The First Sunday of Advent Year B

Advent 1B December 3, 2017 One of the preaching blog posts that I follow started off with this line this week: “I sometimes think Norman Rockwell is one of the most dangerous artists of the past century.” Well, of course, I was intrigued and had to read more. The writer, a Lutheran pastor and former preaching professor named David Lose continues: “I know that may initially sound a bit absurd, as Rockwell’s overly cheerful, even sentimental style led many to dismiss him as a serious artist and, indeed, often to refer to him instead as a mere illustrator. Moreover, I say this as one who enjoys Rockwell’s endearing style and portrait of what feels like a bygone era. Yet it is precisely Rockwell’s sentimentality that poses certain hazards, particularly when it is viewed not as sentimental but as ideal. Think of it this way: how many of us look at Rockwell’s famous painting of a family gathered around a holiday table (presumably Thanksgiving), all smiles and about to dig into a turkey, and somehow wonder why our family experiences don’t quite measure up. No arguing in this picture. No debate over recent politics. No one sulking because a favorite dish has been omitted or because there are no gluten-free options at grandma’s table. Instead, familial bliss. Perfection. Little wonder our experiences don’t measure up.”i Lose goes on to talk about how Norman Rockwell is not really our problem. Our problem is that we as humans often spend so much time focusing on the ideal that we lose sight of the gifts of our own realities. Think about how often you have measured your life, your family, your job, this church up to some sort of ideal: if only I had the ideal job, the ideal home, the ideal children and holidays and vacations, the ideal church. We all do this, and it can be a true impediment for us for a deeper relationship with God and happier, more fulfilled life. Today is the first Sunday of Advent. It begins not just a new season but also a new year in our church calendar. I love Advent because in the midst of the clamor of commercialism swirling around us, it invites us to slow down, to wait, to reflect, to keep watch. Advent is the perfect time for us to seek to strip away all of our ideals that we cling to, and to see our lives, our jobs, our families, our church, with new eyes. But how do we do this? In our epistle reading for today, Paul is writing to the Christian community in Corinth. And he begins (in his customary way) by giving thanks: “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind-- just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you-- so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Sounds a bit idealized, doesn’t it? But, wait! Listen to what Paul is really saying here! He is giving thanks on their behalf for the grace of God that has been given to them through Christ Jesus. He’s not giving thanks for them for anything that they have done. He is giving thanks for them because they have received God’s gifts and can show forth Christ’s glory. And, here’s what else we need to remember about 1st Corinthians. Later on in this same letter, Paul really lets the Corinthians have it because they have been up to all sorts of shenanigans—there’s all sorts of conflict in the church, and Paul give them the equivalent of a good chewing out. There is no doubt that he sees them clearly. That he loves them, and he knows that they can do better than they have been. But, he starts with gratitude on their behalf to God for the grace that God has given them through Jesus Christ. And that is where we need to start, too, if we want to use this Advent season to see things with new eyes. My children and I have a spiritual practice that we started a couple of years ago. We call it “the three things.” As I am putting them to bed each night, I ask them to name for me three things that they have been grateful for on that particular day. The results are always lovely and surprising for me, and they are usually things that surprised them during the day and that they had very little control over—things that were, for them, pure gifts from God. In this way, we are all able to see the day that is just behind us with new eyes, with new appreciation, and we drift off to sleep assured of God’s presence and God’s good gifts and grace in our lives. Today is the completion of our annual giving campaign, the day that we turn in our pledge cards for the year out of a sense of gratefulness for the gifts that God has given St. Thomas, the grace God has given us through Jesus Christ, and for the gifts that God gives us in our lives and through the people and ministries of this place. It is my hope that we can live and work together out of this place of gratitude over the coming year, as we seek to see this old church with new eyes. Your invitation for this week (and really all of Advent) is to think about what part of your life you have most held to an idealized version (your job, your health, your family, your home, your church…). Practice daily recounting the three things—what three things you are grateful for in that area of your life on that given day. Give thanks to God for those good gifts, and invite God to help you see that part of your life with new eyes. i. http://www.davidlose.net/2017/11/advent-1-b-a-present-tense-advent/