The word advent is the Latin word for ‘coming’…the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Last Sunday, the first Sunday in advent, was focused on the gift of hope. Today, the second Sunday as we prepare for the coming of Christ… we focus on the gift of peace… a gift given not just for us gathered here in worship, but for everyone who believes.
So what is the gift of Peace? Ironically, this week annually is when the famous Nobel peace prize is awarded. An international award given to individuals or organizations for significant contributions to promoting peace, resolving conflicts, reducing armies, or advancing human rights. More than likely we all hold different visions or meanings of peace in our mind. One of those visions might be the idealist vision of world peace that always seems to be the punch line at the old Miss America pageants. Another might be more a personal meaning, like the gift of peace that causes you to find the calm in your life when you are over stressed, over worked, or filled with anxiety of how to handle our busy everyday lives. Truth is whatever peace you picture in your head it doesn’t matter, we need it, now more than ever. Turn on the news, look at social media, there is more stress, fear, and worries both predicted and present than ever before. Is the war in Ukraine or competition with China going to start world war 3? Are the differences in politics going to tear the country apart? Why do we have more mental health problems than ever before?
People in trouble want to be free. Free from an abusive situation. Free from worries. Free from pain, freedom from war and conflict…poverty and hunger. The images are plentiful… WE NEED PEACE.
The season of advent is supposed to be a celebration of hope, peace, joy, and love. At the personal level, everyone has experienced an inner peace and most of us know how to find brief moments of it. Remember the old commercials with the mom in the tub, “Calgone take me away” and the crazy family faded out to the bubble bath. We might enjoy a peaceful scene like a walk along a beach…or for some of us it’s the quiet of early morning before everyone else is awake.
I know it doesn’t look like it these days, but I love to hike. Get to the top of the mountain… that Zoom out….. locally Point Peter overlook or highpoint for instance. Look at the little city of Port Jervis or any bustling town, busy or chaotic up close, but zoom out and peaceful from far away. I have been blessed so many times in nature enjoying the peace of a scene that drowns out both the internal and external chaos. The sunlight scattering into beams as it breaks through a canopy of fall colors. Just this past week, the beauty of the snow covered ground and the muffled sounds of the calm quiet falling snow, but then it is right back to the real world. Finding peace takes work.
True peace was prophesized 700 years before the birth of Christ by Issaiah. The first scripture today Issaih starts with a symbol of hope. He says “like a branch that sprouts from a stump” a king descended from David will come. Think of the ruin of a rotten stump but new life will sprout from it, hope. Then Issaiah continues on for several verses about the gift of peace.
The Peaceable Kingdom: The imagery depicts predators and prey coexisting peacefully: wolves with lambs, leopards with goats, lions with calves, and a child leading them, these creatures will "not hurt or destroy" one another on God's holy mountain. We just have to know and honour God. It takes work. It takes faith.
I can’t speak for you, but I want my heart to be at peace with all of you and all others. I want my wolf and lamb to live together. I don't want my words or actions to hurt another. Lauri and I often talk on the way into work in the morning and I am sure she can tell you how impatient I am with knuckle head drivers. I grumble and have a few choice words for them and then in my mind as if a Jedi from Star Wars I use the force to swipe their car off the road. I get irritated with the lack of common sense of the guy that drives too slow with his blinker on for a left turn but then speeds up to make the light leaving me stuck behind one of the many school buses that are crossing in front of me. I used to laugh at Jeff for pretending to have a button that could blow up the car in front of him. In reality I want to be at peace, but I am not always remembering or honoring God at that moment. It’s something that needs to be worked on for me. I don’t want to upset people that I interact with daily, but sometimes I come off the wrong way or I may lose my patience with somebody and not realize it. Often it is absent minded because I am focused on my own stress. It’s hard to be at peace these days. Peace is a gift from God that we are called to live, share, demonstrate, enact…in our daily living…it is in the little things. Peace takes work. We can’t control world peace and national politics, but we can control how we treat others. We can control our reactions. We can control the little things, but it takes work and faith. An old friend used to say “stack your pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves”. Don’t worry about the bi picture focus on the little things you can control.
While writing this sermon I had Rick Vreeland in mind. Many of you knew him and I even saw some of you at his funeral this past week. I have known Rick for over 35 years and he was a character to say the least. He always amazed me about the conversations he would actively engage in.
Generally speaking, I was taught when I was younger two things you never bring up at family gatherings or parties were religion and politics. (Part of that was probably because my grandfather was an Irish Catholic and my grandmother Irish/English protestant) but also because they can be controversial and ruffle feathers. Back to Rick… That was mostly what that man talked about with everybody daily. Sometimes I was flabbergasted at the conversations he started. But he did things in a way that commanded respect. He did them holding true to his faith in God. He may have disagreed vehemently with your point of view but not angrily and he respected your opinions. He had a way of bringing peace to a conversation. He peacefully coexisted with almost everyone (almost)… the lions with calves or the Cows and bears so to speak.
Christians who follow the Prince of Peace, the path to peace begins with repentance, forgiveness and reconciliation. Peace is what God announced with advent…Peace is a gift that Jesus left with us…a promise that his light will guide our feet to the way of peace.
The second scripture reading for today is the opening verses from the book of Mark. He quotes from the prophets including Isaiah: “I am sending my messenger to get the way ready for you. In the desert someone is shouting, ‘Get the road ready for the Lord! Make a straight path for him.’ ”John, Jesus’ cousin, prepared the way for the coming of Jesus…for the advent of Jesus…the one who lights the path so we can walk in the way of peace. John the Baptist showed up in the desert and told everyone, “Turn back to God and be baptized! Then your sins will be forgiven.” We don’t always walk the path that has been laid out before us. Sometimes we get off track. We have to be willing to admit our mistakes, offer them up to God and do our best to live a life that honours Jesus Christ. John quoted the prophets trying to get the people back on track…He used words that would have been familiar to them and that came at a time when the people would have been desperate for good news. I feel like we are all desperate for good news. John's call to "prepare the way" is ultimately a call to prepare for the Prince of Peace (Jesus), creating the conditions for lasting spiritual peace through Him. The coming of Christ…the gift of peace…is given for us all. Take time to prepare the way – ready your heart – for Jesus, the Prince of Peace, is coming offering us forgiveness to us all.
I was sure if I was going to go through with this next part. It's a song that has been in the back of my head. My dad used to sing it. When we still had records and record players. It was one of his favorites. I am probably dating myself. But some of you may know….
“I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day”
Harry Belafonte
I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men
I thought, as now this day had come
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rung so long
The unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men
And in despair I bowed my head
There is no peace on earth, I said
For hate is strong
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep
God is not dead nor doth He sleep
The wrong shall fail
The right prevail
With peace on earth, good will to men https://youtu.be/3KJGxHAOhzc?si=bQJerjizPHVtXS6_
I leave you with this.
Lord as we go through the week please help us to be at peace and continue to prepare for the coming of your son.. In Christ’s name we pray
By Neil Lisberg