“As often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, 

you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”

1 Corinthians 11:26

Advent is our yearly check in.

Am I ready for the return of the Lord? 

How do I prepare?

I had one person at church tell me that until this sermon he had always feared the coming of the Lord as a terror.

In other words, is Jesus going to show up and ask everyone what the hell they have been doing? Maybe he’ll start asking questions like:

Have you read the Bible yet?

Did you get rid of that annoying high maintenance behavior?

Will he frown and scold everyone for not being committed enough?

Which may lead us to questions like:

How do I prepare?

What if I am not prepared?

Will I be judged and thrown into the lake of fire?

The answer, of course, is no.

Jesus knew what he was getting into when he saved you.

He knew you would only be partially formed into the renewed version of you he is making.  

At his return, there will be mercy for us in all of our mess.

This love forms us. This love does the heavy lifting.

One of the primary ways we are to celebrate Advent is to receive the Lord’s Supper, when we take bread and meditate on and consume that love.

That Eucharist has all the nutritional resources that a sinner needs to experience love and give it.

It humbles us and lifts us at the same time.

When we eat and drink, we share in His story. His life.

When we take the bread, we take it with open hands and receive it as a gift of grace. There is no exchange. Just a one way giving and a one way receiving.

Gifts that are uncoerced and underserved are the best. They usually hit you with surprise and reveal some forethought of the giver that for a moment makes you feel seen in a good way.

In this Gift we see that He saw us at our worst and with love and great cost gave his best.

When you receive a gift like this it opens your heart to generosity to give to those around you. You are freed from the greed that takes all of your time, money and resources and you are unleashed to love. To proclaim love.

In other words, at All Souls Church we are trying to prepare you for the end, whether it be death or his return. We do this in many ways, but perhaps the best moment in our gatherings is to “proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” in the sacrament.

Every Sunday is a recognition of “Advent”

- a celebration of his first coming that reminds us of His second.

Soon our body and mind absorb the story on subconscious levels and repentance. Love of the brothers and sisters and faith toward God begin to mark us.

The presence of a communion-eating church is an argument for the risen Jesus.

Advent is a reminder of his support and correction.

Advent reminds us that we will not always be fallen.

Advent reminds us that he will heal it all.

What other time or season can or will the church ever have but that of Advent?

-Karl Barth

Grace and peace,

Pastor Harvey