Liberated By God's Grace (First Week of Advent)

[Fish and Bread]

This lesson for the first Sunday of Advent was written by Elizabeth Eaton, the Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).

It is posted here in the Anglican forum because it is part of "A series of Advent devotions prepared by the leaders of Anglican and Lutheran churches in full communion.". Week two and three are by Anglicans, making the series as a whole half Anglican, and I thought it'd defeat the purpose of the ecumenical project these are a part of to skip the two Lutheran parts in week one and four (Or to shuffle them off to other fora).

Plus, I thought this in and of itself was a good "mini-sermon" and might make for an interesting discussion on the forum.

Here is Bishop Eaton's contribution to the project:

But of that day and hour no one knows…and they knew nothing until
the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming
of the Son of Man…two will be in the field; one will be taken and one
will be left. Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be
taken and one will be left…you must also be ready, for the Son of Man
is coming at an unexpected hour.

Welcome to Advent.

This warning from Jesus comes after Jesus’ words about the end of
the world. The apocalypse is upon us, there will be tribulation and
the world will see the day of God’s vengeance on human sin. This
doesn’t seem to quite fit with the Christmas decorations, lovely carols,
and relentless merriness that has been in stores, in advertisement,
and in the media since Labor/Labour Day. It is jarring to hear about
judgement and the Second Coming whilst shopping for that perfect
Christmas sweater or sampling figgy pudding. And what about our
Lord’s admonition to be awake, be aware, be ever-vigilant? We
won’t know the hour. We might be left behind. At the very least
it is exhausting to be on watch all day every day.

How is this passage from Matthew good news, and how is it good
news at this time of the year? Where is the grace and how do these
verses help us to know that we are liberated by God’s grace? It sounds
like the law to me. It seems to be about what we need to do to be
ready on that great and terrible day, what action we must take so
that we will be taken and not left behind. Blessed Advent? Bah
humbug!

There is a secular counterpart to this apocalypse. Young children are
taught that Santa Claus is keeping track of who is “naughty or nice,”
meting out consequences and rewards accordingly. Popular Christmas
song lyrics, while upbeat in cadence, deliver messages that instill
dread. The message is clear: Be awake, be aware, be ever vigilant. The
day is drawing nigh.

It is interesting that pop culture can give voice to the prevailing
theology of many in our churches. We don’t trust that God’s promised
grace is real and for us and so we come to believe and act that the
word of God is not gracious, but vengeful and punishing. Through
that lens there is no way that we can see the gospel for the first
Sunday in Advent as the announcement that we are liberated by
God’s grace.

But hear the Good News. Jesus was announcing the end of the
world. It is the day of God’s vengeance on human sin. And this is
what God’s vengeance looks like: a helpless baby in a stable in Beth-
lehem, a helpless man on a cross outside of Jerusalem. The end of
the old world of sin and death has come exclusively through God’s
reconciling mercy.

Matthew 24: 36–44 is God’s word of promise, a gift to us that we
might open ourselves, our eyes, our lives to the incredible, surprising,
immeasurable and intimate love of God. It’s right there in front of
us—two men working in a field, two women grinding meal—in the
ordinary, in the everyday. God doesn’t want us to miss it. God wants
us to watch.

 

[Andrewofthetribe]

This lesson for the first Sunday of Advent was written by Elizabeth Eaton, the Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).

It is posted here in the Anglican forum because it is part of "A series of Advent devotions prepared by the leaders of Anglican and Lutheran churches in full communion.". Week two and three are by Anglicans, making the series as a whole half Anglican, and I thought it'd defeat the purpose of the ecumenical project these are a part of to skip the two Lutheran parts in week one and four (Or to shuffle them off to other fora).

Plus, I thought this in and of itself was a good "mini-sermon" and might make for an interesting discussion on the forum.

Here is Bishop Eaton's contribution to the project:

What's wrong with people who do Christmas shopping ? Shall we hate anyone who is different to us now? Let's look for hope not hatred

 

[Fish and Bread]

What's wrong with people who do Christmas shopping ?

Where does the bishop say that there is anything wrong with people who do Christmas shopping?

 

[archer75]

What's wrong with people who do Christmas shopping ? Shall we hate anyone who is different to us now? Let's look for hope not hatred

I had a little trouble following the middle portion of the sermon, but I didn't see any exhortation to hate people who give gifts to others on Christmas.

 

[Andrewofthetribe]

Please

Where does the bishop say that there is anything wrong with people who do Christmas shopping?

please accept my sincerest apologies it was late last night and in my befuddled mind I thought your bishop was sneering at Christmas decorations and other worldly pastimes of the common man. I'm very sorry my soul is weary and in need of redemption. I have started a thread asking for help, so I shall bother you no more. Andrew

 

[Fish and Bread]

I'm very sorry

It's alright. Don't worry about it. We've all been there and we all make mistakes. Sometimes sermons in particular are not the easiest things in the world to parse.

 

[Paidiske]

Sometimes sermons in particular are not the easiest things in the world to parse.

This reminds me of one former vicar of mine, who refused to publish his sermon texts because "sermons are meant to be heard, not read."

 

[FireDragon76]

It's a poor sermon, honestly. Full of "Radical Lutheran" clichés that are popular in the ELCA, wedged in there no matter how awkward. As my pastor points out to me repeatedly, it's an oversimplification of the Law-Gospel hermeneutic.