Sermon - 11/27/22

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Religion

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On this first Sunday in Advent as we usher in a new church year, we begin a time of waiting. Waiting is something all of us experience. In many ways, one could say our whole life is spent waiting. We wait for all kinds of things. A recorded voice puts us on hold as we wait on the phone while our ears are pumped with thin, irritating music. Our order hasn't come yet and we are hungry. The driver in front of you is going so slowly and you cannot pass because of oncoming traffic. Certain circumstances cause us to ask questions like: Will the rain or snow ever stop? When will the paint finally dry? Will anyone ever understand? Will I ever change? Our kids ask, “How long is it until we get there?” or “How many days until Christmas?” Life is simply a series of hopes, times of waiting, and only partial fulfillments. Quite honestly, the human condition does seem to be a state of living with constantly unsatisfied desire as we wait for something that is truly fulfilling. Advent invites us to understand with new patience that condition, that very difficult state of being. Advent means coming, and so we wait for God’s coming. We wait as we prepare for God’s greatest event. And, as we begin this time of waiting, the first words given to us are from the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah’s world was a chaotic, unjust, broken, hurting, warring world. Israel was a storm-tossed nation that was threatened by the powerful Assyrians to the north and east and menaced by the Egyptians to the south and west. The king and his advisors were occupied with what they needed to do to protect themselves. Events were out of control and fear was running rampant. The people were waiting for God to reveal a word concerning their situation. And, into that turmoil and storm-tossed world a voice stood out, the voice of Isaiah. Through the prophet Isaiah, God did speak, does speak, a

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