“We Are A Community Of Hope For Each Other” Advent 2 December 9, 2007

(First read the passages for this sermon: Romans 15:4-13; Isaiah 11:1-10)

How good it is, to gather together during Advent.

The Spirit has gathered us together to create for us some breathing room during the increasing rush of these weeks. At this time, in this place, you and I do not have to worry about that long list of things to do – Christmas cards and buying presents and worrying about travel arrangements and … Here, we can simply gather together, knowing God’s presence.

This is a sensual gathering! God comes to us through all our senses. Here we listen as words of scripture are read, words of great hope in God’s promises. In silence we watch while another candle is lit on the Advent wreath – pointing us towards God’s fulfillment that is not yet. At the altar, Christ comes to us in physical presence, through our senses of touch and taste, through the bread and the wine.

We gather together during Advent and the Holy Spirit moves us to encourage each other to be hopeful, to be alert – because God is bringing fulfillment to history, and if we don’t watch for that, we miss how it’s happening!

We are a community of hope for each other.

That’s how this morning’s verses from Romans speak to me on this second Sunday in Advent. It’s a passage that describes the stance of a community of Christians who are watching for God to bring fulfillment to history. In this watching, we are supporting each other, we are encouraging each other, we are carrying each other when that is necessary. And all the while, the Spirit is forming us in patience, endurance, steadfastness, in encouragement, in hope.

Here’s the way Paul puts it: For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope. May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus, so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

In the next verses, Paul tells us that you and I are welcomed into what God is doing, in God’s unfolding purposes for creation. Paul writes that this welcome is universal. It is for Jews and non-Jews. This is made possible through Christ. God’s purpose is to renew all of creation! God’s purpose is to gather the whole world into one community of salvation. The Holy Spirit includes you and me in all of that. We are part of the people of all times and all places who watch and hope and work for these final purposes of God for all of creation.

Indeed, we know how it’s all going to turn out! We heard some specifics described, by the prophet Isaiah:

The wolf shall live with the lamb,
the leopard shall lie down with the kid,
the calf and the lion and the fatling together,
and a little child shall lead them.

The cow and the bear shall graze,
their young shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp,
and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder's den.

They will not hurt or destroy
on all my holy mountain;
for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea.

We are a community of Christians, gathering together to encourage each other’s hope for such fulfillment! In our assembly, we hear words of fulfillment read from the prophet. We sit in silence and watch as another candle is lit on the Advent wreath. We anticipate what God will bring to be.

It is especially important that we do these things because this is a time of year that highlights our lack of fulfillment! So many are sad and depressed at this time of year. So many feel their losses more acutely during these weeks – because all the cultural voices tell us that we are supposed to be dancing and singing during every waking moment of this “most wonderful time of the year!” And if you don’t feel that way? Well then, the remedy is to buy stuff! Piles and piles of stuff to put under the Christmas tree!

But then, what happens, on Christmas morning, when all those presents are opened? It’s fun to do that! But what then? In the midst of all that torn-open wrapping paper, has fulfillment come? Instead, aren’t you left struggling with the same things you were before?

Our hope is not fulfilled by buying stuff. Acutely aware of that, we gather at this time and in this space, watching for God to bring fulfillment to history. In this watching, we are supporting each other, we are reminding each other, we are carrying each other when that is necessary. The Spirit is forming us in those blessings that Paul describes: in patience, endurance, steadfastness, in encouragement, in hope.

We are a community of hope for each other. We are a community of hope for each other in the face of so much that causes our hope to be fragile.

For instance, there seems to be no end to war and poverty, and political candidates compete to make people fearful of what terrible things will happen if they are not elected. In this community of hope, we resist such fearfulness! Instead, we gather to encourage each other in the hope of God’s promises fulfilled.

The wolf shall live with the lamb,
the leopard shall lie down with the kid,
the calf and the lion and the fatling together,
and a little child shall lead them.

Watching for such fulfillment, we are a community of hope for each other.

Conflict in the Holy Land appears to be intractable. Moderate Islamic voices are rarely heard in the press which publicizes and sensationalizes Muslims on the extremes of intolerance and violence, which makes it easy to think that all Muslims are our enemies. In this community of hope, we resist that! Instead, we gather to encourage each other in the hope of God’s promises fulfilled – for the time to come when not only will Muslims and Christians and Jews come together, but that there will be cosmic peace, and salvation in all the created order!

The cow and the bear shall graze,
their young shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp,
and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder's den.

Watching for such fulfillment, we are a community of hope for each other.

We struggle as citizens in our country, because there is continuing and deepening polarization in our political process. There is deadlock that prevents the discovery of an end to the war in Iraq. Our president and congress cannot even work together to provide health insurance for all the children in our nation! In the face of what would make our hope fragile, we gather to encourage each other in the hope of God’s promises fulfilled:

They will not hurt or destroy
on all my holy mountain;
for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea.

We are a community of hope for each other. We look for the coming of cosmic peace and salvation among all of creation! Indeed, because of Christ’s coming to enflesh the promises of God, we already know how it’s all going to turn out!

We are a community of hope for each other, supporting each other, reminding each other, carrying each other when that is necessary, hearing scriptural words of hope, watching candles lit on the Advent wreath, eating and drinking forgiveness and salvation – and all the while, the Holy Spirit is forming us in those gifts that Paul identifies: in patience, endurance, steadfastness, in encouragement, in hope.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, Paul writes, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Thanks be to God who is Father and Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Pastor Andy Ballentine
St. Stephen Lutheran Church
Williamsburg, Virginia