespeare’s Henry V, where the actor who enters for the opening chorus opens with the words “O For A Muse of Fire!” I point out that Isaiah is doing the same thing (only he had the idea first) of wishing the drama that’s about to unfold would begin with fire and thunder and the kind of cataclysms that get people’s attention. Certainly, nowadays with the uptick in the number and violence of the storms that hit our coasts, as well as the other unsettling weather, we should wish we would be shaken out of our tracks to take some sort of action. Here, as our season of Advent begins, we read how Isaiah is challenging God to really shake things up so we can’t miss the significance of the cosmic events about to unfold. So, I wonder if there’s a way to bring this passage alive, as performance art — with choir, with art, with the deep thunderous bass of the organ pedals and blaring horns — something to shake us out of our 4/4 complacency. The king is coming! Don’t you get it?
Well, not every church has the musicians and musicologists to pull this off — so what can you do? What sort of multimedia rabbit can you pull out of the hat to bring the words of Isaiah (and maybe a little of Mark 13:24-37 as well) alive, something that will shake us up enough that we get it in our heads that the coming of the king as an infant should shake us to our core — God is coming into humanity’s midst as a human, and if that doesn’t inspire awe, I don’t know what will.
Frank R.
* * *
1 Corinthians 1:3-9
Paul writes to the church in Corinth reminding them they are strengthened in Christ. Today, I need that strength. From the end of October and into December, there are many anniversaries of life and death which burden my heart. My husband passed away on October 27, 2021. Our 44th anniversary was November 17, 2023. Our twin sons were still born and delivered on November 22. My Mom died on November 20 and my Dad on December 5. It’s a challenging time.
Yet, I know Jesus. I have spiritual gifts to help carry me through. I have family and friends to comfort me. I know the strength of faith. Many people are in my position. I will have attended three funerals in the last week. Pain is everywhere and God is with us. Jesus embraces us. We are not alone. We have the spiritual gifts to thrive and to hope.
Bonnie B.
* * *
1 Corinthians 1:3-9
The Advent season is a time of preparation, a time of getting ready for the baby Jesus to come again and busily preparing for the Christmas holiday. The weeks before December 25 can sometimes feel overwhelming, leaving us feeling burned out, empty, or despairing (especially with the inflationary spirals). Paul says to us here that we have all we need to endure to the end. This word is the heart of Christian faith, the reminder that we need not be so uptight in the present or about the future, for we already have all we need. Martin Luther put in this way in a sermon on this very text:
The gospel is a grace which brings to you all manner of gifts, but him enriching you in everything. You lack nothing from God, but you await this one thing, that blessed day when Christ will reveal himself to you with all those heavenly gifts which you now possess in faith. (Complete Sermons, Vol.4/2, p.293)
Famed modern German theologian Jürgen Moltmann applied this point to get us to appreciate that what we have in the present are not agendas and things which chain us to the past. What we have and do in preparation gets us ready for what Jesus is going to do when he comes. As this great theologian of hope once wrote:
The present time of believers is no longer determined by the past. It takes its definition from the future. With every righteous action, we prepare the way for the new earth on which righteousness will dwell. And bringing justice to those who suffer violence means to bring the light of God's future to them.
Barack Obama taught a lesson like this, about the audacity of having hope in the present for the future, so that we not get so caught up on what’s wrong with the present. As he put it (and Paul seems to say):
The future rewards those who press on. I don't have time to feel sorry for myself. I don't have time to complain. I'm going to press on.
Mark E.
* * *
Mark 13:24-37
You may think you never preach from the prophet Zephaniah, but if you preach from this passage in Mark, you do! And that’s because Jesus quotes Zephaniah. When he says, speaking about the tribulations to come, “But in those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give it’s light….” (Mark 13:24) he is alluding to the images Zephaniah uses in describing the day of the Lord, describing it as “a day of wrath, a day of distress and anguish, a day of ruin and devastation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds of thick darkness….” (Zephaniah 1:15).
Zephaniah identifies himself as a descendant, four generations removed, from Hezekiah, one of the few righteous kings, whose reign in Judah is characterized by the words, “He did what was right in the sight of the Lord, just as his ancestor David had done.” (2 Kings 18:3) Hezekiah took the advice of the prophet Isaiah and did not attempt to placate King Sennacherib of Assyria when his army besieged Jerusalem. In the end, an angel of the Lord struck down 186,000 Assyrians, thus ending the siege.
The religious and political authorities of Jesus’ day, however, did attempt to placate the Roman occupiers, while compromising their faith. While some will interpret the words of Jesus in this second as referring to the ultimate end of the universe, others believe Jesus is speaking to the end of Jerusalem and the temple, something that happened within a generation of his death and resurrection. It may well be both.
Frank R.
* * *
Mark 13:24-37
The crowded cafeteria had a large sign posted which read, “Watch Your Hat and Coat.” Bobby was determined to keep an eye on his coat, and he kept turning every minute, almost choking on his food, just to make sure it was okay. His pal, Ryan, kept on eating, without thinking of his own coat on the hook.
Finally, Ryan said, “Calm down. You can stop watching our coats.”
“I’m only watching mine,” replied Bobby. “Yours has been gone for more than half an hour.”
Ryan learned the hard way that watching is important. There are also things more important to be watching for than coats and hats. About his coming again, Jesus told the disciples, “Beware, keep alert, for you do not know when the time will come” (vs. 33). The time of Jesus’ return was and is unknown. The disciples, however, were to be ready. They shouldn’t be caught unprepared for his coming. Clearly, he did not return in their lifetimes. The promise, though, remains. His return is closer than ever. Are you watching?
Bill T.
* * *
Mark 13:24-37
We have in this text an example of Jesus getting us and the flock to look to the future. Eminent New Testament scholar Rudolf Bultmann profoundly described the contemporary significance of Jesus’ preaching about the end times. Jesus and Christian faith teach us openness to the future, not to be so hung up on the things of the past:
This is the deeper meaning of the mythological preaching of Jesus [about the end times] — to be open to God’s future which is really imminent for every one of us; to be prepared for this future which can come as a thief in the night when we do not expect it; to be prepared because this future will be judgment on all men who have bound themselves to the world and are not free, not open to God’s future. (Jesus Christ & Mythology, pp.31-32)
Much the same word is uttered by famed modern German theologian Jürgen Moltmann as he once wrote:
The present time of believers is no longer determined by the past. It takes its definition from the future.
Martin Luther King Jr.’s chief colleague, Ralph Abernathy well captured the kind of confidence Christians can have about the future. In his view, “I don't know what the future may hold, but I know who holds the future.”
Mark E.
Forgiveness is our hope. The presence of God is our anchor, the foundation on which we stand. Isaiah prophesies to a community that has lost their hope, who has not felt the presence of God in some time. They claim there is no one to call out to God. Have you ever felt that way? Lost and alone without feeling the presence of God. For me that would be the biggest challenge ever. My life has had ups and downs, joys and sorrows, and yet, I have always known that God is present. That is my faith. Oh, the pain that must be present when faith and hope are lost, when God feels so distant that the presence of the divine is missing. May we turn toward God. May we be the ones who can call out to God — in pain or joy — with a strength offered by the divine.
Bonnie B.
* * *
Isaiah 64:1-9
Nicole Wallet wrote in Illumination magazine, “When a child brings home a drawing from school the parents ooh and aah and then display it on the refrigerator. Stuck there for the world to see, held by a few mismatched magnets. It stays there until space is needed for other paintings, report cards, awards, and other items worthy of celebration. That’s how it always was and that’s how it should be.”
I think Ms. Wallet is correct. When parents put a child’s artwork on the fridge, it provides the child a sense of worth, value and affirms that s/he is loved and matters.
God’s people, it seems, wanted to still have their pictures on God’s refrigerator. In this prayer found in Isaiah 64, God’s people recognize their sin and confess it to the Lord. This prayer is a lament. In verse 8 we see that they realize they are still the people of God. He is their father. He is the potter, and they are the clay. They are the work of his hand. They implore him to remember their sin no longer and to consider that they are still his people. God’s people, though sinful in Isaiah’s time, sought affirmation. They wanted to know they were loved. People still want to know that God loves them. Does he still hang their pictures on his fridge?
Bill T.
* * *
Isaiah 64:1-9
In my installment of Charting the Course for this week I make reference to the opening of Shakespeare’s Henry V, where the actor who enters for the opening chorus opens with the words “O For A Muse of Fire!” I point out that Isaiah is doing the same thing (only he had the idea first) of wishing the drama that’s about to unfold would begin with fire and thunder and the kind of cataclysms that get people’s attention. Certainly, nowadays with the uptick in the number and violence of the storms that hit our coasts, as well as the other unsettling weather, we should wish we would be shaken out of our tracks to take some sort of action. Here, as our season of Advent begins, we read how Isaiah is challenging God to really shake things up so we can’t miss the significance of the cosmic events about to unfold. So, I wonder if there’s a way to bring this passage alive, as performance art — with choir, with art, with the deep thunderous bass of the organ pedals and blaring horns — something to shake us out of our 4/4 complacency. The king is coming! Don’t you get it?
Well, not every church has the musicians and musicologists to pull this off — so what can you do? What sort of multimedia rabbit can you pull out of the hat to bring the words of Isaiah (and maybe a little of Mark 13:24-37 as well) alive, something that will shake us up enough that we get it in our heads that the coming of the king as an infant should shake us to our core — God is coming into humanity’s midst as a human, and if that doesn’t inspire awe, I don’t know what will.
Frank R.
* * *
1 Corinthians 1:3-9
Paul writes to the church in Corinth reminding them they are strengthened in Christ. Today, I need that strength. From the end of October and into December, there are many anniversaries of life and death which burden my heart. My husband passed away on October 27, 2021. Our 44th anniversary was November 17, 2023. Our twin sons were still born and delivered on November 22. My Mom died on November 20 and my Dad on December 5. It’s a challenging time.
Yet, I know Jesus. I have spiritual gifts to help carry me through. I have family and friends to comfort me. I know the strength of faith. Many people are in my position. I will have attended three funerals in the last week. Pain is everywhere and God is with us. Jesus embraces us. We are not alone. We have the spiritual gifts to thrive and to hope.
Bonnie B.
* * *
1 Corinthians 1:3-9
The Advent season is a time of preparation, a time of getting ready for the baby Jesus to come again and busily preparing for the Christmas holiday. The weeks before December 25 can sometimes feel overwhelming, leaving us feeling burned out, empty, or despairing (especially with the inflationary spirals). Paul says to us here that we have all we need to endure to the end. This word is the heart of Christian faith, the reminder that we need not be so uptight in the present or about the future, for we already have all we need. Martin Luther put in this way in a sermon on this very text:
The gospel is a grace which brings to you all manner of gifts, but him enriching you in everything. You lack nothing from God, but you await this one thing, that blessed day when Christ will reveal himself to you with all those heavenly gifts which you now possess in faith. (Complete Sermons, Vol.4/2, p.293)
Famed modern German theologian Jürgen Moltmann applied this point to get us to appreciate that what we have in the present are not agendas and things which chain us to the past. What we have and do in preparation gets us ready for what Jesus is going to do when he comes. As this great theologian of hope once wrote:
The present time of believers is no longer determined by the past. It takes its definition from the future. With every righteous action, we prepare the way for the new earth on which righteousness will dwell. And bringing justice to those who suffer violence means to bring the light of God's future to them.
Barack Obama taught a lesson like this, about the audacity of having hope in the present for the future, so that we not get so caught up on what’s wrong with the present. As he put it (and Paul seems to say):
The future rewards those who press on. I don't have time to feel sorry for myself. I don't have time to complain. I'm going to press on.
Mark E.
* * *
Mark 13:24-37
You may think you never preach from the prophet Zephaniah, but if you preach from this passage in Mark, you do! And that’s because Jesus quotes Zephaniah. When he says, speaking about the tribulations to come, “But in those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give it’s light….” (Mark 13:24) he is alluding to the images Zephaniah uses in describing the day of the Lord, describing it as “a day of wrath, a day of distress and anguish, a day of ruin and devastation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds of thick darkness….” (Zephaniah 1:15).
Zephaniah identifies himself as a descendant, four generations removed, from Hezekiah, one of the few righteous kings, whose reign in Judah is characterized by the words, “He did what was right in the sight of the Lord, just as his ancestor David had done.” (2 Kings 18:3) Hezekiah took the advice of the prophet Isaiah and did not attempt to placate King Sennacherib of Assyria when his army besieged Jerusalem. In the end, an angel of the Lord struck down 186,000 Assyrians, thus ending the siege.
The religious and political authorities of Jesus’ day, however, did attempt to placate the Roman occupiers, while compromising their faith. While some will interpret the words of Jesus in this second as referring to the ultimate end of the universe, others believe Jesus is speaking to the end of Jerusalem and the temple, something that happened within a generation of his death and resurrection. It may well be both.
Frank R.
* * *
Mark 13:24-37
The crowded cafeteria had a large sign posted which read, “Watch Your Hat and Coat.” Bobby was determined to keep an eye on his coat, and he kept turning every minute, almost choking on his food, just to make sure it was okay. His pal, Ryan, kept on eating, without thinking of his own coat on the hook.
Finally, Ryan said, “Calm down. You can stop watching our coats.”
“I’m only watching mine,” replied Bobby. “Yours has been gone for more than half an hour.”
Ryan learned the hard way that watching is important. There are also things more important to be watching for than coats and hats. About his coming again, Jesus told the disciples, “Beware, keep alert, for you do not know when the time will come” (vs. 33). The time of Jesus’ return was and is unknown. The disciples, however, were to be ready. They shouldn’t be caught unprepared for his coming. Clearly, he did not return in their lifetimes. The promise, though, remains. His return is closer than ever. Are you watching?
Bill T.
* * *
Mark 13:24-37
We have in this text an example of Jesus getting us and the flock to look to the future. Eminent New Testament scholar Rudolf Bultmann profoundly described the contemporary significance of Jesus’ preaching about the end times. Jesus and Christian faith teach us openness to the future, not to be so hung up on the things of the past:
This is the deeper meaning of the mythological preaching of Jesus [about the end times] — to be open to God’s future which is really imminent for every one of us; to be prepared for this future which can come as a thief in the night when we do not expect it; to be prepared because this future will be judgment on all men who have bound themselves to the world and are not free, not open to God’s future. (Jesus Christ & Mythology, pp.31-32)
Much the same word is uttered by famed modern German theologian Jürgen Moltmann as he once wrote:
The present time of believers is no longer determined by the past. It takes its definition from the future.
Martin Luther King Jr.’s chief colleague, Ralph Abernathy well captured the kind of confidence Christians can have about the future. In his view, “I don't know what the future may hold, but I know who holds the future.”
Mark E.
