Dec 7'14 Advent 2

ADVENT II ; IS. 40:1-11; 2 PETER 3:8-14; MK 1:1-8

Nov. 24, 1968  “But God Has Promised”  2 Peter 3:8-14  (Was Trinity-last)

For a child so much in life depends on the promises of Mom or Dad.
That is why they will turn even a hint of a promise - “We’ll see.”, “Maybe.” into a possible promise.  So much depends on it.

For the child of God so much depends on God’s promises.  Promises which turn us on, reassure us in our needs, and comfort us in our struggles.  My faith does  not make the promises real, but it does make them real for me.
To live with God is to live with promise; the promise of forgiveness, the promise of sustaining grace; the promise of compassion; the promise of eternal life.

In a letter written from Stalingrad, a man wrote to his wife and said, “The Fuerer has promised...” to get us out.  It wasn’t enough.  It was an empty promise.
In the face of much which would defeat us, we can say, like a child, “But God has promised!”
It is enough!  For God can do what God promises!

Dec. 6, 1981  “The Mystery Hoped For”

There is a lot of mystery in our religion.  Today we look the end in the eye and are not afraid, for we wait for what God has promised, a new heaven and a new earth.

There is a lot of mystery when we get close to God.  Perhaps the greatest mystery is grace - that God will never give up on us.  He waits patiently, lovingly, eternally, for our turning to Him and then as a Shepherd gathers and carries us in his Bosom.  This is the mystery we hope for - and live in!

Dec. 9, 1984  “The Mystery Foretold”

What if the mystery of mysteries which is being foretold in our texts for today and is hidden in the simplicity of the Christmas story is that the final act of God is grace!

I believe it is!  Listen!
Is. 40:1-11
II Peter 3:9
Rom 8:31
Even God’s judgment, which is never God’s last word, is a part of God’s grace.
The mystery that grace is the final act of God!

“Come To Repentance””

Today we are reminded not to rush headlong into our celebration of Christmas.  To not start the celebrating until we have had time to be still and discover again how deep is God’s love.

We are reminded that we may well need to clean up our own act first, to come to repentance and open ourselves to change, before we can really celebrate Christmas.


Repentance - sounds like cold water on a happy time, but it isn’t.  It is the way to make a happy time happier.  For it opens us to the joy of forgiveness and the joy of Christmas.  God waits for us to come to repentance, so God can love us in a way which make a real difference in our lives.  So God can soften our hard hearts and make us more loving, as God is loving.

There is something of Scrooge in all of us.  We are reminded today to confess this so we can truly celebrate Christmas.

Story:  A Christmas Ballad for the Captain”  (in my Christmas story file.)
“A Happy Book of Happy Stories”, pp. 17-26