December 3, 2006
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The Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church December 3, 2006 1st Sunday in Advent "Thy Kingdom come!" That is the Advent prayer in The Lord’s Prayer. The second of the 7 prayers. The prayer for the Kingdom of God. The longing for redemption. The hope for the perfect. A cousin of mine visited the Vestmanna Islands in Iceland after the volcanic eruption in 1973. All the 5000 inhabitants on the island had to be evacuated, but now they had come back, and rebuilt their town, not far away from the old one. The hosts took my cousin on a sight-seeing tour in the area where the lava masses had come. Suddenly the Icelander stopped and said: "Here, 40 meters straight beneath our feet, my childhood home was situated." The first thing the text for today talks about, is the sign of death. The departure. The end of all things in this world. And Jesus’ return. Or his "second coming" as you say in English. Neither the word "return" or "second coming" render the Greek "parousia" very well. This is our topic on the first Sunday in Advent: Jesus’ "parousia". Both "return" and "second coming" give the impression about repetition: Like he came to Capernaum, he will come to Minneapolis. It doesn’t cover the meaning quite well, as the word "parousia" points in another direction. It points at something quite new. Not return, but a mighty and glorious appearance, or presence. Every eye will see him, we heard in one of the texts last Sunday (Rev 1:7). So it is more than a "come back". What we are waiting for, is the absolute break through of the power of God. Jesus never left our world. He has been present all the time. What happened, was that he became invisible, from the day of his ascension. Let me share a fresh personal experience with you. This week, my family and I moved into our house in St Anthony Village. It was a really good experience finally to come to our own address. Especially as this was our 3rd time moving within the last 4 months. First, in August, we moved from the parsonage that we had rented for the last 13 years. We could place all our stuff in the house we intend to go back to after the time here in Minneapolis. But we lived there only for 3 weeks, before we moved to the U.S. Then here, we rented a house until this week. Because we had good helpers, the moving and cleaning went quickly. Now we are looking forward to staying in this house for the next 3 years. Even so, the experience of departure has taught me a lesson that I as a Christian person want to keep. It is that we who believe in Jesus, should not fasten our roots too deep in this world. That it is healthy and correct for us to have our "tent stakes loose". That we as Christians are to be a "pilgrim people". Life is a journey towards the goal. So let us not be loaded down by earthly things and worries about material things. Neither should we worry about catastrophes that will happen. As the terrible tsunami hit Thailand, Sri Lanka and other countries surrounding the Indian Ocean, the TV reports were spread to the whole world. I went visiting the home of a couple that had been on vacation in Thailand. They could return to Norway without any harm after being saved from the enormous tidal wave. They were deeply impacted. Jesus talks about the confusion by the roaring of the sea and the waves, and that people will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world. On TV there is a lot to hear about the global warming, and it is claimed that the oceans will rise more than 100 feet if the glaciers at the poles melt. Then Jesus tells a parable about the trees, and particularly the fig tree. Is there anything special about the fig tree? Yes, that it blossoms so quickly. Once, I think it was in April, I saw a fig tree in the Kedron valley in Jerusalem. It blossomed fully, but the funny thing was that the green leaves had not sprouted yet! The fig tree blossoms before the leaves sprout. So the blooming comes very quickly. The fig tree gives us a sign that the winter is soon over, and that summer approaches. It is in the same way with the signs of the time that Jesus mentions. They are to get us to think that God’s kingdom is on its way. What Jesus wants to help us with today, is to see that the things that happen around us, both good and evil, are signs of the time. The signs alert us to that redemption is approaching. One of my first years as a student, I went with some friends in a rental Volvo on summer vacation to Germany. In the Rhine Valley we saw some old, nice castles with a spectacular view towards the river, floating slowly through the landscape. For some reason or another, I then started thinking about Martin Luther. Luther compares being a Christian with a knight being captured, and imprisoned at a castle, behind thick walls and doors. One day the prisoner hears noise. The castle gives echoes of cannons, and calls from attackers. The prisoner is gripped with fear. But his fear is turned to joyful expectation as he realizes that it is a friend and releaser that is attacking the castle. Then he thinks that every blow against the castle, and every shot against its walls makes redemption come closer. The crisis tells him that he soon is free. Jesus requests us to interpret the signs differently from how the world does. Where many people see the spasms of death, we can see the birth pangs. As the new heaven and earth are to be born out of what perishes, then stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near (v 27). Where people that are without God just see destruction, death and dissolution, we as Christians see hope. Do not fear, Jesus says. All the signs on earth are "transparent" for those who believe in Jesus. So dear congregation, let us be awake and pray today, as if this day were the last one. Let us not be so established in this time that we trust in the things that will perish. Advent is an important time of the church year. As the world celebrates Christmas ahead of time, and call it x-mas, we are as Christians called to be awake and pray: "Thy Kingdom come!" We will look for the signs that Jesus shall appear in glory before us. Let us prepare to receive him as he comes in glory, to put everything right. How do we act while waiting for this? The best we can do in this time, is to be good stewards over the gifts that God has given us. That we take care of Creation, distribute the resources more justly, that we care for one another, and above all that we read and listen to God’s word, that shall never pass away. Glory be to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. |
The Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church · 924 E. 21st St, Minneapolis, MN 55404-2952 · (612)874-0716 |