I know it’s a mere two weeks before finals, but I had to title this sermon, “the new beginning.” I haven’t lost my mind or forgotten that you’re nearing various ends - the end of the semester and the end of the Gregorian calendar year 2006. But today is the first day in the liturgical year. Happy New Year!
Today we begin a new liturgical year and we hear that we are to raise our heads because the end is drawing near. When I hear that the end is drawing near my automatic response is fret. The end, oh no, not the end! But is it really an end or a new beginning?
I must offer that yes, it is both, an end and a new beginning. It is the end to the horrible things that we face day in and day out. It is the end of chronic depression, all types of cancer and gut-wrenching grief. It is the end of all war, senseless acts hatred against our neighbors and the even the death of the ever so evil, blue screen of death.
There are many ends that we just do not like. When good things end it saddens us.
For me, this happens with great fiction. When an author writes in such a way that I fall in love with the characters I don’t want the book to end. I want to be able to read about the rest of the character’s lives. I often find myself wondering what will really happen next, like they’re real people. I literally obsess over characters sometimes.
I don’t only do this with books, but also with television. When family ties went off the air I was 7. I remember watching the last episode alone in my family room wrapped in a fuzzy fleece blanket. As I watched the last episode I got sad. When the credits came I remember crying. Not the tears down the cheeks and sniffle crying, but the chest heaving, face wrinkling ugly sobbing. My mom ran in the room held me and asked, “Honey, what’s wrong?” I answered, “Family Ties is gone forever.”
Some endings are like this. Some endings are hard. Many endings are harder than a favorite television show end, but stay with me.
Other endings are hopeful and cause for rejoicing.
With a second look at the text I hear, “the end is drawing near” and I am given cause to rejoice! Today in Luke we are told to stand up and raise our heads because our redemption is drawing near. God is coming to us saying, “Stand up, I love you, I am here.”
We are called to rejoice because of this new wonderful beginning. The new beginning is coming and we are not to be passively waiting for it. We are to be on guard and to be alert at all times.
Another way to look at this is to realize what we are waiting for. In this season of advent we are waiting on the new beginning through the new life of a baby. If there is one thing I know about babies - it is that they are on no one’s time but their own.
My friend, Jo, was expecting her first child. She was getting ready to be a mother, but with a month left till her due date she still had a few details to take care of, namely, she needed a car seat to bring the baby home in, she needed to get the ceiling replaced in the babies room and she had to wash all the babies clothing and blankets. With all this left to do she went to work last Saturday morning feeling, and I quote, “weird”. Last Saturday night I get a call, “hi Chris, what are you up to?” I told her I have a few friends over and we staying in and watching “Keeping the Faith” with Ben Stiller. I begin to tell her about the crazy Saturday we had when she cuts me off and blurts out, “I’m in labor.”
Her new beginning was thrust upon her a month before schedule, ready or not. All signs pointed to Jo’s baby coming. First of all, the pregnancy test told her she was pregnant, her belly grew and an ultrasound showed images of a baby. On Saturday more signs were present, she felt weird, then her water broke, and she began to dilate. These are all very clear signs that a baby is coming.
We are called to be on guard and to be alert too. Like Jo we are anticipating a birth that comes whether or not we have a car seat, ceiling or the laundry washed. We are told that it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. This is a birth for which we are to be alert, and be on guard. This is a birth for which we are to stand because with it comes our salvation. This new beginning is coming to us in the form of a baby. A tiny newborn Jesus is coming. Stand up; raise your heads your redemption is drawing near. Be on guard; be alert for it will come upon all who live.
