Advent 1- living in between the first and second coming
ISAIAH 2:1-5; PSALM 122; ROMANS 13:11-14; MATTHEW 24:36-44 In Advent we begin the church year once again. We enter into a season of anticipation. With ancient Israel, we yearn for the messiah to come, and we yearn for the kingdom that will come with him. … Isaiah expresses a yearning for a time when the ways of God would be respected by a united humanity. The profound peace that would be found on the earth would render weapons useless, and they would be refashioned into tools. They don’t even have to be put into the closet (just in case). They can be reworked and used for other purposes because they can’t even imagine a future when they will be needed. … This yearning stands against the present reality - violence, conflict, disunity, and the rejection of God’s ways. Isaiah’s voice cries out with a hopeful vision of a time when things will be different. Ancient Israel’s yearning for the Messiah and his kingdom is also our yearning for the day when Christ will come again. … We ...