What shall I wear ? Advent Sunday 2016

from Helen

Advent is here, happy new year a new year for the Church has begun. It always seems a bit strange that the first Sunday of advent is the beginning of the Church year, but actually what better way to start a year than in expectation of Jesus coming again. 

The idea of Jesus coming again can be concerning to some. In the programme the Vicar of Dibley one of the strangest parishioners Alice Tinker asks the Vicar for the date when Jesus would come again, after all you need to be ready with a cake or something. The vicar explains that it wont be like this, as Jesus will justarrive, Alice Tinker replies, “Well, that’s very rude.”

Alice then wonders what she might be doing if Jesus just turned up. Our readings this morning have made us think about what we will, or will not be doing when Jesus returns.

I wonder what we might be wearing, it sounds strange but when Jesus comes again would you want Him to find you wearing your pyjamas or nightie? What if you were wearing gardening clothes, or clothes with stains on?

It wouldn’t matter because when Jesus comes He will want to see us wearing spiritual clothes. By this I mean He will want to see the type of people that we are. In the Bible there are 100 references to what we put on. There are descriptions of Aaron and the other priests whose clothes showed their vocation, their calling from God, then people are seen putting on sackcloth as a sign of repentance and there is putting on spiritual armour in the letter to the Ephesians. 

What would we need to put on to greet Jesus? well in the reading from the book of Romans (13:1-14) we heard that we are to put light on, to clothe ourselves with Jesus. It sounds a bit odd but what it means is that we are to be more like Jesus and to turn away from darkness, from all that is different to the rule of God and to make for peace, to live a life of light. This perfect life was pictured in the reading from Isaiah (2:1-5) with a view of universal peace.

In the gospel reading (Matthew 24:36-44) we are promised that Jesus will come again and we want to be found as the people walking with Jesus who are pointing others to the light of Christ by showing that light in our lives. This means living as people who make for peace.

The gospel reading mentions the ways that people could be caught out. Being ready for Jesus is not about what we don’t want to be caught doing, it is about doing what we do want to be caught doing. It is about looking at the world around us and seeing how we can make a difference, how we can bring the love of Jesus to those around us who are in need, and it is about seeing how we can draw closer to Jesus in our own lives.

I want to take you on a journey of imagination. Think about all the times youhave thought of Jesus I imagine you have probably pictured a pleasant Jesus, who loves us, who has compassion on us. A Jesus who is worth knowing, a Jesus who has made not only the world but us better as well. Jesus who it is worth praising.

Now let’s journey into our lives today, let’s think about the people around us. Let’s think of the world, lets’ think of places where there is no peace, let’s think of places where people are starving, places where people are in pain. Let’s think of places where there seems to be no hope. 

Let’s move our journey again, this time let’s take our journey as if Jesus has just come back. Where do we think He would be? Where might Jesus go? What might Jesus want to change, not just in another country, but in this country, not just in this country but in this city?

We are now seeing things as Jesus might see them, we are now seeing the ways in which we can be ready for Jesus. Being ready for Jesus is about looking at the world around us and seeing how we can make a difference, how we can bring the love of Jesus to those around us in need, and it is about seeing how we can draw closer to Jesus in our own lives.

Being ready for Jesus means being ready to greet him right now, it means opening up to God and letting Him change us and our lives, when we do this then we are really ready. Meeting Jesus and being ready for Him is not a command as if we were naughty children who don’t want to get into any more trouble, it’s about our lives being ready for Jesus to change us right now. There is a saying, that says, “Lord, change the world and please begin with me.” It’s about admitting the times when we do wrong, the times when we are not perfect. None of us are perfect, not even me – although … ! 

In Advent we are preparing to celebrate Jesus’ birth the moment that changed history and to do this we need to think about how we can be ready. Ready to greet Jesus as if He might turn up now… ready to greet Jesus in our lives, ready to grow closer to Him. 

What might we be wearing? Love, compassion, hope, peace … the light of Christ. We as followers of Jesus have a responsibility to make the world better so that the beautiful image of peace we heard of in Isaiah may be real. A peace where weapons become gardening tools. a peace that everyone wants to celebrate and join in with so we are all walking in the light of the Lord. This is what we are to do, to make a difference as we seek to be more like Jesus so that the world will see and know that it is loved. 

May we be ready to greet Jesus, by the way we live our lives both in the time to come and also in the here and now. May we be ready to say every day, “Lord change the world, and please begin with me.” 

May we be closer to Jesus and at this time of Advent and always may we walk in His light and may that be the first thing that people see about us, people who are pointing the way to God by what we do, say, think and are. Going back to clothes – the light of Christ ? absolutely priceless - the best outfit we can ever have, our lives full of light, a light that is for sharing. AMEN