“Thinking About the Texts” by John Fairless
As we roll into a new church year, we’re trying to stay fresh in our work here at the Lectionary Lab. So, I’m going to swap up the normal commentary quips and follow the approach that we use in our preaching workshops (and which is more fully explained in our short book, A Simple Way to Preach, available on Amazon.
Basically, I will touch briefly each week on key points of the text from five perspectives:
Textual (just the text — what do you notice?)
Theological (what does this say about God?)
Contextual (how was/is this text heard in community?)
Connectional (where is the connection to real life?)
Flow (how does “my” sermon for “my” people fit together?)
So, let’s have at it for this first Sunday in Advent!
Text: when I put these “naked” texts in front of me (no commentaries, no notes, not even the Lectionary Lab!), I see a few things that stand out:
Isaiah is very concerned with “all the nations” and “many peoples.” Of course the famous refrain, “Ain’t gonna study war no more” pops into my mind.
Psalm 122’s refrain of “peace, peace, peace” floods my brain with prayerful desire. I wish the world were so!
Romans 13 introduces the idea of time — Paul says, “you know what time it is.” Do we? (be sure to catch the tribute to Chicago on the podcast closer, performed by a cover band from Ukraine!)
Matthew 24 follows that with, “NO — nobody knows the time” — at least not the way we usually think about it in our calendar-driven, task-oriented lives. Can’t put a stopwatch on God’s timing!
Theology: What can I say about God — and God’s relationship to the world/creation/creatures/us?
Hmmm… God does seem to be interested in what’s happening in our world; God’s vision of the future includes a time when there’s a genuine thirst for God’s presence and for the cessation of hostility. Jesus isn’t really trying to give us an “advent timetable” in his comments, as much as he seems to want to illustrate the now-ness of living God’s way. A familiar Advent theme is “prepare” — be watchful, be ready when the time comes. And, apparently, the time is NOW.
Context: Imagine the situation of the first (and early) hearers. What situated these texts for them? And what about the situations of the folks that will listen to me?
One of the first things I think of in terms of context is the fact that for each of these settings (and in our own context), the world could seem pretty dark and grim. Early Isaiah is working during a time when external threats to the nation were building, and there was more than a little turmoil in the government. Uncertainty builds tension and causes stress. The psalm is set to the rhythm of the pilgrims walking to Jerusalem for a festival or a sacrifice — even in English, you can feel the “step, step, step, step” pace of the text. One thing, one day at a time. Jesus certainly knew his followers were (and would continue to be) nervous about how things were going to work out. He’s trying to keep them focused. Though he was not one of my favorite commentators, it’s kind of like radio personality Rush Limbaugh used to say: “Ditto” for our current context.
Connection: Where do these texts connect to the lives of my folks?
I think that the whole issue of time works really well as a connection. We are oriented to time — for our jobs, our families, the upcoming holidays, the next vacation, etc. Time can be on our side, or it can become something of an enemy. “Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives,” McDonald Carey intoned for many years (ask a soap opera fan if you don’t get the reference.)
If the gospel instructs us that NOW is the time to live for Christ, then an appropriate realization is that it’s always NOW! This day, this time, this place where I live and serve.
Flow: So, how do all of these thoughts (or — of course— YOUR thoughts as you do this work, preachers) flow together and begin to take shape as a sermon?
A sermon could open with an illustration that makes us aware of time, and how swiftly (or slowly, for some) it passes. I think of “when we were young,” how slowly the year seemed to pass between one Christmas and the next. Now, time just seems to fly!
Jesus understood time in terms of his mission; we see him feeling the pressure in the gospels as he knew his “time” was approaching. The disciples were concerned about time, too — if they didn’t know anything else, they knew that sooner or later, God would “call time” and that would be that!
I think the very human propensity to try and wait and get things done (shopping for presents? preparing food for family gatherings? getting the house ready for the winter?) really feeds into a sermon idea about when it is time to take up “kingdom-living” as Jesus has described it. Thus, he tells us about thieves breaking in and such; anybody who knew the time would’ve been ready!
So, I suppose the time is now; if we agree to that, our next question might well be, “then how do I live differently this Advent and beyond?” Our supporting texts for this Sunday give some pretty helpful insights into the how of living God’s advent way: mine those texts for great contrast in night/day, dark/light, living honorably/not in “reveling, drunkenness, debauchery…etc.” Ooh, have fun with that!
Seriously, Paul’s “put on Christ” is a beautiful way to consider wrapping things up. What does that mean for us as we depart from worship — how shall we “put on” Christ in the places of our own lives?
Sermon by Delmer Chilton
In our Gospel lesson we read, “But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” That day? What day? When is that day? What’s going to happen then? Because most of us are not devotees of what is technically known as “Pre-millennial Dispensationalism,” and what is popularly thought of as “left-Behind” theology, we do not spend much time thinking about “When will Jesus come back?”