Advent 1A

I love Christmas movies as much as the next person,

though I do like to wait until at least after Thanksgiving to start watching them.

And I continue watching them during the whole 12 days of Christmas. 

But one unfortunate thing about Christmas movies

is that they all end perfectly.

The ham is nice and brown (not black or under-cooked)

the tree is decorated and pretty 

(not an ugly conglomeration of children's handmade items disguised as ornaments)

everyone ends up happy 

even with the presents they receive

and all is right in the world. 

But we all know, 

that isn't how real life goes.

Many times in our real lives

we go from mess to mess

and nothing ever comes out looking perfectly

there's always at least one gift to be returned,

and at the end, not everyone ends up happy,

and sometimes by the end, you don't even care if everyone's happy anymore.

We live in a messy, messy world.

Physical, emotional, spiritual, financial, health, relational 

there are countless ways to feel like you're in a mess.

And not all messes resolve when we want them to.

We live in and among the messes we create.

Yet, despite all our mess,

our human messiness,

God comes and blesses us.

As we change seasons,

we change Gospel books.

Now we will be reading from Matthew.

Our introduction into Matthew's story 

from the point of view of the lectionary,

isn't an easy or peaceful one.

The first Sunday of the new year (for you Episcopal geeks, year A)

dumps us in the deep end with Matthew and Jesus,

we read about the end of time, the coming of the Son of Man,

the flood of Noah, keeping awake and being ready,

all eschatological things. 

Our entrance into the story isn't at the beginning

but at the end.

Jesus is on the Mount of Olives, teaching his disciples,

during Holy Week, after his triumphal entry, before his betrayal,

right in the thick of being plotted against,

he only has this last week alive.

Yet, this is where we are thrown,

into the mess of humanity.

A mess where not everyone realizes what is happening,

where some of the disciples think they are going to be overthrowing the government

and others are considering overthrowing Jesus.

Where the people of Jerusalem and Judea

are in the mess of occupation

and waiting for their Savior. 

Jesus even mentions the story of Noah,

people at that time had no idea they were making God so angry

"they knew nothing" until the flood came.

Jesus says we are like them,

we will know nothing until the day the Son of man comes

It seems so much like we know nothing

We totally miss things right in front of our faces

If we could see into the future

if we were paying attention

we would know

but the world is full of unexpected things

we are a big mess

God comes into this world of human messiness

Once in Jesus Christ

but over and over again in other ways

revealing and blessing it with God's presence

We can truly sigh. 

Oh, Lord, please bless this mess.

And God does.

In acknowledgement for the mess we live in

we are going to do something different during this season of Advent for the prayers of the people.

Typically on Sunday morning, we pray together as one body during the Prayers of the People,

following along in an ordered manner, reading lists, and responding in turn.

This Advent, instead, we are going to live into our mess a bit.

Instead of all praying along orderly,

we are going to pray with prayer stations.

I have set up four of them in the room,

in different parts of the room,

to pray for different things in the midst of our mess.

You will have 5/7 minutes

you can go to as many of the prayer stations you can in that time,

you can choose one for each week of Advent, (four and four),

or you may remain in your seat, praying silently or aloud for whatever is on your heart.

At the prayer station here, light a candle for someone or a cause you know needs prayer.

At the prayer station over here, take a moment to pray with a nativity icon, praying about the season of Advent or the season of life you are in.

At the prayer station at the baptismal font, choose a stone and take a moment to give it your grief, your anxiety, your mistakes, and then toss it into the waters of baptism, to be washed clean by Christ.

At the prayer station in the back, take a look at the maps and write down some hopes and dreams you have for Venango County, for Franklin, or for St. John's. Put your hopes and dreams in the bowl to be prayed about.

I've always noticed that since Advent is a season of preparation,

it tends to be a little messy.

All sorts of events, all sorts of surprises,

all sorts of hopes and desires.

And not all of them can be lived into fully.

Its a messy process,

and living into our Christian lives fully is also a messy process.

Sometimes we have to give up things we are not ready to give up

or do things we are not sure we are ready to do.

Yet, God comes into the midst of all our mess

and blesses it with presence,

with goodness, with love.

Because that is the kind of God we have,

one who was born into this messy human world,

ready to bless and share. 

As we enter into Advent this year,

let us ask God to enter into our messiness,

to bless us in whatever mess we are dealing with,

so that we will know the loving embrace

and joyful glory of God

in all the places of our lives.

Amen.