St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Wesley Chapel, FL
Preacher: The Rev. Adrienne R. Hymes
The First Sunday of Advent/Year B ▪ November 29, 2020
Mark 13:24-37
When I was a standup comedian, I committed to learning the craft of standup comedy. I studied the process of structuring a joke, with seasoned instructors, and it felt like I was getting the inside scoop on how to make people laugh. I soon learned that writing jokes and performing for strangers was a master class in how to evoke feelings, of which laughter was the anticipated outcome. As you may imagine, the behind-the-scenes knowledge makes it impossible for me to just relax and enjoy a comedy show. I’m find myself paying attention to the words and delivery, expecting a well-crafted setup to culminate in a clever punchline. How I miss the days when I was blissfully ignorant—a laughing spectator surrounded by other spectators.
As a theologian, I have committed myself to the study of God and things of God. I study the doctrines of our faith, and amongst other things, the process of writing a sermon. It is not quite like writing a joke, but it does require a process—a process of intentional prayer, listening to the spirit and crafting so that the hearer may best receive the message. In studying homiletics (preaching) as a seminarian, it felt like I was getting the inside scoop on how to bring people to Christ. I soon realized that the sermon and preaching will always be a master class in how to evoke the feelings of desire and curiosity necessary for a soul to seek Christ. As you may imagine the behind-the-scenes knowledge makes it difficult for me to sit in a pew and listen to a sermon without analyzing the words and delivery—expecting a well-crafted setup to culminate in a message that sets my heart on fire to seek Jesus. If I am honest with myself, I sometimes miss the days when I could go to church, enjoy a good sermon, listen to beautiful hymns and return to an undisturbed life—the life of a blissful religious spectator, if you will.
But the problem with that mindset is three-fold. First, the Church is not entertainment; second, discipleship is not a spectator activity; and third, the life of a disciple is far from blissful ignorance; it is a life of both painful awareness of the brokenness of this temporal world and hopeful anticipation of God’s restoration of this broken creation to wholeness in His Son.
In our gospel passage Jesus was teaching his disciples about the necessity to be alert to the visible signs signaling the day of the Lord. Jesus described the visible signs of the heavenly bodies ceasing to function according to the purposes for which they were created (the sun will be darkened, the moon will give no light, and the stars will fall from heaven). The natural order of created things will be disrupted.
These signs would not have been new news to the disciples because the prophets Isaiah, Ezekiel, Joel and Amos had all prophesied such events. Being taught by Jesus about what’s going on behind-the-scenes of this temporal world must have felt to the disciples like they were getting the inside scoop on how to be ready for the inbreaking of God’s kingdom into this world. But, more than an inside scoop, the disciples were in a master class with the One who was not only sounding the alarm for them; he was himself the sign—the Son of Man who would be seen coming in clouds with great power and glory.
Jesus used the brief parable of the man who went on a journey and left his slaves in charge of their work, with the doorkeeper as the lookout, as a warning. Jesus’ disciples were to stay focused on the work that he had called them to do in his absence. Even as Jesus’ inner circle, the disciples were not immune to becoming complacent in faithful work and in faithful waiting for the Day of the Lord. Jesus’ admonition was to keep awake because even he did not know the day or the hour of his return, only the Father.
Perhaps you have heard the word “woke” or the phrase, “stay woke.” Woke is a colloquial word, often used in communities of color, to describe the mix of awareness, responsibility and action in the context of racial and social injustice. The directive to “stay woke” sounds the alarm to stay alert to the injustices that never rest.
Now, one might think that the opposite of “woke” is “asleep,” but I offer that the opposite of “woke” is the dangerous sleepwalking of righteous complacency. Christ’s admonition to keep awake means to stay “woke.” When he comes back, he expects to find his disciples sounding the alarm to awaken those who are asleep by blissful ignorance (those outside of the church) or by righteous complacency (those within the church).
A “woke” disciple will find it impossible to close their eyes and sleepwalk in this created world, with its unjust structures made of human hands; and its systems of oppression maintained in human sin. With eyes wide open, “woke” disciples see things that others cannot see; hear things that others cannot hear; feel with the compassion of Jesus that others cannot feel. And, they necessarily respond differently—deeply aware of their identity as children of God and, collectively, as the body of Christ.
You and I have the responsibility of carrying the beautiful burden of the knowledge of salvation into the world—that behind-the-scenes of this temporal existence, God is working out God’s plan for unifying all things to himself through Jesus Christ, and that we, the baptized, have a role in God’s plan. If we are not busy continuing in the apostles’ teaching; if we are not busy persevering in resisting evil and are unrepentant; if not busy proclaiming the good news of God in Christ; if we are not busy seeking to serve Christ in all persons; and if we are not busy striving for justice and peace, while respecting the dignity of every human being; we are asleep on the job.
With great humility, we acknowledge, in our Baptismal Covenant, that none of the work that Jesus has called us to do can be done without God’s help. Brothers and sisters, as the created things are passing away, all around us—and we are God’s creatures—Jesus reminds us to hold on to him, for his words will not pass away.
Advent is a time for faithful people to intentionally disrupt the natural order—or disorder—of our souls. Let the scriptures disturb you; let the music move you; let the sacraments be a source of meaning-making for you as we prepare for the coming of the Christ child.
If we are faithful to functioning according to the ways in which God purposed us, each according to our own ability, and collectively as the body of Christ, we have no fear of when Jesus will return. No, we await with hopeful anticipation that he will return and find his servants hard at work and wide awake.
Amen.
